I hate to say this but.....

[GOMU85]

Back to Mid-magor status we go!!! Its not looking good right now for Marquette and the rest of the B-Ball only schools in the Big East. Sad

[RyanConroy]

Anything but mid-magor! Mid-major, fine, but never mid-magor!

---

In all seriousness, if WVU leaves, it's time for basketball only schools to move on from their current state of dispensability to a conference without football. Rip the bandaid off quickly.

[TedBaxter]

If it's basketball only driven, Marquette partners with Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's, Seton Hall, Providence and DePaul.  Notre Dame likely looks elsewhere so schools like Xavier, Dayton and maybe Butler come aboard to form a 10 team private school conference with a basketball history.  Xavier is the only school without a Final Four appearance, yet they've been to two Elite Eight's the past 7 years.  

An 18 game league schedule allows for 10-12 non-conference games to schedule with in-season tournaments as well as games against BCS schools to jack up the schedule strength and this would be one of the top 5-6 conferences and still be considered a high major conference.  

Last year this group of schools would have been 5th in average attendance after the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and SEC and this fan interest alone would likely secure some type of cable television contract. When you add the cities these schools are in, it's a given.

You have the major metropolitan area's of New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and two medium sized markets in Dayton and Providence.  With 5 schools centered in what I will describe as the mideast as well as 5 in east to northeast, travel will be accessible for the non-revenue sports and you are competing with like schools with like athletic interests.  Major airports in all cities with Providence and Dayton more regional, but still decent airports.

[jsglow]

If it's basketball only driven, Marquette partners with Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's, Seton Hall, Providence and DePaul.  Notre Dame likely looks elsewhere so schools like Xavier, Dayton and maybe Butler come aboard to form a 10 team private school conference with a basketball history.  Xavier is the only school without a Final Four appearance, yet they've been to two Elite Eight's the past 7 years.  

An 18 game league schedule allows for 10-12 non-conference games to schedule with in-season tournaments as well as games against BCS schools to jack up the schedule strength and this would be one of the top 5-6 conferences and still be considered a high major conference.  

Last year this group of schools would have been 5th in average attendance after the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and SEC and this fan interest alone would likely secure some type of cable television contract. When you add the cities these schools are in, it's a given.

You have the major metropolitan area's of New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and two medium sized markets in Dayton and Providence.  With 5 schools centered in what I will describe as the mideast as well as 5 in east to northeast, travel will be accessible for the non-revenue sports and you are competing with like schools with like athletic interests.  Major airports in all cities with Providence and Dayton more regional, but still decent airports.

I'm actually looking forward to it.

[MU82]

TedBaxter: Your solution is very logical. In other words, it probably won't happen!

[Litehouse]

Back to Mid-magor status we go!!! Its not looking good right now for Marquette and the rest of the B-Ball only schools in the Big East. Sad

I'd say it's looking worse for the football left-overs of the Big East.  We'll be fine, even if it's a little step back.

[avid1010]

Back to Mid-magor status we go!!! Its not looking good right now for Marquette and the rest of the B-Ball only schools in the Big East. Sad

I'm not there...if we don't go to an all bball conference it means that schools like Louisville, Cincy and UConn remain...if we do we will have the best bball only conference ever assembled, and i think that will play very well with recruits who don't want to be second to football.  many times we've heard recruits talk about how they like MU because basketball is the main sport for the school.  i'm looking forward to the day when we no longer have to pay attention to anything football and can be a basketball focused league.  here's to hoping that day comes...

[GOO]

Far from mid major status. I assume the original post is from a troll. If not FYI we will be far from mid-major.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

Original post doesn't take into account where we were in Great Midwest or C-USA.

A private school basketball conference with the Big East Basketball membership (plus or minus ND) and Xavier, Dayton, Butler, etc. is a step back from the 2005-Present Big East the same way a vacation to Hawaii is a step back from a vacation to Tahiti.

[Dawson Rental]

Back to Mid-magor status we go!!! Its not looking good right now for Marquette and the rest of the B-Ball only schools in the Big East. Sad

And I hate to have you say it because its ignorant crap.  Why don't you just name your next thread the ignorant crap thread, so I don't waste any time reading it?

[chapman]

With the 8-5 edge, at worst 7-6 if ND sides with football schools' expansion plans, don't vote in Houston, SMU, UCF, or ECU.  If the football schools find a new home we can add X, Dayton, Butler.  If they find somewhere to play football we would rather keep them around for basketball, and with the 8-5 edge maybe we still add those three to get to 16.  It isn't worth adding up to four bad programs for the long term to keep 2 or 3 good ones around temporarily.  Doesn't help us enter new markets, but from a competitive standpoint we should be considering Temple and possibly even St. Joseph's as well, though St. Joe's fast few seasons haven't helped their cause.

[Abode4life]

I am liking the idea of the football associated with C-USA and the WAC/MAC/whatever else.  I have already written off the football schools jumping ship.  They may do it in the next month after they reaffirm their commitment to the Big East again, or in a year or two. 

Once the Big East realizes that getting to a 12 team football conference by inviting new members won't save the AQ status, then we can invite Xavier, Butler, and whoever else for all sports.  Then, if the football association is done right, we can maybe keep the leftover football schools to help strengthen bball.  Even if Louisville, UConn, Cinci, Rutgers, and USF jump ship eventually, the association will give them a place to park their football until they decide to leave.  Who knows, if UConn or Cinci can't find a new home in the next few years them staying in the Big East will only add to the depth of the bball league. 

[StillAWarrior]

I said a couple of weeks ago that I don't see any way that this ends without Marquette being in a mid-major conference.  Call me a troll, say that this is ignorant crap, whatever.  I think it's the only realistic outcome of all this, and I think those who disagree are in denial.  But I'm OK with it turning out that way.  If the Big East loses Louisville, Cinci and UConn (two of which I think are foregone conclusions and all three are likely), in my mind, the resulting conference will be a mid-major.  I think it will be an absolute top-tier mid-major, but a mid-major nonetheless.  I just hope we can hold it together with the other Big East basketball schools and retain the name.

I also think it's worth noting that once the shuffle is complete, there will be only four or five "super-conferences" and I think those will be the "high-major" (what does that term even mean, anyway) conferences.  If anyone is still holding out hope that Marquette is going to end up in one of those conferences, I'd suggest that it's time to start preparing for an inevitable disappointment.  But in that brave new world of super-conferences, perhaps people won't bristle so much at the term "mid-major" or any comparable term that replaces it.

[tower912]

If the football schools all leave and we poach the best basketball-only schools, we return to the essence of the original Big East.    And it will still be one of the top 4-5 basketball conferences in the country.   

[StillAWarrior]

If the football schools all leave and we poach the best basketball-only schools, we return to the essence of the original Big East.    And it will still be one of the top 4-5 basketball conferences in the country.   

I agree completely.  I'm just not entirely sure that the resulting conference would be viewed as a "high-major."  Best case scenario, we have Marquette, Georgetown, ND, St. Johns, Villanova, Providence, Seton Hall, USF, Rutgers and DePaul.  That's the core - 10 teams.  We add a few more...maybe Houston, Xavier, Memphis, Butler, Dayton...others.  In my mind, that's a high quality mid-major - "one of the top 4-5 basketball conferences in the country."  It's a purely semantic issue based upon the difference between "mid-" and "high-" major, and I'm not sure there's every been uniformity of opinion on where that line is drawn.

I just want to see them get on with it.  Align with the basketball-only schools, invite other strong basketball-only schools, and start negotiating with the networks.  In my opinion, bringing in a bunch of mediocre football schools (and their mediocre basketball programs) is one of the worst possible thing that could happen to Marquette. 

[lab_warrior]

Seriously, all of you ninny, "back to mid-major" (sorry, "MID MAGOR"!!!) depressive case downers, calm down already!  If we team up with St. John's, Seton Hall, GTown, Villanova, PC, and, GUH,  DePaul, along with other very good basketball schools like Xavier, Temple, etc.; (ie, what tower912 said) that's a damn good basketball conference.

Also, keep in mind, poor, sad little mid-major BUTLER has been to two National Championship games the past couple years.  VCU a FF, as well as George Mason.

Get a grip, folks.  This is just the new paradigm; it is what it is.  Inferior, (except for SEC), garbagy, college football, bowl games, and greed rule everything.  Best thing MU can do is band together with other basketball-only schools with great programs.

http://www.youtube.com/v/qvPugcb7QGE&fs=1&source=uds

[lab_warrior]

Far from mid major status. I assume the original post is from a troll. If not FYI we will be far from mid-major.

Not just a troll, a WORST, MID MAGOR TROLL.  DERP.

[Abode4life]

I agree completely.  I'm just not entirely sure that the resulting conference would be viewed as a "high-major."  Best case scenario, we have Marquette, Georgetown, ND, St. Johns, Villanova, Providence, Seton Hall, USF, Rutgers and DePaul.  That's the core - 10 teams.  We add a few more...maybe Houston, Xavier, Memphis, Butler, Dayton...others.  In my mind, that's a high quality mid-major - "one of the top 4-5 basketball conferences in the country."  It's a purely semantic issue based upon the difference between "mid-" and "high-" major, and I'm not sure there's every been uniformity of opinion on where that line is drawn.

I just want to see them get on with it.  Align with the basketball-only schools, invite other strong basketball-only schools, and start negotiating with the networks.  In my opinion, bringing in a bunch of mediocre football schools (and their mediocre basketball programs) is one of the worst possible thing that could happen to Marquette. 

I disagree saying that the only outcome is being a mid-major conference.  I do agree that at this point in the game, best scenario is to focus on building the basketball brand.  

The big plus for me is that we will no longer be tied to the football schools' on-field performance.  With Us, Nova, GTown, ND, St. Johns, etc and any other adds including Xavier, butler, etc. that is a great base to build from.  If we win across the board as a conference, we will not be a mid-major conference.  

The possibility of us fizzling out in 4-5 years after we go basketball only is a decent one; but then it is our fault for not performing on the court.  

[StillAWarrior]

Seriously, all of you ninny, "back to mid-major" (sorry, "MID MAGOR"!!!) depressive case downers, calm down already!  If we team up with St. John's, Seton Hall, GTown, Villanova, PC, and, GUH,  DePaul, along with other very good basketball schools like Xavier, Temple, etc.; (ie, what tower912 said) that's a damn good basketball conference.

Also, keep in mind, poor, sad little mid-major BUTLER has been to two National Championship games the past couple years.  VCU a FF, as well as George Mason.

Get a grip, folks.  This is just the new paradigm; it is what it is.  Inferior, (except for SEC), garbagy, college football, bowl games, and greed rule everything.  Best thing MU can do is band together with other basketball-only schools with great programs.

Not sure if this is directed at me, but I want to make clear:  I'm not "down" at all about the prospect of being in a conference like you've described.  Like you, I think that it would be a "damn good" basketball conference -- one of the best.  I welcome it, and wish they'd get on with it.  The term "mid-major" really doesn't mean much to me, and I don't think it's a dirty word.  If two years from now we're in a conference with those programs (and other similar to fill out the conference), they could refer to it as a "mid-major," "low-major" or "YMCA league" and I'd be very happy with where Marquette ended up.  However, I would prefer if it could be called the Big East.

What I'm down about is the prospect of the Big East pulling in a bunch of mediocre football schools and only prolonging the inevitable.  When we jointed the Big East, virtually everyone knew that the football/basketball rift would eventually cause the conference to blow up.  It's happened and nobody should be surprised.  I think history will repeat itself if the Big East adds a bunch more football schools and we'll find ourselves in exactly the same spot in a relatively few years.

[lab_warrior]

Not sure if this is directed at me,

No, not really, just the other 4-5 people* posting hysterically because another football school bolted the BE. 

*grammar & spelling challenged trolls

What I'm down about is the prospect of the Big East pulling in a bunch of mediocre football schools and only prolonging the inevitable.  When we jointed the Big East, virtually everyone knew that the football/basketball rift would eventually cause the conference to blow up.  It's happened and nobody should be surprised.  I think history will repeat itself if the Big East adds a bunch more football schools and we'll find ourselves in exactly the same spot in a relatively few years.

Yes, yes, and yes regarding this.  I would rather have a basketball only, StillAWarrior-defined-mid/low/YMCA-major basketball only conference than one tethered to any number of crappy football and basketball teams.  And I agree that the latter is happening, unfortunately.

[Benny B]

Also, keep in mind, poor, sad little mid-major BUTLER has been to two National Championship games the past couple years.  VCU a FF, as well as George Mason.

Amen.  Mid-major is just a word (albeit hyphenated), so what. 

Heck, MU, Georgetown, St. John's, Nova, etc. could virtually guarantee NCAA berths every year by simply going off and joining low major conferences (I call Summit - for no other reason than the tasty jokes that come along with having Oral Roberts in the conference.)

"What are you doing this weekend."
"Beating Oral"
"Well, which is it?  Maybe I'll come too."

[StillAWarrior]

Amen.  Mid-major is just a word (albeit hyphenated), so what.

Exactly.  I care who is in our conference with us and the quality of the basketball.  I really don't give a crap what term people use to describe the conference.  If we're grouped with quality programs, things will turn out just fine.