Calhoun thinks Big East as we know it is doomed...

[Silkk the Shaka]

Assuming the league splits up, what is the correct number for basketball schools? You need 12 football schools to have a playoff. For basketball I think the perfect league is 10. You would then play everytime twice in a home and home schedule for an 18 game conference season. While I would miss playing some of the football schools, the home and home schedule versus an unbalanced schedule is more attractive to me. Villanova, St. John's, Georgetown, DePaul, Notre Dame, Seton Hall, Providence, Marquette and two other teams is all you need. What would hurt MU, is Villanova upgrading football and/or Notre Dame going to Big 10. Removing either of those teams from this basketball league would be a hugh loss.

I love the unbalanced Big East schedule.  Consistently playing unfamiliar elite opponents on the road (and at home) is awesome preparation for the tourney, when it really matters.

[brewcity77]

Assuming the league splits up, what is the correct number for basketball schools? You need 12 football schools to have a playoff. For basketball I think the perfect league is 10. You would then play everytime twice in a home and home schedule for an 18 game conference season. While I would miss playing some of the football schools, the home and home schedule versus an unbalanced schedule is more attractive to me. Villanova, St. John's, Georgetown, DePaul, Notre Dame, Seton Hall, Providence, Marquette and two other teams is all you need. What would hurt MU, is Villanova upgrading football and/or Notre Dame going to Big 10. Removing either of those teams from this basketball league would be a hugh loss.

Scheduling-wise, ten is great. I'd be a fan of twelve with a 16-game schedule. Play the other five teams in your division twice in home-and-homes and each of the opposite division teams once. The drawback is that you have a bit more non-con scheduling to do.

I also like twelve because I think it sets up better for the conference tourney, especially in terms of marketing rights. It's easier to sell four games on the first day, which include a couple teams in the top-six overall of the league, than it is to sell two games on the first day that are simply the bottom four teams of the league.

[Spotcheck Billy]

I saw this article on Boston College's move to the ACC and noticed

Still, the BC-ACC marriage appears solid, despite the Big East's standing offer for BC to return. ACC commissioner John Swofford said BC has brought much more to the conference than simply a New England address.

http://articles.boston.com/2011-06-19/sports/29677378_1_acc-bc-president-frank-spaziani

[MUfan12]

I saw this article on Boston College's move to the ACC and noticed
http://articles.boston.com/2011-06-19/sports/29677378_1_acc-bc-president-frank-spaziani

Interesting. When Pitt and Villanova played that regional final in Boston, it kinda highlighted the gap that was left for the Big East there. I wish they'd come back. Another football school, and another Catholic school to play.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Interesting.  Although, it was a strange read.  It wasn't, "Thank god we're in the  ACC!" or "It was the greatest thing ever we could do for our sports programs." or "We've excited BC sports fans with this move".  Instead it came across strictly as "the finances are good" and "oh yeah, the finances are good" and "we're stable for what we think the long term and BC fans should be excited that we're going to play Harvard, Holy Cross & UMass."