UCF and Memphis to the Big East? Blowhards talking

[🏀]

OK...does your use of the double negative mean that you think they will add something?

+1

[muhoosier260]

no thanks. some of the comments at the end of the story are pretty funny. this is only for business, no big east school in their right mind would actually want ucf or memphis, gross.

p.s. is that 3 times in this thread alone that an unprovoked chicos perpetuated a petty online girl fight? that has to be a record.

[Mr. Nielsen]

anyways?

[Lennys Tap]

75%....thanks.  By the way, where did you find that?

12/18 is 66.6%

[Dawson Rental]

I don't agree that staying in a BCS conference is key *IF* Georgetown, Nova, SJU, etc. exit with us to form a basketball conference with the top A10 schools.

The conference has no idea what it wants to be.  It has a eye to the future (I guess) but still wants to live in the past.

I agree.  I think the move to ten schools is a just in case move, so that if two teams are grabbed in another conference expansion, the Big East is still intact as a football conference without having to rush to replace the losses.

I find the speculation that Villanova and Georgetown would want to stick with the Big East as the only two basketball only schools interesting considering that it seemed to me that when it was reported that ALL the basketball schools told the Big East that they intended to take advantage of a clause in the league agreement that allowed schools to leave without penalty if two football schools decided to leave the league.

[ChicosBailBonds]

12/18 is 66.6%

Don't we have 16 teams in the Big East?  12/16 is 75%

[GGGG]

I find the speculation that Villanova and Georgetown would want to stick with the Big East as the only two basketball only schools interesting considering that it seemed to me that when it was reported that ALL the basketball schools told the Big East that they intended to take advantage of a clause in the league agreement that allowed schools to leave without penalty if two football schools decided to leave the league.

I agree.  If you go back to when MU and DePaul were invited into the league, IMO it wasn't because the entire conference thought it would be a good idea, it's because the basketball schools wanted more allies.  If the basketball schools didn't want them, I'm sure the football schools would have been happy with that.

I'm sure the administration at G'town and Nova are having these exact same conversations.  What is the BE becomming?  Do they want to be the two sole, basketball schools in a football conference?  I doubt it.

[goodgreatgrand]

I'm sure the administration at G'town and Nova are having these exact same conversations.  What is the BE becomming?  Do they want to be the two sole, basketball schools in a football conference?  I doubt it.

Actually, why not? Their biggest rivals are there. The football schools generate plenty of basketball revenue (especially 'Ville, Cuse, UConn, WVU and Pitt). If the football side can match or give more money than the bball only schools, they should at least consider it.

Also, thopse 5 schools I mentioned above all play Nova at the Wachovia Center, not on-campus. They do this because they are a huge draw and probably generate a healthy percentage of their revenue. If you take those schools away, how many games would they actually need to play in the Wachovia Center?

Georgetown is having big issues right now with fan support. They have a website that tracks season ticket holders that sell their seats to opposing teams' fans. I go to a few GTown games a year and sometimes the crowd is split 50/50. Not playing the big names in the BE will only continue to hurt their support. Plus, Im not sure GTown athletic department fits with in with a 'catholic' conference. They are smaller than a fball school but bigger than us or Nova or any other bball school....

[GGGG]

Actually, why not?

Because they have no influence.  They are two basketball members at the whim of 10 football members. 

Rivalries are important, but if the BE basketball schools all go, they still have many of their rivals.

[goodgreatgrand]

Rivalries are important, but if the BE basketball schools all go, they still have many of their rivals.

Right. They will retain some....but none that will fill the Wachovia Center (maybe us and....). Bball needs to subsidize the entire athletic department. Everyone will take a hit but Nova and GTown will prob take the biggest hits.

Plus, the football schools are recipients of the added revenue when their teams play these two schools (was it the syracuse-nova game that had 35k people?).

Why couldnt they give Nova and GTown one vote for all basketball related issues? Just like now...  Anything football related, they have no say...just like now. If revenue is a slight uptick, rivals are intact and they have a vote for bball, then why not? If its all about revenue, I have a feeling the fball side could offer more than the bball side, dont you think?

Im officially a blowhard now

[chapman]

Because they have no influence.  They are two basketball members at the whim of 10 football members. 

Rivalries are important, but if the BE basketball schools all go, they still have many of their rivals.

Plus there's always non-conference play.  If the split would happen as naturally as it seems, it won't be filled with bad feelings to the point that they can't schedule each other.  Wouldn't expect UConn and Syracuse to completely ignore Georgetown when it's a good game to get on their schedule with national television likely. 

And as far as the football school's decision, relegating Notre Dame basketball to the A-10 or worse will backfire.  If they don't want Notre Dame to be forced into the Big Ten and risk losing 1-3 football schools with them with all the others that didn't come from CUSA doing everything to get out they have to either add Georgetown, Nova, Notre Dame, and likely another or just don't add any non-football schools.

[GGGG]

Right. They will retain some....but none that will fill the Wachovia Center (maybe us and....). Bball needs to subsidize the entire athletic department. Everyone will take a hit but Nova and GTown will prob take the biggest hits.

Plus, the football schools are recipients of the added revenue when their teams play these two schools (was it the syracuse-nova game that had 35k people?).

Why couldnt they give Nova and GTown one vote for all basketball related issues? Just like now...  Anything football related, they have no say...just like now. If revenue is a slight uptick, rivals are intact and they have a vote for bball, then why not? If its all about revenue, I have a feeling the fball side could offer more than the bball side, dont you think?

Im officially a blowhard now

I just think that there is a reason the BE has been very careful about maintaining the football / non-football balance for a reason.  It goes to the heart of what the conference is about.  Basketball schools will have no say in the future of the conference.  Everything will be dictated to them by football schools for football's benefit.

I think basketball schools would be wise to whether a short-term storm for maintaining some control in the long term.

[goodgreatgrand]

Good point. I forgot about ND. ND has a bigger athletic department than GTown. With their bowl tie-ins they would obviously want to be a part of the fball side. And the fball side would want ND because ND schedules BE schools often enough.

I dont think a split is necessarily going to be friendly. GTown, Nova and ND will be in the middle of a tug-o-war. If fball doesnt expand, then there are 8 teams. Add two bball-only and you have the ideal 10 team basketball conference.

[bilsu]

I agree.  I think the move to ten schools is a just in case move, so that if two teams are grabbed in another conference expansion, the Big East is still intact as a football conference without having to rush to replace the losses.

I find the speculation that Villanova and Georgetown would want to stick with the Big East as the only two basketball only schools interesting considering that it seemed to me that when it was reported that ALL the basketball schools told the Big East that they intended to take advantage of a clause in the league agreement that allowed schools to leave without penalty if two football schools decided to leave the league.

The fact is that the basketball schools can choose to leave as a whole. That ends the Big East conference as it is. It does not guarantee that the 8 basketball schools stick together. Would Georgetown and Villanova want to stay with the football schools? I have no idea, but their best rivals will be in the football league. If I were them, I would stay in a BCS conference. As MU fan that is what I fear will happen and we are left with teams that do not provide much excitement.

[goodgreatgrand]

http://www.thedaonline.com/sports/wvu-active-in-conference-talks-1.1492361


Sounds like WVU is whoring themselves out ["we've been working the phones"]to just about every conference. And they would like the BE to ADD one football program so there is an odd number in the conference.

[bamamarquettefan]

I did list UCF and Memphis in my Top 10 wish list I published on Cracked Sidewalks back in April.  (Boston College and Maryland were my top 2, but realize I was reaching there).  I love the BE as it is, but I do like this play because while they both add football teams, Memphis certainly keeps the focus on being the best BASKETBALL conference in the country.  If the concern about having more football teams than basketball teams is valid, then the three basketball-only I listed back then stay the same - you could add Xavier, Dayton and/or Butler.  However, the move is not necessarily to try to go to 20 teams, but to be prepared too in case West Virginia or someone else is raided by football, and make sure there would still be at least 8 teams in place.

Again, would prefer to keep the current 16 teams, but wouldn't complain if this move was made.

[RawdogDX]

sucksoft.

I think i'm going with suckeasy.

[hoyasincebirth]

It's impossible to know what our administration would do push come to shove. From a fan perspective i think we on the whole agree we'd do anything to stay with the football teams. The money would be so much better than in a mid major all basketball league. I don't get the idea of us worrying about not having a voice in the new conference. I just don't see there being many decisions that would impact us negatively. I can't speka to what the higher ups would do. No one really can, but I think with Taglibue around he'll be able to convince them that being in a BCS conference is

As for the post about our fan support problems, eh I don't think that's all that serious. We're still very good as far as attendance numbers and we draw great away and neutral. The problem actually is that we're such a hot ticket that scalping tickets is ridiculously profitable. As a result there are a lot of "season ticket holders" that are actually just scalpers. In addition selling tickets to a game against Duke or Syracuse can pay over $1,000 per seat easily. So it may be a problem in terms of home court advantage at times. But As far as attendance and profitability it's fine. We're also improving on cutting down on this we had a lot less duke fans this year because of special pre-sales the athletic department implemented.

but you are right that our support would greatly diminish by losing the football schools and going to the all basketball league. There are more football teams that draw than basketball teams.