Big East Basketball Only Schools Meeting On Monday

[4everwarriors]

Pilarz probably wishes he was still at Scranton.

[mu03eng]

Must have been an interesting but short teleconference with Nova putting in an application to join the ACC. We're all on our own. At least they are being pro-active and not sitting on their hands

That source was from the ACC perspective, not Villanova.  Not saying they are lying, but the ACC has a vested interest in sow discord in the Big East.  Villanova doesn't make sense for the ACC because they want football and Pitt is apparently pissed that the BE insisted on Nova as a football expansion, why would the ACC s$%t on the plate they just set for themselves?

Much more likely, the ACC is floating that "rumor" and that 7 BE teams applied to rattle UConn and Rutgers into jumping into their arms.

We need to handcuff ourselves to Gtown, Nova, and maybe St John's and go where they go.

[Litehouse]

The main reason for the ACC to take Nova and G-Town is to kill the Big East once and for all.  Then the ACC can dominate the East Coast media markets and add MSG to the rotation for their conference tourney.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

The main reason for the ACC to take Nova and G-Town is to kill the Big East once and for all.  Then the ACC can dominate the East Coast media markets and add MSG to the rotation for their conference tourney.

+1 DC has to be the fastest growing media market in the country. It's certainly the fastest growing area in terms of wealth.

[bilsu]

From what I have read there is a 24 month notification policy in the Big East.  That means we have 24 months to come up with a plan to add D1 football.  Would a Marquette Univ. with a new football program and a good basketball program have value to a major conference?

All the expansion will be done in 30 days, it takes a minium of 5 years to get a football program going. The biggest problem in football for MU is that there is no stadium to play in.

[MUMac]

All the expansion will be done in 30 days, it takes a minium of 5 years to get a football program going. The biggest problem in football for MU is that there is no stadium to play in.

No, cost is the biggest problem.  The lack of a facility is a part of that cost make up, but not all of it.  A minimum of 160 fully funded scholarships, equipment, coaches, advertising ...  All adds up to a big ticket that MU cannot afford.  Add to that we have trouble getting 15,000+ to basketball games, how would we expect to support a football prgram?

[Montana Warrior]

What about this for a basketball only superconference:

Marquette
Georgetown
Villanova
DePaul
Notre Dame
St. John's
Seton Hall
Providence
Xavier
Dayton
Butler
Detroit
St. Louis
Creighton
Memphis
UMass

These hit lots of major markets for television contracts and these teams play in large arenas.

[marqfan22]

UMASS upgraded program to D-1. Playing home games at Gillette Stadium next year

[bilsu]

What about this for a basketball only superconference:

Marquette
Georgetown
Villanova
DePaul
Notre Dame
St. John's
Seton Hall
Providence
Xavier
Dayton
Butler
Detroit
St. Louis
Creighton
Memphis
UMass

These hit lots of major markets for television contracts and these teams play in large arenas.

Memphis and any other school with a football team will not join a basketball only conference.

[martyconlonontherun]

Memphis and any other school with a football team will not join a basketball only conference.

Marquette
Georgetown
DePaul
St. John's
Seton Hall
Providence
Xavier
Dayton
Butler
Detroit
St. Louis
Creighton

Who has D-1 football? Memphis, Umass, Nova, ND, anyone else in that group? We would need atleast one more big time program to be considered an elite bball conference and create own niche.

[schuess56]

Basketball only conference for MU would mean permanent mid-major status.  MU and Dayton in the same breath.

[Brewtown Andy]

No, cost is the biggest problem.  The lack of a facility is a part of that cost make up, but not all of it.  A minimum of 160 fully funded scholarships, equipment, coaches, advertising ...  All adds up to a big ticket that MU cannot afford.  Add to that we have trouble getting 15,000+ to basketball games, how would we expect to support a football prgram?

15,000 was MU's average attendance this year.

Just sayin'.

[Lennys Tap]

No, cost is the biggest problem.  The lack of a facility is a part of that cost make up, but not all of it.  A minimum of 160 fully funded scholarships, equipment, coaches, advertising ...  All adds up to a big ticket that MU cannot afford.  Add to that we have trouble getting 15,000+ to basketball games, how would we expect to support a football prgram?

Agreed on all except the last sentence. There are LOTS of schools we outdraw in basketball that suppport their football teams well.

[bamamarquettefan]

However, I'm still intrigued by being the cherry on top of a Big Ten sundae.

I don't completely rule it out, though obviously the longest of long shots.  When ESPN floated the idea of Marquette and Nova to the Big Ten months ago, the point was they really don't have to listen to us, they probably don't even have to give us any money is my guess - it would be worth it for us to have the stable TV exposure.

I would like the idea.  If they end up going to 16 for football including getting the New York market through Rutgers or whatever, it would accomplish what we wanted I believe.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I don't completely rule it out, though obviously the longest of long shots.  When ESPN floated the idea of Marquette and Nova to the Big Ten months ago, the point was they really don't have to listen to us, they probably don't even have to give us any money is my guess - it would be worth it for us to have the stable TV exposure.

I would like the idea.  If they end up going to 16 for football including getting the New York market through Rutgers or whatever, it would accomplish what we wanted I believe.

I think it's extremely unlikely.

But, it's a low risk maneuver for the Big10 if they want to make a little more $ every year, which is really what this is all about, isn't it?

[Boozemon Barro]

Have some of you been drinking today? Kentucky leaves the SEC? Marquette pulls a BCS caliber football team out of it's butt overnight? A basketball only conference is the only way to go on this in my opinion. There would be enough good programs in the conference that it would be considered one of the top three basketball conferences in the country and would get a very nice television contract.

[77ncaachamps]

For the first time, I'm sensing Marquette basketball is in danger. If football drives revenue and the football schools go their own way, we lose any chance we ever will have of again recapturing a national championship. We're competitive with anyone in basketball, but if football is THE driver  in intercollegiate athletics, then we're in trouble.

It's sad that this is the case.

The only thing San Jose State Football is driving is the upward expenses for the athletic department!

[WarriorHal]

If we end up in a new conference that includes Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's and Notre Dame, we'll be fine. That's big-time basketball, definitely not mid-major. ND will remain independent in football--they're not going to give up their NBC TV money, which they would have to do if they join a conference with revenue-sharing. The Big East was a basketball-only league for much of its history. And it's still mostly known for its basketball, not football.

[texaswarrior74]

Some delusional people on here.

No way the Big 10 invites MU, UW would never let it happen even if other schools favored it. There is no way Kensucky leaves the SEC.

The ACC is not going to take WVU....the academic profile is not a fit....it would be by far the lowest USNWR ranked school in the conference. They will also not take Nova, Louisville or Georgetown. Louisville for academics and the other two because of no (credible) football.

[Jacks DC]

Academics has nothing to do with any of this.  WVU doesn't add an attractive TV market - if it did it would already be in the SEC.

Start with some basic facts:
No football AQ conference wants to add Marquette.
No team in a currently viable football AQ conference wants to join the Big East.

I think when the ACC says they are not "philosophically opposed" to moving to 16 teams, they are saying they would consider Texas and Notre Dame, the only major football programs that could be in play.  Although I don't think either one wants to join the ACC.  If that fails they may consider others, including Mizzou.

The value of UConn and Rutgers to the ACC is a bit overstated.  Neither one is a football power and neither one "delivers" the NYC market as much as people say.  Basically no one outside of Jersey gives a crap about Rutgers.

Best scenarios for MU:
1.  Big East stays as it is, at least for now.
2.  UConn and Rutgers leave, but Texas, OU, OSU and Texas Tech leave the Big 12 and MU is in a new conference that includes the remaining teams from the BE and Big 12 (led by Kansas, KSU, Mizzou and followed by ISU and Baylor).
3.  MU stays with Georgetown, Nova and St. John's and adds a few more teams for a basketball only conference.

[texaswarrior74]

^

From Orangebloods.com tonight:

A second source confirmed to Orangebloods.com that the Atlantic Coast Conference remains interested in Texas - but without Texas Tech. The source said the ACC would consider a Texas-Kansas or Texas-Missouri combination. But the ACC has real concerns about Texas Tech's academic standing. (Tech was ranked No. 160 in the latest U.S. News and World report rankings of America's top colleges and universities.)

Academics DO play a big role in any decision the ACC makes. Both Kansas and Mizzou are AAU schools as well.

[Jacks DC]

^

From Orangebloods.com tonight:

Academics DO play a big role in any decision the ACC makes. Both Kansas and Mizzou are AAU schools as well.

Well, I was referring more to the WVU claim.  But I have a feeling if Texas Tech was located in, say, Dallas, and / or ranked in the Top 10 in football, that academic issue wouldn't matter so much.

[MUMac]

15,000 was MU's average attendance this year.

Just sayin'.

The appropo point is that MU does not have the alumni base to draw for football.  Yes, we averaged 15,000 - but can we be a draw and support football?  I say no.  MU has a long tradition in basketball.  Coming off a nice run for a decade of good basketball and 15,000 appears to be our bellwether. 

[Brewtown Andy]

The appropo point is that MU does not have the alumni base to draw for football.  Yes, we averaged 15,000 - but can we be a draw and support football?  I say no. 

While you're probably right, the season ticket base is the LAST problem that needs to be addressed in the "Marquette football" puzzle.

[MUMac]

While you're probably right, the season ticket base is the LAST problem that needs to be addressed in the "Marquette football" puzzle.

No doubt.  As I stated earlier, it's money, money, money - that includes 160 or so annual scholarships, adding other womens sports, facilities (practice and playing), equipment, coaches (for all the sports), administration, travel, marketing, ...  and we would need to supplement a losing program for a number of years.