1 year 1 month away from seeing where we stand...

[dw3dw3dw3]

According to this article:
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/126600348.html

The current Big East TV deal will be renegotiated starting Sept 2012, Broeker denies a report that says some non-fb schools might get dumped.

Here is the post article referenced:
http://www.nypost.com/f/print/sports/more_sports/big_east_roulette_CWbgW0JtI8LKJ1SzIRr2uO

[Blackhat]

The man to lead us:   Norwood Teague, VCU athletic director.

[muhs03]

"Mike Broeker, Marquette's interim athletic director, says the Post is wrong. "The majority of the league is focused on our future together," Broeker said Tuesday. "We have great unity in our league."

That is an amusing quote. Is he under the assumption that no one followed the handling of Villanova's attempt to move up to 1-A? I mean....the football schools could have been a bit more accommodating if they wanted to... That expansion project seems completely dead in the water at this point. And nevermind the article from the Pitt beat writer yesterday that who said the football schools really want to expand again. OR, Marinatto's quote today at BE Media Day in which he said that hosting a conference championship in the Meadowlands is "a phenomenal idea." Im pretty sure you need 12 teams to host that game (or maybe petition with 10 teams along with the B12). Yet, the bball schools are strongly against more expansion. One big happy, fragmented family.

[GGGG]

Not to mention the B12 still in serious trouble which could mean that schools like KU, KSU and Missouri looking for a new home.

[dgies9156]

Maybe we should just restart the Marquette football program.

Given recent trends, it won't be hard for us to outperform Notre Dame!

[Mr. Nielsen]

If the Big East would make two cuts, it would be DePaul and Seton Hall.

I'm sorry I couldn't see MU getting cut out of the Big East after adding LaCrosse and being in the ncaa toury in men's baketball every year it's been in the league. Plus, MU is in the top 11 in attendance the last three years.

[GGGG]

I actually don't think they are going to cut any one school or even a couple of schools.  I think what is more likely is that the football schools depart and form another league with three other schools to get to 12.  (Syracuse, UConn, Rutgers, USF, WVU, Pitt, Cincy, Louisville, TCU....along with Kansas, KSU and Mizzou if the B12 falls apart???)

IMO, the Big 12 issue is going to be resolved sooner rather than later.  The key issue is the Longhorn Network.  The B12 commissioner basically told them they cannot televise Texas high school games (which other schools, particularly A&M and OU see as big recruiting advantages for Texas), but apparently the network is doing so anyway.  Obviously because the B12 has no authority over them.

http://tamu.scout.com/2/1090643.html

Then this past week, the A&M President gave an interesting interview that basically said "Yeah, we are commited to the B12, but if the Longhorn Network moves ahead as planned, we are going to look at our options."

The other issue to consider is that the Texas legislature, which would not be thrilled about a B12 breakup that leaves Tech and Baylor behind, doesn't meet in regular session again until January 2013.  This gives A&M about an 16 month window to make a move without legislative interfererence.  The legislature *could* meet if called by the governor into emergency session, but Rick Perry is an A&M alum and likely wouldn't bother.

A&M would be a nice geographical expansion for the SEC, but not a reach.  A&M is as close to LSU as the other SEC schools are. 

[79Warrior]

If the Big East would make two cuts, it would be DePaul and Seton Hall.

I'm sorry I couldn't see MU getting cut out of the Big East after adding LaCrosse and being in the ncaa toury in men's baketball every year it's been in the league. Plus, MU is in the top 11 in attendance the last three years.

None of that matters. This is strictly a football driven issue, make no mistake about it.

[muhs03]

I agree. The conference is never going to cut a Catholic school out of the membership as it would require more votes than just the fball schools. In other words, bball-only schools arent going to vote for other bball-only schools to jump ship. What seems more likely is that a split happens and the fball schools then invite a few bball-only schools to retain their markets and status (SJU, Nova, GTown and ND). Hopefully, this happens much later than sooner.

[bilsu]

MU needs to keep making NCAA tournament or they do not bring any value to Big East. It probably would also protect MU, if DePaul also became good enough to make NCAA tournament. In my opinion, if the Big East drops teams DePaul and MU are linked together. Right now MU is protecting DePaul. Both teams are in a good place, if they both have good teams. Both teams are in a heap of trouble, if they both suck at basketball. My guess is the Big East does it full expeansion first and then decides whether it has too many teams. Based on that the decision to drop teams is a few years down the road.

[GGGG]

Bilsu I agree that the expansion might come first, but it would be a rather instantaneous decision.  You can't be at once beholden to BE basketball tradition, and also have 20 teams. 

[BubbaWilliams]

Now these are only rumors, but I heard that DePaul is going to get out of their Allstate Arena contract in the next several years and try to build a new arena in the city limits if they don't play at the United Center. This would be a huge boost to DePaul's program.

[NYWarrior]

...The Courant offered a more thorough and balanced look at what the Big East is facing, rather than the hysterics from the Post

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-huskies/hc-jacobs-big-east-column-0803-20110803,0,6009533.column

[4everwarriors]

I'm waiting for Chicos to chime in and gives us the lowdown.

[Mr. Nielsen]

None of that matters. This is strictly a football driven issue, make no mistake about it.

As someone that watches college football for over 12 hours on Saturday's, I know that.

I'm given my point on cutting bb schools, in what the ny post was saying.

[MUBurrow]

I still don't think we would survive a cut over DePaul. Its all about football, but if we're starting to go beyond that, the next thing its about is TV markets.  If the BEast were going to cut a couple bball only schools, they would want to give DePaul every possible chance to survive.  Preserving that Chicago market, and jamming the BEast network onto Chicago cable packages would be more important than MU's recent basketball successes. Even if those successes went back a decade or more.  The threat of a down period for MU BBall is always there, but Chicago isn't losing sets of cable eyes.

[jefffla01]

The New York Post and comments are all lit up about the Big East deal. The Post clearly indicate MU could be a casualty due to location and Milw only being the 35th largest tv market.

The new tv deals are being drive by football----even though the big east has been a basketball staple for espn for over 30 years, the cash cow is football.

I think the big east may recognize that is going to be difficult to split the revenue 20 ways and may decide to add another couple of schools i.e. Central Florida, Houston, and maybe East Carolina that make it a more attractive football league.

My guess is that Fox and Espn have already combined to keep comcast away from the pac 12 and they may once again partner on the big east.

That being said, where does this leave MU----hopefully in the Big East----lets have a good back up plan ready.

[Hards Alumni]

I still don't think we would survive a cut over DePaul. Its all about football, but if we're starting to go beyond that, the next thing its about is TV markets.  If the BEast were going to cut a couple bball only schools, they would want to give DePaul every possible chance to survive.  Preserving that Chicago market, and jamming the BEast network onto Chicago cable packages would be more important than MU's recent basketball successes. Even if those successes went back a decade or more.  The threat of a down period for MU BBall is always there, but Chicago isn't losing sets of cable eyes.

Except that no one GOES to DePaul games, let alone watches them on TV.

[ecompt]

I worked with Lenny Robbins at The Post for 11 years and he always told me he thought the league would break up into football and non-football. So he probably went into this story looking for a way to back up his angle. I cannot see the BE throwing all its tradition out the window by dumping the non-FB schools like Gtown, Providence or Nova, which were charter members.

[bilsu]

I now understand why the Big East has not added Central Florida, East Carolina, etc. They must really be hoping for the Big 12 to implode or to get B.C. and Maryland. I do not think the Chicago TV market means anything. The big contract is for football and DePaul/Chicago has no interest in Big East football. Adding B.C and Maryland might be bad for MU/DePaul, because they are eastern schools. MU is safer, if Big east picked up Kansas and Missouri. Hard to eliminate MU/DePaul when the league expanded west of them.  I also see Kansas and Missouri as basketball schools, which means they should want to keep MU. I think the Big East will end up with 12 football teams. Bring in two more teams and convice either Notre Dame or Villanova to join in football. That would be 19 teams and have a nice 18 game basketball schedule, where everyone plays each team once. That would be ideal. 20 teams does not work for basketball. There is always the chance that they give Notre Dame an ultimatum. Either become the 12th football team or leave. Then they could add another football school and stay at 19 teams.

[GGGG]

bilsu, I think you are correct that the BE is waiting to see what happens with the B12.  If implosion does happen within the next 12 months (and it may not) then they will swoop in to try to lure the likes of Kansas.  After that, I am not sure if they will add the likes of Central Florida.  Would that increase the per school revenue at all?  I don't know.

The other issue is with a potential BE championship game.  I am not sure what the marketplace would think of that.  On the one hand, the SEC CG has become and institution and the B10 CG has already sold all of its general public tickets.  On the other, the ACC CG has been basically a failure, with embarrassing attendance.  Will a BECG be a big draw?  I tell you this, they better hope for the right schools, because a Rutgers v. South Florida game could look pretty bad.

[dgies9156]

I am so tired of Marquette fans engaging in self pity on this post. The continuing crap about Milwaukee's distance and television market is such nonsense it's ridculous. Grow up people and smell the reality. In case you're missing it, here it is:

1) MU has performed! We've been in the NCAA every year since we joined the Big East and the promise for this year's (and next year's) team is pretty good. We're a Top Tier team in a tough conference. Period. Can't imagine we would not be wanted.

2) Our television market is irrelevant. Pardon me for not being demographically challenged, but Syracuse, Hartford, Pittsburgh and Morgantown, WV aren't exactly dynamic television markets either! Tampa, with USF, is the old-folks capital of the known universe and last time I checked, Marquette was not recruiting grey panthers to play basketball. Milwaukee is just fine, thank you very much.

3) In the unlikely event the Big East breaks apart over football (and God forbid they do, since the only legitimate football powers in the Big East might be Pitt and West Virginia, eveyone else should be playing Division 1-AA), let's see now, that leaves Georgetown, Marquette, Villanova, Notre Dame, Seton Hall, St. John's and DePaul as a core for a new basketball conference (note: ND is included because they don't play Big East football). That's not a bad group of teams to build around. Marquette, Villanova, DePaul (a looong, loooong time ago) and Georgetown all have national championships. Every one of that group has been to at least one final four and all have fertile recruiting grounds on which to build.

Look, the Big East has been a blessing for us. But it's up to Buzz, the players and the admininistration of Marquette to make sure the program remains strong. It's us, not them, so quick bitching about victimhood and start to focus on ourselves.

We're going to be fine and we're going to be Number 1 again -- sooner rather than later. GO WARRIORS!!!

[Litehouse]

If the Big 12 implodes and the Big East can bring in Kansas, K-State and Mizzou, I think a 20/12 configuration could work just fine.

[brewcity77]

I am so tired of Marquette fans engaging in self pity on this post. The continuing crap about Milwaukee's distance and television market is such nonsense it's ridculous. Grow up people and smell the reality. In case you're missing it, here it is:

1) MU has performed! We've been in the NCAA every year since we joined the Big East and the promise for this year's (and next year's) team is pretty good. We're a Top Tier team in a tough conference. Period. Can't imagine we would not be wanted.

Because the football schools don't want to share anything. The only place we bring something to the table is on the court. But that can be replaced. Maryland has a solid basketball program and a state football program. Boston College, similar situation. It's not just what we offer, but if there are other options that offer more. Our NCAA streak is great, but one Sweet 16 since we joined the Big East doesn't exactly make us must-have.

2) Our television market is irrelevant. Pardon me for not being demographically challenged, but Syracuse, Hartford, Pittsburgh and Morgantown, WV aren't exactly dynamic television markets either! Tampa, with USF, is the old-folks capital of the known universe and last time I checked, Marquette was not recruiting grey panthers to play basketball. Milwaukee is just fine, thank you very much.

Incredibly ignorant post. Syracuse brings the NYC market as well. Connecticut ties in to much of the East Coast. Pittsburgh I'll grant, but West Virginia doesn't just bring Morgantown, as a state school they bring the entire state. Safe to say Marshall doesn't draw much away from them. And all of them are football schools. We bring Milwaukee, but not even the bulk of the market. Marquette may be the city school but plays second fiddle to UW even within Milwaukee.

3) In the unlikely event the Big East breaks apart over football (and God forbid they do, since the only legitimate football powers in the Big East might be Pitt and West Virginia, eveyone else should be playing Division 1-AA), let's see now, that leaves Georgetown, Marquette, Villanova, Notre Dame, Seton Hall, St. John's and DePaul as a core for a new basketball conference (note: ND is included because they don't play Big East football). That's not a bad group of teams to build around. Marquette, Villanova and Georgetown all have national championships. Every one of that group has been to at least one final four (sorry DePaul, you're the laggard here) and all have fertile recruiting grounds on which to build.

How is it that everyone is forgetting TCU is a Big East team next year? So what, a team that makes the BCS out of the Mountain West isn't legitimate? If they can add three solid teams they still wouldn't be on par with the SEC or Big Ten, but they'd certainly be up there with the ACC and Pac-12 as second tier leagues. And at the end of the day, there's more money in football than basketball. I hope it doesn't come to a division, but I have to imagine that the football schools are already looking at their options.

Look, the Big East has been a blessing for us. But's up to Buzz, the players and the admininistration of Marquette to make sure the program remains strong. It's us, not them, so quick bitching about victimhood and start to focus on ourselves.

We're going to be fine and we're going to be Number 1 again -- sooner rather than later. GO WARRIORS!!!

I think that it's mostly down to the new AD. As you mention, there are numerous other solid teams out there, Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's...I think we could coddle together a solid 10-12 team league that would be essentially an upgraded version of the old C-USA. But it's important that administration be prepared for the possibility of the league splitting, because there's likely at least a grain of truth in the potential split.

[Benny B]

Because the football schools don't want to share anything. The only place we bring something to the table is on the court. But that can be replaced. Maryland has a solid basketball program and a state football program. Boston College, similar situation. It's not just what we offer, but if there are other options that offer more. Our NCAA streak is great, but one Sweet 16 since we joined the Big East doesn't exactly make us must-have.

Do they share anything today?  I was under the impression that Marquette (and the other non-FB schools) get none of the Big East football revenue (TV, bowl payouts, etc), but the FB schools share in the basketball revenue with everyone else.

That seems like a pretty sweet deal to me... one that you'd have to be a complete idiot to walk away from.