Big East to Implode Sunday? Mass Exodus being Predicted

[Aughnanure]

FWIW

http://www.beyondusports.com/big-east-implode-sunday/

UPDATE: Big East Coast Bias also said nearly the same thing yesterday -

http://www.bigeastcoastbias.com/2011/9/29/2458627/conference-realignment-rumors-of-a-big-east-mass-exodus

[Hards Alumni]

FWIW

http://www.beyondusports.com/big-east-implode-sunday/

Glad to see you included FWIW.

[Knight Commission]

Let's get this over with. Hopefully Marinatto is getting commitments from ND and Villanova on the Olympic sports conference.

[NersEllenson]

Seems fairly plausible to me...it truly seems like it is only a matter of time before the Big East implodes.  Trying to grab an Army/Navy is merely a band aid fix to a larger issue:  The almost inevitable creation of 4, 16-team super-conferences.  It would seem to just be a matter of time before a WVU, Lville, Cincy, would want to bolt.  We already know UCONN wants out, and badly.

In my view, the sooner this all happens the better - very hard to recruit while in complete limbo as to future conference affiliation...and even if Big East hangs on...don't think for a minute every one of the above named football schools isn't going to raise the issue over and over and over in a recruits mind - about the wisdom of committing to a school like MU, GTown, Nova, St. John's, Providence, etc...when they will ultimately be left out of a BCS conference.

[StillAWarrior]

Seems fairly plausible to me...it truly seems like it is only a matter of time before the Big East implodes.  Trying to grab an Army/Navy is merely a band aid fix to a larger issue:  The almost inevitable creation of 4, 16-team super-conferences.  It would seem to just be a matter of time before a WVU, Lville, Cincy, would want to bolt.  We already know UCONN wants out, and badly.

In my view, the sooner this all happens the better - very hard to recruit while in complete limbo as to future conference affiliation...and even if Big East hangs on...don't think for a minute every one of the above named football schools isn't going to raise the issue over and over and over in a recruits mind - about the wisdom of committing to a school like MU, GTown, Nova, St. John's, Providence, etc...when they will ultimately be left out of a BCS conference.

I agree completely.  I'd much rather have the Big East implode sooner rather than later and hopefully move into a more stable basketball-focused conference.  We've got a very good start for a strong conference.  I think if the football teams break away for other conferences, we'll have a much stronger argument for keeping the Big East name than if we bring in some new football schools and eventually find ourselves looking to make a change.

At this point, I honestly think I'd welcome the news on Sunday.

[mr.MUskie]

It would really suck if Rutgers, West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati and UCONN are able to destroy the conference and not pay any penalties or have the 27 month wait.

[muguru]

This article is ridiculous. These teams are just going to up and leave, with no guaranteed home to go to?? Whatever. Not going to happen. No one has even been invited to join another conference. You can't just leave one conference and join another by "inviting" yourself. If they did this, it would be the stupidest move by those schools presidents of all time. It's basically committing suicide for your athletic department.

[StillAWarrior]

It would really suck if Rutgers, West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati and UCONN are able to destroy the conference and not pay any penalties or have the 27 month wait.

Maybe...but if that meant that the remaining schools got the Big East name and brand...might not be a bad trade.

[dw3dw3dw3]

Seems fairly plausible to me...it truly seems like it is only a matter of time before the Big East implodes.  Trying to grab an Army/Navy is merely a band aid fix to a larger issue:  The almost inevitable creation of 4, 16-team super-conferences.  It would seem to just be a matter of time before a WVU, Lville, Cincy, would want to bolt.  We already know UCONN wants out, and badly.

In my view, the sooner this all happens the better - very hard to recruit while in complete limbo as to future conference affiliation...and even if Big East hangs on...don't think for a minute every one of the above named football schools isn't going to raise the issue over and over and over in a recruits mind - about the wisdom of committing to a school like MU, GTown, Nova, St. John's, Providence, etc...when they will ultimately be left out of a BCS conference.

Does anyone know where the 4 team BCS conference thing came from other than "an unnamed source".  Seems like the conferences don't really buy into any more than just being scared for their lives thinking they might have to do it to protect themselves and project power (like having a huge naval fleet).  Outside of making an even number for a football playoff, there isn't any logical sense to this. The rational is the same as saying the Big 10 will eat the Big 12 and make themselves a super-super 32 team conference to control all these markets or the SEC will eat up the ACC because they have a 2 gazillion dollar deal compared to the ACC's 1 gazillion dollard deal.

[NersEllenson]

This article is ridiculous. These teams are just going to up and leave, with no guaranteed home to go to?? Whatever. Not going to happen. No one has even been invited to join another conference. You can't just leave one conference and join another by "inviting" yourself. If they did this, it would be the stupidest move by those schools presidents of all time. It's basically committing suicide for your athletic department.

I'm not so sure that there aren't "homes" for these schools to go to.  Where there is smoke there is fire...and it seems inevitable the Big 12 is going to try to add teams, Mizzou may bolt for the SEC, the Tennessee AD said yesterday that the SEC is NOT done expanding.  Dominos could fall quickly, and there will be a "team grab" that takes place as the Big East implodes - as the SEC, ACC, Big 12, and Big 10 will all likely want in on the action of:  WVU, Cincy, Louisville, Rutgers, UCONN....no conference will want to potentially miss out on grabbing the best of what comes available...

[Bieberhole69]

It would really suck if Rutgers, West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati and UCONN are able to destroy the conference and not pay any penalties or have the 27 month wait.

I don't think that realistically would happen.

[Dr. Blackheart]

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[MerrittsMustache]

I'd be perfectly fine with this. Let the football schools go. It's obvious that they want to, so why delay the inevitable?

If legally and logistically possible, let them go before the 2011-2012 school year/football season but obviously make them pay the exit fee. Keep the Big East name, snatch up Xavier and Dayton to join the remaining 8 BE basketball teams, forming a 10-team conference (18 conf games, home-and-home with each team).

DePaul
Georgetown
Marquette
Notre Dame
Providence
St. John's
Seton Hall
Villanova
Xavier
Dayton

Seems simple...but I'm sure it's not.

[Benny B]

I don't think that realistically would happen.

If by "implode" you mean a mass exodus of those football schools, then yes, the Big East could implode.  But that wouldn't necessarily mean the Big East would cease to exist.

If by "implode" you mean the complete and total annihilation of the conference necessary to avoid the penalty and 27-month wait, +1,000,000,000 to the above.

[79Warrior]

Maybe...but if that meant that the remaining schools got the Big East name and brand...might not be a bad trade.

The Big East name will rapidly lose its value when the football team are gone. The brand was worth something because of the teams involved. The name means jack without the members.

[StillAWarrior]

The Big East name will rapidly lose its value when the football team are gone. The brand was worth something because of the teams involved. The name means jack without the members.

There's some truth to that, but I think you're seriously overstating it when you say "the name means jack without the members."  The conference has evolved over the years.  The sixteen team conference that we've played in is a very different conference than they started in 1979.  Somehow the conference survived defection of Miami, BC and Virginia Tech.  It also survived the addition of Marquette, DePaul, Cinci, Louisville and USF in 2005.  Some would say that the value of the brand was stronger than ever in 2010-2011 despite all these changes.

There's no question that the brand will not be as strong if the football schools leave.  But I think you're underestimating the value of the brand.  If they keep Georgetown, Villanova, Seton Hall, St. Johns, Providence, Marquette, DePaul and Notre Dame, they've got a nice start to a pretty good conference.  There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that ESPN (or whoever) will pay more for the rights to broadcast the games from that conference if it is called "Big East" than if it is called anything else.

[Nukem2]

Yep, don't want to lose the Big East brand.  It as value.

[MUMac]

The Big East name will rapidly lose its value when the football team are gone. The brand was worth something because of the teams involved. The name means jack without the members.

The BE as a football conference was a patch of grass in a forest.  Irrelevant.  The league is known as a basketball conference - always has.  The loss of UCONN, Pitt, Syracuse, WVA and Louisville would definitely hurt in basketball, but the remaining teams would be more comparable to what the traditional BE was as a basketball conference.  If all the programs are committed to basketball, I do not believe the loss in value will be as great as you state.

[Aughnanure]

Mass Exodus predicted? What happens to UConn?

http://www.bigeastcoastbias.com/2011/9/29/2458627/conference-realignment-rumors-of-a-big-east-mass-exodus

[GGGG]

The big east name has cache but will not be worth significantly more $$$ than conference with the same schools but a different name. Honestly if the Big Ten changed its name to Big North it doesn't change the number of TV sets. The Big East name is worth a fight but not a long or expensive one.

[MerrittsMustache]

The big east name has cache but will not be worth significantly more $$$ than conference with the same schools but a different name. Honestly if the Big Ten changed its name to Big North it doesn't change the number of TV sets. The Big East name is worth a fight but not a long or expensive one.

The Big Ten isn't losing half of their teams either. If every team bolted except Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Purdue, you better believe they'd do all they could to keep the Big Ten name.

[Hards Alumni]

I'd be perfectly fine with this. Let the football schools go. It's obvious that they want to, so why delay the inevitable?

If legally and logistically possible, let them go before the 2011-2012 school year/football season but obviously make them pay the exit fee. Keep the Big East name, snatch up Xavier and Dayton to join the remaining 8 BE basketball teams, forming a 10-team conference (18 conf games, home-and-home with each team).

DePaul
Georgetown
Marquette
Notre Dame
Providence
St. John's
Seton Hall
Villanova
Xavier
Dayton

Seems simple...but I'm sure it's not.

DePaul  - weak team
Georgetown  - strong team
Marquette - strong team
Notre Dame  - strong team
Providence  - weak team
St. John's  - weak team, improving (imo sanctions coming)
Seton Hall  - weak team
Villanova -  strong team
Xavier - strong team
Dayton - weak team

My fear is that we don't have a strong enough conference to be cared about.  I realize there are some powerhouse alumni bases out there, but there are also a lot IDGAF alumni bases as well.  I'm looking at you DePaul.

[4everwarriors]

Hope the fur doesn't fly during the Brewers or Packers game.

[StillAWarrior]

DePaul  - weak team
Georgetown  - strong team
Marquette - strong team
Notre Dame  - strong team
Providence  - weak team
St. John's  - weak team, improving (imo sanctions coming)
Seton Hall  - weak team
Villanova -  strong team
Xavier - strong team
Dayton - weak team

My fear is that we don't have a strong enough conference to be cared about.  I realize there are some powerhouse alumni bases out there, but there are also a lot IDGAF alumni bases as well.  I'm looking at you DePaul.

I don't disagree with you, but I also don't think there's that many conferences out there with five "strong" teams.  Even as it is, that's a stronger conference than most.


Edited to add:  Unfortunately, I'd concede that it would be a mid-major.  I think at the end of the day, we're going to end up in a conference that is a step up from what we had in CUSA.  Compared what we've been used to for the last few years, that sucks.  Compared what we had before, it's not bad.

[Hards Alumni]

I don't disagree with you, but I also don't think there's that many conferences out there with five "strong" teams.  Even as it is, that's a stronger conference than most.


Edited to add:  Unfortunately, I'd concede that it would be a mid-major.  I think at the end of the day, we're going to end up in a conference that is a step up form what we had in CUSA.  Compared what we've been used to for the last few years, that sucks.  Compared what we had before, it's not bad.

I think we can agree there.  Though the ACC will easily have more than 5 strong teams.