Big East Will Expand

[KipsBayEagle]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5756898

This is going to be real sloppy.  The Big East is getting to the point where you can just pull up a map of the U.S. and start throwing darts.  My preference, upgrade Nova, add delaware, at least delaware is in the neighborhood.  And that last paragraph scares the crap out of me.  Dear God, if the basketball and football schools split, we will be in a ____ storm.

[Ready2Fly]

If the Big East could get TCU as football only and move Villanova up that would be incredible.

[Clam Crowder]

U have to wonder what they mean by split? Do they mean 2 divisions of the Big East or just an overall break up of the conference?

[GGGG]

Delaware and Nova?  Cmon...  Hopefully the BE will think bigger than that.

[NYWarrior]

My preference, upgrade Nova, add delaware, at least delaware is in the neighborhood.  And that last paragraph scares the crap out of me.  Dear God, if the basketball and football schools split, we will be in a ____ storm.

Delaware??  No chance, none. The Blue Hens spend about $1.5M on basketball.  In total.  They're in a different class entirely.

http://tinyurl.com/2bm4bxj

Contrast them with SHU -- with a notoriously underfunded athletic department -- yet spends $5M+ on men's hoops.  

http://tinyurl.com/24kvpsn

BTW, $5M is about what Delaware spends on football.  Delaware will never enter the conversation for the Big East, unless it is for a buy game.

If regionality is a concern - perhaps Temple could draw interest but I don't know if that's in Villanova's best interest. Truth is the Big East has to look far and wide to build its pigskin prowess.  UCF, TCU, UH, ECU and other programs from parts unknown. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

What's amazing is Boise State only spends about $6 million on football

[dsfire]

Rather sad that they named all of the Big East schools except Georgetown at the end.  I mean, I understand there are a lot of schools in the BE, but if you remember DePaul and Seton Hall, surely you can remember Georgetown?

[GGGG]

What's amazing is Boise State only spends about $6 million on football

I have to figure out the criteria for this, because it also says that UT-Austin spends $5 million.

[robertoc]

What's amazing is Boise State only spends about $6 million on football

That's amazing.  I always hear about how their facilities, recruiting, etc  rival anyone in the country.  How can they do that on that budget?

[GGGG]

I don't think these figures include facilities costs.  Simply scholarships and coaching salaries.  How else can this site claim that Texas spends less than Boise on football?

[Dawson Rental]

U have to wonder what they mean by split? Do they mean 2 divisions of the Big East or just an overall break up of the conference?

Overall breakup - leading to the closest thing we'll ever see to a national Catholic university B-ball conference.

[Dawson Rental]

From a basketball only school perspective - the IDEAL solution would be - Villanova moves up in football AND they add Temple as football only.

Ideal does not mean likely however.  IF 'nova moves up, could they - and the other football schools - live with two Philly football teams?

[T-Bone]

From a basketball only school perspective - the IDEAL solution would be - Villanova moves up in football AND they add Temple as football only.

The thing that interests me is that the vote was unanimous.  There's something in it for the basketball only schools.  It's going to be interesting to watch how this plays out.

[MerrittsMustache]

From a basketball only school perspective - the IDEAL solution would be - Villanova moves up in football AND they add Temple as football only.

Ideal does not mean likely however.  IF 'nova moves up, could they - and the other football schools - live with two Philly football teams?

IMO, the ideal solution would be that Villanova moves up and ND joins for football. That leaves basketball unchanged. But like you said, ideal does not mean likely.

[brewcity77]

From a basketball only school perspective - the IDEAL solution would be - Villanova moves up in football AND they add Temple as football only.

Ideal does not mean likely however.  IF 'nova moves up, could they - and the other football schools - live with two Philly football teams?

Live with two Philly teams? Probably. But I can't see it happening after the way Temple was unceremoniously dumped out of the Big East a few years back. And while Temple has a decent enough football team, I really think the Big East would want to make a splash, which would take a team with a pedigree more like UCF or even better TCU. My only hope right now is that we don't end up getting the Temple treatment and being kicked to the curb as the conference expands for football.

[Dawson Rental]

Live with two Philly teams? Probably. But I can't see it happening after the way Temple was unceremoniously dumped out of the Big East a few years back. And while Temple has a decent enough football team, I really think the Big East would want to make a splash, which would take a team with a pedigree more like UCF or even better TCU. My only hope right now is that we don't end up getting the Temple treatment and being kicked to the curb as the conference expands for football.

Me too.  But why should we be with Seton Hall around to be so kicked?

[77ncaachamps]

This FB stuff is nonsense.

If a recruit wants to play for a FOOTBALL first school, then go.

BASKETBALL is religion at Marquette; AL is our patron saint; Buzz, the bishop; and the players are the preachers of the hardcourt gospel, that is Marquette hoops.

[brewcity77]

This FB stuff is nonsense.

If a recruit wants to play for a FOOTBALL first school, then go.

BASKETBALL is religion at Marquette; AL is our patron saint; Buzz, the bishop; and the players are the preachers of the hardcourt gospel, that is Marquette hoops.

That seems rather short-sighted to me. Yes, basketball is king for us, but our ability to play against the highest caliber opponents is requisite on being in the Big East or another major conference. If we get kicked out, where do we go? At best, back to C-USA or maybe sneaking in to the A-10 in place of Temple. At worst, the Horizon, MAC, or Missouri Valley.

That doesn't mean we can't still have success. C-USA sent us and Louisville to the Final Four at its height, Memphis made the national title game. And we all saw what Butler did out of the Horizon last year. We could become another exception like those teams and reach heights not common for mid-majors. But we could also fall off as high-profile recruits turn their back on us because they don't think they can get the type of exposure they need to reach the NBA.

You can't go it alone anymore like Al did as an independent in the 1970s. The only major college team I can think of trying to do that still is Notre Dame in football, and their fall from glory has been rather swift and ugly. The truth is, we need the Big East if we want to be assured of competing for top recruits and playing at the highest level. Which means that no matter how nonsense you may think this FB stuff is, it's vitally important to the future of Marquette hoops.

[GGGG]

The only independents in football are ND, Navy and Army.  BYU joins them next year.

[Brewtown Andy]

IMO, the ideal solution would be that Villanova moves up and ND joins for football. That leaves basketball unchanged. But like you said, ideal does not mean likely.

So what we really need is NBC to tell ND to get bent.