Pitino on Big East Divisions

[HoopsMalone]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/6771942/big-east-needs-divisions

He suggests splitting the basketball-only schools on one side and the football school on the other.

I would not do it that way.  I'd keep the old C-USA rivalries going and keep MU, DePaul, Cincy, and Louisville in the same division.  I also would not split up Georgetown, Syracuse, Nova, St. John's, and UConn.  Too much tradition there. 

[HouWarrior]

I very much agree on your point. A division of the BB only schools could well wake up one season, as no longer in the BE.

...then again...maybe such would be good to get the fans used to this very real possibilty, and have that division then break off to their own spinoff league, calling themselves, the Little East. lol

The Hoyas, and Ahoyas can join up in the new league's very catchy cheers:

"We Are..(clap,clap)..The LEast,..(clap,clap)
We Were.. (clap, clap) ..The BEast"

or

"BEasters Play With Two Balls.., from fall right through the spring, but
LEasters Play great roundball, .....and winter is their thing"

and, last (but not LEast--ugh)..

"All us Beauties left the BEast...and
We dont miss 'em in the LEast"

The bluesy theme song of the LEast, called "LEastie's Lament" (in the key of E)..riffs off...

"They say your bags of BCS money,
Are as good as CBS's , honey,...

But now I gotta tell ya BEasties,
Some truth thats facin' us LEasties....

Please give us LEast ballers a quick listen,
Please give us a small amount of your time..

Cuz its that BEast money we're now missin',
...so...
Brotha' ...can you spare a LEastie ,...a dime?

Oooooooh Yeeeeaaaaah (Satchmo style)

[Hoopaloop]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/6771942/big-east-needs-divisions

He suggests splitting the basketball-only schools on one side and the football school on the other.

I would not do it that way.  I'd keep the old C-USA rivalries going and keep MU, DePaul, Cincy, and Louisville in the same division.  I also would not split up Georgetown, Syracuse, Nova, St. John's, and UConn.  Too much tradition there. 

Very bad idea.  He's trying to setup some kind of precursor conference alignment that would make it easier for a separation of the basketball only schools.  Pitino is trash.

[79Warrior]

Very bad idea.  He's trying to setup some kind of precursor conference alignment that would make it easier for a separation of the basketball only schools.  Pitino is trash.

If you read the article that is not what he is saying. He used it as an easy example. He
Went on to say that is not how he would do it. It helps to read first befoe blasting away.

[Hoopaloop]

Thank you.  My response was to HoopsMalone who stated Pitino suggested splitting along football and basketball schools.

[bilsu]

At some point the Big East will jetison Seton Hall, Providence, DePaul amd MU. I felt as long as the Big East was happy with MU, DePaul was safe. All the Chicago bad press is not good for MU. However, if that hurts MU's continued chances in the Big East it will also hurt DePaul's. The Big East will not jetison Villianova, St. Johns, Notre Dame or Georgetown and that is why the league will never break up along football/basketball lines. Those four plus 12 football schools keeps the conference at 16. I see the conference getting to 20 teams and then jetisoning DePaul and MU to get to 18 and then after a couple of years jetisoning Providence and Seton hall (if they remain bottom feeders) to get to 16. The Big East will survive, but I no longer feel we are part of the long-term plan. Hopefully, I am wrong, but that is how I feel now.

[mileskishnish72]

The Friars have a TON of Big East history, and a reasonable amount of pull.

[Benny B]

The Friars have a TON of Big East history, and a reasonable amount of pull.

That might be the understatement of the week.

EDIT (to clarify): PC may not pull the strings, but they can rest assured that someone is going to pull their strings for them.  If you know the history of the Big East, Gavitt, Tranghese and Marinatto are all PC-reared.  We are Marquette, but PC is the Big East.

[Benny B]

BTW: Pitino should stick to what he knows... basketball and the other thing.

Hint: The other thing isn't Economics of Collegiate Athletic Conferences.

[HouWarrior]

ESPN Sports Nation is running a poll on this. Favorite answer in most states, including Wisconsin , is for BE to go to 2 divisions, based on geography.

BUT
in NY, PA, WV and Mass, folks in those states preference was for No division split...why would people there particularly oppose divisional play? any ideas, why them ?

[GGGG]

BUT
in NY, PA, WV and Mass, folks in those states preference was for No division split...why would people there particularly oppose divisional play? any ideas, why them ?

My guess is tradition.

[dgies9156]

At some point the Big East will jetison Seton Hall, Providence, DePaul amd MU. I felt as long as the Big East was happy with MU, DePaul was safe. All the Chicago bad press is not good for MU. However, if that hurts MU's continued chances in the Big East it will also hurt DePaul's. The Big East will not jetison Villianova, St. Johns, Notre Dame or Georgetown and that is why the league will never break up along football/basketball lines. Those four plus 12 football schools keeps the conference at 16. I see the conference getting to 20 teams and then jetisoning DePaul and MU to get to 18 and then after a couple of years jetisoning Providence and Seton hall (if they remain bottom feeders) to get to 16. The Big East will survive, but I no longer feel we are part of the long-term plan. Hopefully, I am wrong, but that is how I feel now.


Are you kidding me? They won't jettison us; we'll jettison ourselves.

As long as we play as we have the last three to five years, there's no way the Big East will get rid of us. Never. We're a great story. Period.

Likewise, as miserable as DePaul has been in recent years, I doubt DePaul would be jettison because it gives access to the Chicago marketplace. At some point, they'll get their act together again and be a pain in our rear's -- and the rears of a whole lot of other Big East teams as well. The potential to have a dozen or more Big East teams come to Chicago and potentially some day play in the United Center should not be overlooked. It's a great stage and, if anything, the Big East should be strongly working with DePaul to clean up their cellar and move the team into a competitive situation.

We're a new market for the Big East out here, but a good one with lots of population. Having MU and DePaul gives access to the Chicago/Milwaukee corridor and complements Louisville, Cincinnati and Note Dame. So, no way. not now. Not ever.