Report: Louisville wants out of the Big East

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

Groin, what evidence do you have that suggests that the ACC is after basketball-only members?  Show me *one* legitimate news article that states that this is even remotely being considered.  This shows a complete misunderstanding of the role that college basketball plays in the television landscape.  The regular season of college basketball brings in pretty mediocre ratings...adding private, non-football playing schools isn't going to change that no matter what "markets" they bring.

Furthermore, the ACC just signed its new television deal.  A deal that includes both football and basketball telecasts, and will net all conference members $17M per year...up from the $12M per year that they were making prior and dwarfing the $9M per year football playing BE members make now.

Why would they divide up the pie even more with members that don't play their most watched sport?

It is not going to happen.

Georgetown strikes as different. Washington DC is the most affluent area in the country now, by far, and it's just going to keep growing. Georgetown is the crown academic jewel of the area and is currently the #1 or #2 ranked Catholic school in the country according to US News. It's an entirely different beast from Nova or St. Johns. I think the ACC would be nuts not to want the biggest schools (not necessarily in terms of student population) in the fastest growing areas of the country.

[connie]

Let's not kid ourselves.  This current round of conference roulette is all about football and football-based TV contracts.  Basketball is the vegetable side dish to the buffet.  The creamed spinach on the steakhouse menu. The BE was a basketball Juggernaut the past 7 years, and yet as soon as the football conference money was dangled in front of founding BE members like Syracuse they hardly thought twice before jumping--over Boeheim's objections.  I am afraid that MU, even with its history, recent strong performance, and strong home crowds, is in a very precarious spot in this new world.

[GGGG]

Georgetown strikes as different. Washington DC is the most affluent area in the country now, by far, and it's just going to keep growing. Georgetown is the crown academic jewel of the area and is currently the #1 or #2 ranked Catholic school in the country according to US News. It's an entirely different beast from Nova or St. Johns. I think the ACC would be nuts not to want the biggest schools (not necessarily in terms of student population) in the fastest growing areas of the country.

The ACC already has the Washington DC market in Maryland and they play football.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

The ACC already has the Washington DC market in Maryland and they play football.

That's possibly true, I don't know. Does Maryland have that much of a following in the DC market? Does the local community consider it "their" home town university?

[bilsu]

I think Nova and Villanova would like to go to ACC, but I do not think that will happen. Unfortunately, I think the Big East should of imploded last year, because that would have given MU better options. I think the Atlantic 10 current expansion really hurts MU's outcome in the future. I do not know why anyone would want Uconn. They are not strong in football and are headed for basketball oblivion. Does a conference would good academics want a school that has been ruled ineligible for the NCAA tournament, because of their graduation rate?

[Dawson Rental]

I think Nova and Villanova would like to go to ACC, but I do not think that will happen. Unfortunately, I think the Big East should of imploded last year, because that would have given MU better options. I think the Atlantic 10 current expansion really hurts MU's outcome in the future. I do not know why anyone would want Uconn. They are not strong in football and are headed for basketball oblivion. Does a conference would good academics want a school that has been ruled ineligible for the NCAA tournament, because of their graduation rate?

Would they get two shares of revenue?  Very crafty of them! 

[GGGG]

That's possibly true, I don't know. Does Maryland have that much of a following in the DC market? Does the local community consider it "their" home town university?

I think it has a larger following than Georgetown does.  And it is located about 10 miles from DC so it is likely already "counted" by ESPN as part of the current deal.

[79Warrior]

Benny, why do you think Gtown and 'nova give a sh#t about St Johns and Seton Hall? They don't. It's every school for itself. There are no friends and there are no partnerships. Not anymore. If, by some miracle, the ACC invites Gtown and/or 'nova...do you think they're saying "Oh no, we don't go anywhere without St Johns and Seton Hall." C'mon.

Absolutely.

[mu03eng]

To tie several threads together and get hate mail.....this is exactly why the Buzz flirtation with SMU and signs of messing with happy could be disastrous.  I think its a given that in the next two years the Big East will cease to exist at least as a major power player.  It will either become a strong basketball only conference or an bastardized football and basketball conference just trying to stay as the 6th most viable conference.  Either way, we need to look as attractive as possible to maintain the most leverage as possible.  If Buzz is gone or the administration is viewed as being less interested in basketball we will fall down the poll because we will have that many more hurdles to recruiting and getting recognition nationally.

[Abode4life]

I think it has a larger following than Georgetown does.  And it is located about 10 miles from DC so it is likely already "counted" by ESPN as part of the current deal.

And honestly UNC and Duke probably have more grads in the D.C. area than GTown as well.  ACC already has a good hold on the DC market and doesn't need to add anyone. 

[Goose]

This is very critical time for MU and LW needs to be a leader. We cannot sit on our hands and hope the BE finds a way to remain a top basketball conference. This might be the most time period for MU since the start of Conference USA. When CUSA was started it took us to a higher level. All I know is that we are in position to play a wait and see game. If we blink we very easily can be on the outside looking in.

[MUMac]

That's possibly true, I don't know. Does Maryland have that much of a following in the DC market? Does the local community consider it "their" home town university?

I lived in Baltimore for a few years.  DC really does not follow much of anything.  That said, DC follows Maryland as much as any team.  The University of Maryland is just off the DC Beltway.

The Baltimore/DC Metroplex is the 4th largest metropolitan area in the nation.  Just under 9 million people.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

And honestly UNC and Duke probably have more grads in the D.C. area than GTown as well.  ACC already has a good hold on the DC market and doesn't need to add anyone. 

I lived in Baltimore for a few years.  DC really does not follow much of anything.  That said, DC follows Maryland as much as any team.  The University of Maryland is just off the DC Beltway.

The Baltimore/DC Metroplex is the 4th largest metropolitan area in the nation.  Just under 9 million people.

Interesting comments. Didn't realize the University of Maryland is right there. I wonder if this is the case because DC has such a transitory population to begin with (in terms of people living there for a few years then moving out) and so most people are not attached to the local, super wealthy private Catholic school?

Would be nice to retain them in the future mostly-Catholic conference.

[TribalRage]

I lived in Baltimore for a few years.  DC really does not follow much of anything.

Uh, Redskins??

[Dawson Rental]

This is very critical time for MU and LW needs to be a leader. We cannot sit on our hands and hope the BE finds a way to remain a top basketball conference. This might be the most time period for MU since the start of Conference USA. When CUSA was started it took us to a higher level. All I know is that we are in position to play a wait and see game. If we blink we very easily can be on the outside looking in.

I'm guessing that you meant to say that we are not in a position to wait and see.  I disagree, we are in the very best spot we can be under the circumstances.  If things blow up, we will be worse off.  That's a very good reason not to be a part of blowing things up.

[PJDunn]

I believe that he was referring to college sports.  The DC population is highly transitory and there really is no "local" college team.  If there was, it would be Maryland.  

The new conference alignments are all about money, and Georgetown would not add any appreciable dollars to an already rich ACC.

They may not like it, but they are probably stuck with the rest of us bball only schools.

[TribalRage]

I believe that he was referring to college sports.  The DC population is highly transitory and there really is no "local" college team.  If there was, it would be Maryland.  The new conference alignments are all about money, and Georgetown would not add any appreciable dollars to an already rich ACC.They may not like it, but they are probably stuck with the rest of us bball only schools.

DC follows Georgetown basketball but is much more into Maryland sports like lacrosse, fooball, and bball. When Lefty was prowling the sidelines Maryland hoops was king in DC, much bigger than the Bullets/Wizards. Maryland churns out a lot of grads, almost all of whom end up in the Beltway. They follow Mareyland sports in a big way. Check out the Post sports page and you'll see what I mean.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Just on queue for the latest 2012 conference realignment rumors.  In an attempt to butter things up (?) from today's New Haven Register.
Gov. Malloy wants improved relations between UConn and Boston CollegePublished: Friday, May 11, 2012

HARTFORD — Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says it is time for the University of Connecticut and Boston College to put hard feelings behind them and work to re-establish an important New England rivalry on the football field and basketball court.

In an interview with The Associated Press Thursday, Malloy, an alumnus of Boston College, said he has expressed those sentiments in talks over the past year with Boston College President William Leahy.

The two schools have been at odds since Boston College left the Big East to join the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2005, and the state of Connecticut led a lawsuit over the move.

“The reality is that time has the ability to heal all wounds, and hopefully we move forward,” said Malloy. “Economically, it makes great sense. The schools are 80 miles apart. Instead of a plane trip, it’s a bus ride. We should be doing more of that, not less.”

The two schools last played football in 2004 and last played a men’s basketball game in January 2005. Boston College is 10-0-2 against the Huskies in football, while UConn leads the basketball series, 54-35.

Shortly after BC announced its plans to join the ACC, Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun said he would never play the Eagles again as long as he coached the Huskies.

But last fall, amid a national shakeup of athletic conference, Malloy acknowledged that UConn had an interest in moving to the ACC.

Boston College Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo told the Boston Globe that he had blocked the move, saying it was a matter of “turf.”

He later issued a public apology, saying “while I harbor some ill feelings toward the University of Connecticut regarding the lawsuit, depositions and derogatory comments from UConn officials when we announced our decision to join the ACC, it was inappropriate to express personal feelings that might have been construed as the position of Boston College or the Atlantic Coast Conference.”

Malloy said that whatever happens with the ACC, the two schools should realize that playing each other, as they already do in many other sports, would benefit both schools and the entire region. UMass, which recently upgraded its football program, is the only other BCS school in New England. Continued...

Connecticut is now in talks that would have its men’s hockey program join Boston College in Hockey East.

“Both schools have done and said things that need to be left in the past, and both schools need to move forward,” Malloy said. “They need to move forward in what is the best interest of their schools, their student body and their athletic programs.”

The timing may be right.

Warde Manuel, UConn’s new athletic director, and DeFilippo say they are friends, and plan to meet soon to talk about the relationship. Manuel said the two had been scheduled to sit on a panel together recently, but DeFilippo had a scheduling conflict.

“I come in with a mindset that it would be good for us and good for them if we can get back to having a solid relationship between the two institutions,” said Manuel, who took over the program in March. “I know that (UConn) President (Susan) Herbst would like that and it’s one of the things that at the time when we can, Gene and I will have a conversation and I’ll get a sense from him on how he feels about it. But, from my perspective, I don’t harbor any ill feelings about Boston College and I think highly of the program, highly of the institution and I would hope that we could overcome issues from the past.”

[Benny B]

Benny, why do you think Gtown and 'nova give a sh#t about St Johns and Seton Hall? They don't. It's every school for itself. There are no friends and there are no partnerships. Not anymore. If, by some miracle, the ACC invites Gtown and/or 'nova...do you think they're saying "Oh no, we don't go anywhere without St Johns and Seton Hall." C'mon.

A) ACC isn't going to come calling on GTown.  Not now, not ever.  How many Catholic schools are in there in the Big 12, Pac 12, Big Ten, SEC, ACC, and tell me why do you think that is????  Notre Dame didn't one day decide, "hey... let's be independent".  Independence was a necessity at one point in time, and fortunately for them, it worked out.  Outside the Big East, there are five major conferences, and every one is dominated by public and/or southern universities... not exactly a who's who of Vatican sympathy there.

B) When GTown eventually does have to make a move - and they will - GTown won't be the only one making that move; they'll have the choice, and they are going to take their buddies along with them.  Just look at the leadership of those four institutions, and pay very close attention to their salutations... nobody here is going to screw anyone else over just for the sake of doing so.  If you believe only what you see on TV then sure, there are no friends and partnerships anymore (but only because those types of stories don't make the news).

[Groin_pull]

Benny,

I'm not suggesting that Gtown and 'nova (or St Johns, UConn and Rutgers) will be joining the ACC tomorrow. But it's not out of the question in two or three years. Think about how much the college sports landscape has changed over the past few years. That will continue.

Yes, the ACC just signed a fat TV deal. But don't you think they're always looking for a way to make more? Of course, it's all about money. I would think adding TVs in NY/NJ, Philadelphia, and Washington DC would put the ACC in a position to renegotiate their current deals. And remember, it's not about "delivering" a market...it's about adding up TV viewers. That's what matters....adding up eyeballs.

Yes, football drives the bus, but hoops still matter. The SEC, Big 10, and Big XII rule football. If you're the ACC, don't you say to yourself...okay, we can be decent in football, but we can absolutely rule basketball. Adding those teams—and those markets—they would be the clear king of hoops. Not even close. The ACC has a rich hoops history. Add Syracuse in another year....and perhaps Gtown, Villanova, and UConn a few years after that. Wow.

Not saying it will happen. Just saying maybe. Things are changing so fast, anything is possible.


  

[79Warrior]

This is very critical time for MU and LW needs to be a leader. We cannot sit on our hands and hope the BE finds a way to remain a top basketball conference. This might be the most time period for MU since the start of Conference USA. When CUSA was started it took us to a higher level. All I know is that we are in position to play a wait and see game. If we blink we very easily can be on the outside looking in.

I highly doubt LW is sitting on his hands. IMO, MU has a weak hand. We have a whole new administration for starters. That makes me very apprehensive. In addition, we have no legacy with the overwhelming majority of the other BE schools. The only school MU can depend upon with certainty is DePaul. The other schools, Catholic or not, will not make a decsion based upon how it impacts MU. MU and DePaul have the weakest hand in this poker game.

LW will do the best he can, but we are done if schools like Nova and GTWN move without MU. The likely endpoint for MU will be the A-10 if we are dumped by our Catholic conference members.

[Groin_pull]

Crazy as it sounds, DePaul may be in a better position than MU. DePaul has been a loser for years, but they have something MU will never have: Chicago. And it doesn't hurt to be located in the heart of the #3 TV market.

MU is in a tough spot. Yes, they have a rich hoops history and draw very well...but is that enough? It's all about TV viewers these days...and being in a shrinking city like Milwaukee does not help that cause.

[Goose]

79Warrior
Never said LW was sitting on his hands. He has a very big challenge ahead of him and MU has to put itself in a position of strength. At the current moment we have extremely weak hand. Nobody is waiting for us and that is the big hurdle. What about us being the driving force behind an all basketball conference?

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

This came up in a Google search and it's from Orangebloods.  It was a somewhat interesting read.  Full article link.
http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1363940

Although, it doesn't sound like the Big XII is that interested in Louisville based on a study.  A snippet from the whole write-up:


And then you have to consider where the Big 12 would be on expansion. And if you were listening carefully when new Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby was introduced and was asked about expansion, he didn't talk about "a geographic footprint" the way interim commissioner Chuck NI have a toothaches did. Bowlsby talked about an "electronic footprint." Totally different.

BOWLSBY'S LEGACY: And credit NI have a toothaches for getting the Big 12 to agree to a 13-year granting of TV rights back to the conference as part of the league's revised, 13-year, Tier 1 rights deal with ABC-ESPN, which should be finalized shortly. That will keep schools from being able to leave the Big 12 with their TV rights, effectively barring such a defection.

What does that leave for Bob Bowlsby's legacy? With the Big 12's TV deals essentially done and a 13-year granting of rights bonding the current 10 members in the league for that length of time, does Bowlsby look at expansion as his legacy?

For weeks and months, I had been told the Big 12 was good with 10 schools. Nine conference football games. Home-and-home in basketball league games. Good. No need for a Big 12 championship football game because it would only risk knocking a possible undefeated or one-loss team out of a national title shot with an upset.

But last week I talked to some people who said, "Well, if it's the right two." And that was different from what I had heard before.

I was also told that studies had been done looking at what value might be added if any of the original members of the Big East (Louisville, Cincinnati, etc.) would bring to the Big 12, and that report did not come back favorably, sources said.

That leaves some interesting candidates who could probably benefit from having the ability to launch their own network. The most likely to benefit from such an opportunity would be Notre Dame and Florida State.

The Big 12 has repeatedly indicated to Notre Dame it could bring its non-football sports to the Big 12 and keep football as independent, allowing the Irish to keep their football contract with NBC while launching a Tier 3 network.

So far, Notre Dame has indicated it's just fine. We'll see if Florida State does the same.

[Dawson Rental]

I was also told that studies had been done looking at what value might be added if any of the original members of the Big East (Louisville, Cincinnati, etc.) would bring to the Big 12, and that report did not come back favorably, sources said.

Thanks, dude.  I'm sleeping better tonight.

So, the worst case scenario is the Big 12 bags Florida State and Clemson, and then the ACC comes calling again.