Sporting News about BEast expansion....and Crean praise

[Eldon]

Clearly let's push VCU down on the pecking order. After all they annually get two top 100 recruits, have a young star coach that has been loyal to the program and have a recent final 4.

Dogs like St. Louis and Richmond are far more attractive.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/playerrankings

They are a regionally-based state school with 30k students in a mid-sized city that has zero pro sports teams.  Point being that the football bug may bite them. 

-Scooper Doe: But, didn't you hear?  The current AD said "no" to football.
-Me: What about when he's gone?  There is and has been a 'bring football to VCU' student group on campus.
-Scooper Doe: No way.  VCU, along with other mid-major schools, have learned that they will never be the SEC.  They'll never add football.
-ME: And ODU?  UNC-Charlotte?
-Scooper Doe: SHAKA SMART!!!!!!! 

Guys, VCU may look sexy now, but we're still tipsy from their Final Four run.  Let's keep expansion in our pants so that we don't wake up with a Shaka-less, public football school.

[Brewtown Andy]

No.

MU would likely play 18 Big East games like they did when there were 16 teams in the conference, and 10 in the conference. It just would no longer be a true round robin.

MU would have exactly the same non-conference schedule as before, unless MU wanted to weaken it for other reasons

I apologize, I was reacting to the "20 league games" idea. 20 league games means 2 non-con games would have to go.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

They are a regionally-based state school with 30k students in a mid-sized city that has zero pro sports teams.  Point being that the football bug may bite them.  

-Scooper Doe: But, didn't you hear?  The current AD said "no" to football.
-Me: What about when he's gone?  There is and has been a 'bring football to VCU' student group on campus.
-Scooper Doe: No way.  VCU, along with other mid-major schools, have learned that they will never be the SEC.  They'll never add football.
-ME: And ODU?  UNC-Charlotte?
-Scooper Doe: SHAKA SMART!!!!!!!  

I don't think people appreciate how expensive it is to start a football program from scratch. I once asked a member of the BOT what it would take for Marquette to get football again. The answer was "An alumni to donate 500 million specifically earmarked for football."

ODU and UNC Charlotte had FCS teams. Jumping from FCS to FBS is one thing. But starting a program from scratch? Ain't never gonna happen. And even if they did get FCS football, it would take them dozens of years to make it to FBS and will probably never get there. Just look at Butler, Villanova, and Georgetown.

It would be more likely for Butler, Villanova, or Georgetown to add FBS football than it would be for VCU.

[forgetful]

I don't think people appreciate how expensive it is to start a football program from scratch. I once asked a member of the BOT what it would take for Marquette to get football again. The answer was "An alumni to donate 500 million specifically earmarked for football."

ODU and UNC Charlotte had FCS teams. Jumping from FCS to FBS is one thing. But starting a program from scratch? Ain't never gonna happen. And even if they did get FCS football, it would take them dozens of years to make it to FBS and will probably never get there. Just look at Butler, Villanova, and Georgetown.

It would be more likely for Butler, Villanova, or Georgetown to add FBS football than it would be for VCU.

That's absurd...it could easily be done with $400 million.  In all seriousness you are exactly right.  If you had a donor that wanted to pony up those kind of dollars then fine...but you would be unlikely to even recoup the cost of running the team, forget ever getting a return on investment of that $500 million. 

The actual benefit of football is publicity and bringing in more students (for successful programs bringing in donations).  MU already has a basketball program that brings in national attention and donations, no need to go to football just because of TV contracts/conference realignment.

[Eldon]

I don't think people appreciate how expensive it is to start a football program from scratch. I once asked a member of the BOT what it would take for Marquette to get football again. The answer was "An alumni to donate 500 million specifically earmarked for football."

ODU and UNC Charlotte had FCS teams. Jumping from FCS to FBS is one thing. But starting a program from scratch? Ain't never gonna happen. And even if they did get FCS football, it would take them dozens of years to make it to FBS and will probably never get there. Just look at Butler, Villanova, and Georgetown.

It would be more likely for Butler, Villanova, or Georgetown to add FBS football than it would be for VCU.

What would this jump cost for a public school?  After all, they have tax dollars on their side. Using the tried and true a-stadium-will-boost-economic-development-in-Richmond argument and therefore tax-payer dollars are justified being channeled to a football stadium, which can also double to host concerts in Richmond, etc.  Enlighten me here, did UCONN use (new-at-the-time) tax dollars to build its mighty 40,000 capacity stadium? 

It is easier to jump from FCS to FBS, but if my memory serves me correctly, ODU is building (built?) a brand-new stadium for FBS, which, of course, is almost as if they are starting from scratch.

[keefe]

The big east is already in the Richmond market? Am I missing something? DC and Richmond are not the same market

You are 100% correct. Richmond and DC are not just different markets but radically different worlds.

[Dawson Rental]

Dayton is trending slightly up. SLU shot up but will be trending down once Crews is unable to feed off Majerus' work. Richmond is trending down. VCU...trending way up. For this reason alone, we should grab VCU.

I had finally come around about VCU, but now DeCourcey has me rethinking again.

[4everwarriors]

C'mon man, DeCourcey is a Crean homey. Ya can't soften up from readin' his junk.

[Dawson Rental]

C'mon man, DeCourcey is a Crean homey. Ya can't soften up from readin' his junk.

Well,      ....he doesn't exactly make me hard.

[ChicosBailBonds]

C'mon man, DeCourcey is a Crean homey. Ya can't soften up from readin' his junk.

One of the best college basketball writers out there.  Parrish and Goodman are Buzz homeys, they all have their mouthpieces.

[Aughnanure]

The entire premise of bringing in VCU is built around who their coach is today and ONE year.

[Lennys Tap]

C'mon man, DeCourcey is a Crean homey. Ya can't soften up from readin' his junk.

+1000

[ChicosBailBonds]

Inducted into the Hall of Fame for the United States Basketball Writers Association 

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2011-12-23/sporting-news-mike-decourcy-inducted-into-hall-of-fame

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

The entire premise of bringing in VCU is built around who their coach is today and ONE year.

They have more success in the tournament than SLU, Dayton, or Richmond (by a landslide if you don't count Dayton's 1967 final four). They have already locked up 4 star recruits for this season, next season, and the one after that (The other three have no 4 stars between all three of them). They bring in a new media market that is bigger than Dayton (but smaller the SLU). They have $$$$. They are nationally known and followed because of their recent success. They are a unanimous top 15 pick in everyone's preseason polls (I don't think any of the other three are getting votes...maybe SLU got one or two in some polls).

Oh and yes, they've been to a final four in the past two years and they have one of the hottest young coaches who has already turned down an opening at a blue blood institution to stay at VCU.

Those were just the first few things off the top of my head. I'm sure I could find more reasons if I took time to research it.

[Aughnanure]

They have more success in the tournament than SLU, Dayton, or Richmond (by a landslide if you don't count Dayton's 1967 final four). They have already locked up 4 star recruits for this season, next season, and the one after that (The other three have no 4 stars between all three of them). They bring in a new media market that is bigger than Dayton (but smaller the SLU). They have $$$$. They are nationally known and followed because of their recent success. They are a unanimous top 15 pick in everyone's preseason polls (I don't think any of the other three are getting votes...maybe SLU got one or two in some polls).

Oh and yes, they've been to a final four in the past two years and they have one of the hottest young coaches who has already turned down an opening at a blue blood institution to stay at VCU.

Those were just the first few things off the top of my head. I'm sure I could find more reasons if I took time to research it.

Cool, we're not adding SLU for their tournament success and everyone knows that. Again, ALL of that success is ONE year. They've still only made it to the 2nd weekend once.

They don't have more money than Richmond, SLU (unsure on Dayton). They are also not as nationally known as you think. Basketball junkies? Sure. Average fans? No.

Again, and all the recruiting and success is predicated on a certain coach staying, and he WILL eventually leave. I'm not saying be a terrible add at all or anything, but I'm so sick of this argument that they're this MUST ADD. The #4/5 state school in ANY state is never a must add.

[GGGG]

Cool, we're not adding SLU for their tournament success and everyone knows that. Again, ALL of that success is ONE year. They've still only made it to the 2nd weekend once.

They don't have more money than Richmond, SLU (unsure on Dayton). They are also not as nationally known as you think. Basketball junkies? Sure. Average fans? No.

Again, and all the recruiting and success is predicated on a certain coach staying, and he WILL eventually leave. I'm not saying be a terrible add at all or anything, but I'm so sick of this argument that they're this MUST ADD. The #4/5 state school in ANY state is never a must add.

I am not disagreeing with much you are saying, but to say that all of their success is due to one coach is a little inaccurate.  Over the past decade they made the tournament with three coaches (Capel, Grant, Smart).  Honestly I am not sure what the differences are between them and Butler.

[real chili 83]

I am not disagreeing with much you are saying, but to say that all of their success is due to one coach is a little inaccurate.  Over the past decade they made the tournament with three coaches (Capel, Grant, Smart).  Honestly I am not sure what the differences are between them and Butler.

Sultan, your signature is kind of......weird. 

[brewcity77]

Sultan, your signature is kind of......weird. 

Not that weird...Sultan definitely has fans that dog his every post.

[real chili 83]

Not that weird...Sultan definitely has fans that dog his every post.

I get that.  I like reading his stuff.  He sometimes brings it on with his condescending tone.  Overall, a solid contributor.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Not that weird...Sultan definitely has fans that dog his every post.

Please....minor leagues    

[brewcity77]

Please....minor leagues    

LOL

Just because he's not alone in that regard doesn't mean it's not accurate