Big XII and ESPN

[Scoop Snoop]

I'm not advocating for Gonzaga, but if you add them, you likely schedule them so they travel no more than 4 times during the regular season. Batch games so they get 2-3 road conference games each time they travel.

It's not ideal, but they're in Spokane, nothing is ideal. It's well over 1,000 miles to Pepperdine, LMU, and San Diego. I believe Portland is the only WCC school less than 700 miles away. If conference play starts in December, scheduling 2 big road trips during winter break where they get 6 of their road conference games done could mean just 2 more trips with 2 games each before the BET. Make those Thursday/Saturday and it's actually pretty doable.

Not saying we should, but if you're creative, it's really not that much more difficult than their current conference.

I thought that the NCAA did not allow a "basketball only" conference member (yet they allow FB only-go figure) so how would Gonzaga's other athletic teams survive? I get not adding the Zags but I wish they would schedule a couple of BE teams like Nova and UCONN for their OOC.

Edit: While it would be only one road trip for each BE bball team, I doubt that BE teams would be happy about the additional expenses of their non revenue teams going to Spokane.

[The Sultan]

I'm not advocating for Gonzaga, but if you add them, you likely schedule them so they travel no more than 4 times during the regular season. Batch games so they get 2-3 road conference games each time they travel.

It's not ideal, but they're in Spokane, nothing is ideal. It's well over 1,000 miles to Pepperdine, LMU, and San Diego. I believe Portland is the only WCC school less than 700 miles away. If conference play starts in December, scheduling 2 big road trips during winter break where they get 6 of their road conference games done could mean just 2 more trips with 2 games each before the BET. Make those Thursday/Saturday and it's actually pretty doable.

Not saying we should, but if you're creative, it's really not that much more difficult than their current conference.

Its quite a bit different than their current conference.  Gonzaga's longest road trip now is to San Diego - about 1,650 miles.  It's shortest in the Big East would be to Omaha - 1,800 miles.  The average road trip for them in the WCC is about 1,200 miles.  In the Big East it would be just under 3,000.

Sure you could string together a couple trips over a week and a half, but that instantly becomes more expensive and harder on the student athlete.  Furthermore they would be playing all of their road games two or three hours ahead of Pacific Time.  Whereas now, all of their games are in their home time zone other than Brigham Young.

[brewcity77]

Its quite a bit different than their current conference.  Gonzaga's longest road trip now is to San Diego - about 1,650 miles.  It's shortest in the Big East would be to Omaha - 1,800 miles.  The average road trip for them in the WCC is about 1,200 miles.  In the Big East it would be just under 3,000.

Sure you could string together a couple trips over a week and a half, but that instantly becomes more expensive and harder on the student athlete.  Furthermore they would be playing all of their road games two or three hours ahead of Pacific Time.  Whereas now, all of their games are in their home time zone other than Brigham Young.

I don't think it will ever come about, but with a conference schedule that starts in December, it's a lot more viable. Another big difference is Gonzaga only plays a 16-game conference schedule, often scheduling road or neutral court games to make up for the lack of WCC quality. They are already traveling more than they're getting credit for, they just do it in non-con.

The WCC shrunk their conference slate which will likely lead to more and longer travel for Gonzaga. They are playing neutral court games in New York and Arizona, road games in North Carolina and Texas, on top of regularly traveling to play Pac 12 opponents.

They have a month period or so from mid-December to mid-January where they could get 7-8 games in while on winter break. If even 4 of those are East Coast road games (SJU, UConn, SHU, PC for example), that would potentially leave two weekend trips where they could play 2 games each. Nova and GT one weekend, X and Butler another, everything else is central or earlier time zones.

[MarquetteDano]

I don't think it will ever come about, but with a conference schedule that starts in December, it's a lot more viable. Another big difference is Gonzaga only plays a 16-game conference schedule, often scheduling road or neutral court games to make up for the lack of WCC quality. They are already traveling more than they're getting credit for, they just do it in non-con.

The WCC shrunk their conference slate which will likely lead to more and longer travel for Gonzaga. They are playing neutral court games in New York and Arizona, road games in North Carolina and Texas, on top of regularly traveling to play Pac 12 opponents.

They have a month period or so from mid-December to mid-January where they could get 7-8 games in while on winter break. If even 4 of those are East Coast road games (SJU, UConn, SHU, PC for example), that would potentially leave two weekend trips where they could play 2 games each. Nova and GT one weekend, X and Butler another, everything else is central or earlier time zones.

I have to admit,  this is making me salivate at even the long shot potential of Gonzaga joining.