BE hires Tagliabue as a "special adviser"

[M@RQUETTEW@RRIORS]

I want ND connected to the big east.  I had heard that they helped us get in.  Plus, without them, DePaul and MU are dangling on the edge of the conference map (and basketball only schools).  If a couple of teams were to get pushed out, without ND in the BE, I wouldn't want to be us or DePaul.

Im saying that because ND isnt helping the BE in football and thats where it counts most.  If they pre-empt the Big Ten and give them ND maybe that will stop the bleeding at 1 team.  Maybe the Big East will expand on its own to protect itself.  But If ND were to leave the BE is not losing a football team anyway and could actually stand pat and not really lose anything.

[GOO]

My guess is that if ND leaves, you will see a push by BE schools to add other football teams.  With that, DePaul and us are the teams most likely to be given the boot.  Plus, if ND joins the big 10, I get they only do it if some east coast teams are added to the big 10 (e.g. Rutgers, UConn).  This would be the worst, as we would be out of the BE, but the other basketball teams are still in the BE.    

[GGGG]

Well, that depends.  If a BC is added or similar school(s) and there is a big $ espn contract for the BE, do you think they want to be in the midwest or east?

I think they would rather be in the east...but the "big $ espn contract" is quite the qualifier.  It won't be able to match what the B10 can offer.

[Big Papi]

The poison pill isn't that big of a deal.  $5 million?  That will be recouped one year in the B10.

I know we want to think that the BE could be dominant, but even Maryland, UCF and BC isn't going to prevent the B10 from getting who it wants...especially if three schools are involved.

I was thinking more along the lines of time than money.  I thought I read something the other day that there is a 24 or 27 month waiting period before a university could leave the Big East. 

[bma725]

I was thinking more along the lines of time than money.  I thought I read something the other day that there is a 24 or 27 month waiting period before a university could leave the Big East. 

That's true, but also irrelevant.  The Big 10 has an even longer waiting period once a team is invited to join.  So even after the Big East's 27 month waiting period, any team would still have to wait 9 more months under the Big 10's 36 month acceptance period.

[M@RQUETTEW@RRIORS]

My guess is that if ND leaves, you will see a push by BE schools to add other football teams.  With that, DePaul and us are the teams most likely to be given the boot.  Plus, if ND joins the big 10, I get they only do it if some east coast teams are added to the big 10 (e.g. Rutgers, UConn).  This would be the worst, as we would be out of the BE, but the other basketball teams are still in the BE.    

Huh?  How do you figure?  In that scenario I would see Gtown and nova reaching out to MU to be in the same BBall only conference while adding teams like Xavier and butler etc

[bma725]

Huh?  How do you figure?  In that scenario I would see Gtown and nova reaching out to MU to be in the same BBall only conference while adding teams like Xavier and butler etc

The original Big East basketball only schools like Gtown and Nova aren't going to leave the Big East for some smaller lesser conference.  They'll simply boot out the other basketball only schools and become the only basketball only schools in the conference.

[M@RQUETTEW@RRIORS]

The original Big East basketball only schools like Gtown and Nova aren't going to leave the Big East for some smaller lesser conference.  They'll simply boot out the other basketball only schools and become the only basketball only schools in the conference.

I agree, they will stay in the BE along with MU...

How do they "kick" MU out and why?  Seems counterproductive.  also, with the scenario drawn up above.  There would only be 5 football schools left,  hardly workable...

[bma725]

I agree, they will stay in the BE along with MU...

How do they "kick" MU out and why?  Seems counterproductive.

Because in order to save the conference they need to become more football centric.  Hard to do that when there are so many basketball only teams, and the long time basketball only schools in the conference aren't going to give up their seats willingly.  As the new kids on the block we would have no choice. 

So if this scenario were to happen where they have to add so many teams, the thinking is that they would likely look to add enough teams to where they have a championship game and aren't under constant threat of being poached. 

There's only a few ways to do that.....expand to be a 20 team conference or get the non football schools to start D1-A football teams or kick out some of the basketball only teams and replace them with football schools. 

[goodgreatgrand]

Because in order to save the conference they need to become more football centric.  Hard to do that when there are so many basketball only teams, and the long time basketball only schools in the conference aren't going to give up their seats willingly.  As the new kids on the block we would have no choice. 

So if this scenario were to happen where they have to add so many teams, the thinking is that they would likely look to add enough teams to where they have a championship game and aren't under constant threat of being poached. 

There's only a few ways to do that.....expand to be a 20 team conference or get the non football schools to start D1-A football teams or kick out some of the basketball only teams and replace them with football schools. 

Agreed. Basketball is great, but look at where it got us? I find it amusing that people suggest the BE should add the likes of Memphis, East Carolina etc etc. Sounds like the last expansion...except worse. And where did that get us? Yup, right back to being poached and in jeopardy of existing. I have a bad feeling that if the BE could somehow adds several more fball/bball schools than it loses, then DePaul and us could get "templed." Having an +18 team bball league would require the conference to change its name to the Very Big East. And Im sure a couple of years down the road, they will look at bball and say, "yeah, it's watered down. This conference needs to be football-centric." 

[M@RQUETTEW@RRIORS]

Agreed. Basketball is great, but look at where it got us? I find it amusing that people suggest the BE should add the likes of Memphis, East Carolina etc etc. Sounds like the last expansion...except worse. And where did that get us? Yup, right back to being poached and in jeopardy of existing. I have a bad feeling that if the BE could somehow adds several more fball/bball schools than it loses, then DePaul and us could get "templed." Having an +18 team bball league would require the conference to change its name to the Very Big East. And Im sure a couple of years down the road, they will look at bball and say, "yeah, it's watered down. This conference needs to be football-centric." 

You guys may be right and that could be the way the BE goes.  But in the best case football scenario.  They will be an afterthought.  Nothing more.

[Benny B]

There's only a few ways to do that.....expand to be a 20 team conference or get the non football schools to start D1-A football teams or kick out some of the basketball only teams and replace them with football schools. 

Sounds like we can finally start a legitimate discussion about bringing football back to Marquette.

[Skatastrophy]

Sounds like we can finally start a legitimate discussion about bringing football back to Marquette.

Unless you have lots of money and lots of downtown land to gift to Marquette that discussion will stop as soon as it started.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Sounds like we can finally start a legitimate discussion about bringing football back to Marquette.

Actually, I have never been in favor of re-starting a football team...

but, looking into the future of college athletics, MU might have to start one just to stay in "D1" athletics.

[Tugg Speedman]

Sounds like we can finally start a legitimate discussion about bringing football back to Marquette.

Thanks to title IX, you'd also have to either start more women sports that total 95 schollies or cut just about every non-basketball men's program to make room.

This will never happen ... an asteriod will hit McCormick before we restart football. 

[GGGG]

Because in order to save the conference they need to become more football centric.  Hard to do that when there are so many basketball only teams, and the long time basketball only schools in the conference aren't going to give up their seats willingly.  As the new kids on the block we would have no choice. 

Essentially, the BE would end up merging with the eastern schools of CUSA.  (Memphis, East Carolina, Marshall, etc.)

[SaveOD238]

This will never happen ... an asteriod will hit McCormick before we restart football. 

I'd be ok with that...

[brewcity77]

Sounds like we can finally start a legitimate discussion about bringing football back to Marquette.

Plenty of reasons above as to why this is nowhere close to reality, but we would be better suited to first focus on becoming a I-AA if we were looking in that direction. I imagine Uihlein Field would be big enough to get things started, but fiscally, you'd be talking about around $100 million to really get rolling.

We could probably save some money if we could play at Miller Park, and it would probably not be that hard of a sell for the Brewers, since it would provide a consistent source of income in what is mostly the team's off-season.

But what is most worrying about it isn't the startup, or even how long it would take, it's what would happen once we got the program going. Roughly 66% of all universities with Division-I football programs report a loss, and the average loss annually is $8 million. I would guess it's offset by excited boosters and increased enrollment in the early years, but once you get to years 5-6 and the results on the field don't match what people were hoping for, then the losses start pouring in. Can we as a university support a program that will cost so much, and likely lose a lot of money until (or rather if ever) we are fortunate enough to get a slice of the big money from bowl berths and TV contracts?

Listen, if I won a $200 million lottery today, I'd happily donate $40-50 million to MU to get the ball rolling if I thought that the school would be able to create a viable program. But of course, I don't have that kind of money, and even if I did, I'm not sure it'd be a worthwhile investment.

[Dawson Rental]

Without question, this is the most, if not the only, positive news that has come out since the Big Ten decided to get the conference realignment follies restarted.