What was the 2005 Big East realignment like?

[WarriorDoc]

For us younger alums watching Boise St et all join, could we get a bit of perspective on what the 2005 alignment was like when Marquette joined?  The press around it, the opinions, the disgust, etc.

All I've gathered from it so far is that this is quite similar in terms of opinions.  People thought BC and VT leaving was the end of the world, and said the same things about Marquette, Louisville and Cinci et all when we first joined in '05.

[hoyasincebirth]

Yes it was very simillar and once again the Big East will be fine. No one expected the new cobbled big east to last more than a couple of seasons. But it was the best basketball conference in the nation and no worse at football than the ACC. This time Basketball won't be that level, but football will be better. We're going to be fine.

[Aughnanure]

^...until UConn or Lousiville get what they want...

[brewcity77]

One big difference is the last time was small doses and localized. There was Big East/ACC acrimony, but outside of C-USA teams no one else was really affected. It never felt like the wheels were coming off. The 5 C-USA schools were a sufficient bandaid. This time all 6 major conferences have experienced some upheaval, and at times it seemed like half of them (ACC, Big East, Big-12) might not survive.

Back then, change happened, some uproar followed, then it got quiet. This time it seems hardly a week would pass (sometimes a day) that there wasn't a new rumor or doomsday scenario was unfolding.

The new Big East is more stable than the old. Basketball isn't as good, but this is still a top-3 league, and football is much better. Even if UL or UConn bailed, you have a few solid football programs left, and football still drives the bus. WVU is the only significant football school to leave, and Boise State more than offsets that loss. The biggest threat is no longer from within, it's from the potential of the BCS ending its affiliation with the other games (Rose, Fiesta, etc). If the AQ bid goes away, nothing will entice the new Western teams to stay.

[Abode4life]

One big difference is the last time was small doses and localized. There was Big East/ACC acrimony, but outside of C-USA teams no one else was really affected. It never felt like the wheels were coming off. The 5 C-USA schools were a sufficient bandaid. This time all 6 major conferences have experienced some upheaval, and at times it seemed like half of them (ACC, Big East, Big-12) might not survive.

Back then, change happened, some uproar followed, then it got quiet. This time it seems hardly a week would pass (sometimes a day) that there wasn't a new rumor or doomsday scenario was unfolding.

The new Big East is more stable than the old. Basketball isn't as good, but this is still a top-3 league, and football is much better. Even if UL or UConn bailed, you have a few solid football programs left, and football still drives the bus. WVU is the only significant football school to leave, and Boise State more than offsets that loss. The biggest threat is no longer from within, it's from the potential of the BCS ending its affiliation with the other games (Rose, Fiesta, etc). If the AQ bid goes away, nothing will entice the new Western teams to stay.

The biggest question is how long the new Big East will last.  I'll admit that I didn't pay nearly as much attention in 2003-2004, or whenever the conference realignment talk happened, but as you pointed out it seems like the wheels are going to fall off this time around.  Or maybe it just might feel that way because we are not actively moving, just waiting for the next bomb to drop.  Just a month ago (maybe two now?) TCU was a part of the "New Big East".  Even if the AQ status remains the same, if other conferences want to expand, it would be hard for Louisville, UConn, etc. to remain in the Big East. 

[Canadian Dimes]

Maybe someone should ask BC and Miami how good the ACC has been for them?

answer: unfathomable disaster.

Maybe WVU, Pitt and Syracuse should ask BC how difficult the logistics of operating in a conference thousands of miles away with a completely different identity is?  Whoops

Or how difficult it is to ask a that is considering ur school to go play for the team that is the out-lier.

Example the BE's entrenched recruiting base is the NE.  therefore in the past BC got a high percentage of their players from the NE, those kids primarily grew up watching and dreaming of playing in the BE, ie the local league.  Then BC offers them they like BC over the others schools...they sign with BC.  
That has changed now those kids have much less of an attraction to BC.  The kids that might/would have an attraction are living in North carolina, yet if they are really good they are going to sign with NC STate, UNC, DUke, VA, or Wake Forest before the ever consider going all the way to Boston to play for the step child that they have no affinity for.  

Same will go for those 3 schools.

Perfect example...how often has Buzz been all over kids from Texas.  Yes, we have landed our fair share but the top kids...by and large have stayed local and signed with...you guessed it BIG 12 schools.  cameron clark, Ridley,even TJ Taylor, marcus Smart, and the list goes on and on and on....Welcome to your new world West virginia...the top kids in the southwest are notgoing to want to go all the way to west virgina when they can play in their region for the teams they grew up rooting for.

[brewcity77]

Example the BE's entrenched recruiting base is the NE.  therefore in the past BC got a high percentage of their players from the NE, those kids primarily grew up watching and dreaming of playing in the BE, ie the local league.  Then BC offers them they like BC over the others schools...they sign with BC.  
That has changed now those kids have much less of an attraction to BC.  The kids that might/would have an attraction are living in North carolina, yet if they are really good they are going to sign with NC STate, UNC, DUke, VA, or Wake Forest before the ever consider going all the way to Boston to play for the step child that they have no affinity for.  

Same will go for those 3 schools.

Perfect example...how often has Buzz been all over kids from Texas.  Yes, we have landed our fair share but the top kids...by and large have stayed local and signed with...you guessed it BIG 12 schools.  cameron clark, Ridley,even TJ Taylor, marcus Smart, and the list goes on and on and on....Welcome to your new world West virginia...the top kids in the southwest are notgoing to want to go all the way to west virgina when they can play in their region for the teams they grew up rooting for.

Conversely, look at our new recruiting areas. Derrick Wilson played his prep ball out East. So did Mayo, after living in West Virginia. Gardner and Ferguson are both from Virginia, which is ACC first, but with WVU and DC both close is Big East second. Buzz is still doing well in Texas, and definitely doing well locally (Wisconsin and Illinois) but it seems like we're really making a strong move towards the East Coast as well, and I have no doubt our inclusion in the Big East is a significant part of that.

[Jay Bee]

Derrick Wilson played his prep ball out East. So did Mayo, after living in West Virginia.

Mayo started off in the WVa area (technically his school was in Ohio), but moved after his sophomore year to the Memphis, TN area.  Two schools in Memphis and I believe he ran with Memphis Magic AAU once he moved there... then to Prep.  Not that it matters much to your point, but I'd call him a Tennessee high school player vs. WVa.

[GGGG]

Maybe someone should ask BC and Miami how good the ACC has been for them?

answer: unfathomable disaster.

Not from a $$$ point of view.

[muhs03]

Maybe someone should ask BC and Miami how good the ACC has been for them?

answer: unfathomable disaster.

Unfathomable disaster? LOL.

BC went to back-to-back ACC championship games. In their 14 years as football members in the BE, BC was a conference champion only once. In their 24 year history in the BE for basketball, their team won 4 conference championships. The only "disaster" BC created for themselves was letting two very good football coaches walk away. Did they have the money to retain either of them? Yeah, probably. So, what are they doing with their "ACC money"? They currently have 31 varsity teams (which I believe is the largest AD in the ACC). Did they have that many when they were in the BE or did they use their money to fund more non-revenue generating sports? I dont know. Maybe BC simply wants to break even with their athletic department....you dont know what their athletic department mission is (and neither do I).

And what about Miami? Have you seen their campus lately or heard from people that attend that school? The real estate bubble in Miami popped but not at the university. They have done nothing but pump massive amounts of money into their school (renovated classrooms, land acquisitions, new buildings, etc...) Did they do all of this with ACC money? No, probably not...but Im willing to bet some of their financing comes from their AD proceeds. Is there a school in the country that has climbed the academic rankings faster than Miami? They leveraged their football reputation ("Duh U") to advance their academic reputation. "Unfathomable disaster"?

So what will Pitt, Syracuse and WVU do? Expand their AD? Funnel the proceeds into academics...or do something totally different? If these schools can operate their current AD under an outdated BE media rights deal, they will have plenty of options when they receive a $10M premium to what they currently receive.

[brewcity77]

Mayo started off in the WVa area (technically his school was in Ohio), but moved after his sophomore year to the Memphis, TN area.  Two schools in Memphis and I believe he ran with Memphis Magic AAU once he moved there... then to Prep.  Not that it matters much to your point, but I'd call him a Tennessee high school player vs. WVa.

True, but he never got a UT tattoo, whereas he does have a flying WVU logo on his arm