“Now is the time”

[LAZER]

Love this summary on Dayton.

Dayton was #28 in the country in attendance last year, which is pretty impressive.

Also, Creighton was #6. Behind only UK, Cuse, L'Ville, UNC, and Wisc.

[mu03eng]

Anyone have Father P's number?  This should be a done deal before spring.  I'm mostly serious, this is the way out of all this mess and all the parties involved do/should want it.

[Benny B]

Canada on Strike is one of the best episodes of SP. Such a perfect mocking of the writers strike.

I'm just glad that Rocky isn't trying to get some of that internet money from Scoop, friend.

[The Process]

I'm just glad that Rocky isn't trying to get some of that internet money from Scoop, friend.

I'm not your friend, buddy

[jficke13]

I'm not your friend, buddy

We're setting you adrift idiot. Good luck with the Danish

[JD]

So with all of these good ideas, is there a way for us/someone to present this to the boss at Marquette? 

[Benny B]

I'm not your friend, buddy

Don't.....call...... me..... Buddy..... guy.

[🏀]

Don't.....call...... me..... Buddy..... guy.

I'M NOT YOUR GUY, FRIEND.

[honkytonk]

So with all of these good ideas, is there a way for us/someone to present this to the boss at Marquette? 

I have an inkling there is more to creating a conference than just slapping some schools together on an internet message board...

[AirPunches]

I think they are pretty good ideas from MU's perspective. I wouldn't assume that the other bball only schools in the BE feel the same way though.

[Bocephys]

I have an inkling there is more to creating a conference than just slapping some schools together on an internet message board...

Nah, there's no way that can be right.  I'm pretty sure we've covered all of the bases here far better than the people paid to do such things.

[mu03eng]

Scoff all you want but the history of business is lousy with examples of good ideas missed because no one stepped back to look at it or outsides make suggestions and/or tweaks that made a difference.  I would hope the powers that be have thought of these ideas but don't assume it.

This is no different than any other business deal, and just need to make sure all the interested parties are getting more value in the future than they are currently getting and it's a done deal.

I just hope the BoT isn't involved in any of this otherwise we're screwed....that is the poster child for group think and in the box thinking.

[Aughnanure]

...please MWC, grab Boise and SDSU back.

Big East could be looking West for next team

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/jeremy-fowler/21190809/big-east-could-be-looking-west-for-next-team

The Big East is looking to add one more football member after its poaching of Tulane and East Carolina from Conference USA this week. I'm told they aren't revisiting the C-USA for that team at this point.

They could be looking West in efforts to pair Boise State and San Diego State with a friend and stabilze their coast-to-coast blueprint. Who's the Best of the Rest at this point? Could be talking about Fresno State, which is sort of a West Coast version of East Carolina. This would weaken the Mountain West, which has been working to lure Boise State and SDSU back into the fold.

The Big East would love BYU, which remains independent. The Big East doesn't know where BYU stands after talks recently stalled in light of Rutgers' defection.

The Big East and Mountain West are in interesting spots because of their television negotiations. Big East commissioner Mike Aresco is working toward a long-term media rights deal, which must be difficult considering all the movement. And the Mountain West has been in talks to extend its deal with CBS. If the MWC could somehow get stronger in the next few weeks, that would bode well for negotiations.

Also, check out colleague Dennis Dodd's blog on Idaho, New Mexico State and Georgia Southern in line for the recently poached Sun Belt. I'm told Sun Belt membership wants to move quickly but also wants to see what else C-USA does first.

There's buzz about C-USA adding Western Kentucky and possibly New Mexico State. Either way, NMSU is well-positioned to escape independence. Great time for the Aggies.

[madtownwarrior]

Yep, there are at least 100 iterations to chose from these boards as to which scouts should be in or out - what's the problem?  Go forth and make it happen....

Nah, there's no way that can be right.  I'm pretty sure we've covered all of the bases here far better than the people paid to do such things.

[honkytonk]

...please MWC, grab Boise and SDSU back.

Big East could be looking West for next team

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/jeremy-fowler/21190809/big-east-could-be-looking-west-for-next-team

The Big East is looking to add one more football member after its poaching of Tulane and East Carolina from Conference USA this week. I'm told they aren't revisiting the C-USA for that team at this point.

They could be looking West in efforts to pair Boise State and San Diego State with a friend and stabilze their coast-to-coast blueprint. Who's the Best of the Rest at this point? Could be talking about Fresno State, which is sort of a West Coast version of East Carolina. This would weaken the Mountain West, which has been working to lure Boise State and SDSU back into the fold.

The Big East would love BYU, which remains independent. The Big East doesn't know where BYU stands after talks recently stalled in light of Rutgers' defection.

The Big East and Mountain West are in interesting spots because of their television negotiations. Big East commissioner Mike Aresco is working toward a long-term media rights deal, which must be difficult considering all the movement. And the Mountain West has been in talks to extend its deal with CBS. If the MWC could somehow get stronger in the next few weeks, that would bode well for negotiations.

Also, check out colleague Dennis Dodd's blog on Idaho, New Mexico State and Georgia Southern in line for the recently poached Sun Belt. I'm told Sun Belt membership wants to move quickly but also wants to see what else C-USA does first.

There's buzz about C-USA adding Western Kentucky and possibly New Mexico State. Either way, NMSU is well-positioned to escape independence. Great time for the Aggies.

The BE, from the standpoint of a football conference, reminds of the couple that lived in the old, beat-up house in the movie, Book of Eli. They're nearly dead yet stubbornly resilient and simply wont die. In fact, it's a miracle they have endured for as long as they have. Someone simply needs to end their misery.

[mr.MUskie]

This is all moot.  Have we all forgotten that the world is ending in 3 weeks?

[Aughnanure]

If we really tried to go west and grab Gonzaga. I know, I know...but Santa Francisco, Sant Clara, Pepperdine, and Loyola Marymount have great overall athletic departments.

West
Georgetown
Villanova
Richmond/VCU
St. John's
Seton Hall
Providence

Central
Xavier
Butler
St Louis
Marquette
DePaul
Creighton/Dayton

West
Gonzaga
St. Mary's/San Francisco
Wichita St
Loyola Marymount
Pepperdine
Santa Clara/Creighton

[slingkong]

There's no need and little to be gained from a Catholic-identified or strictly urban school league.  Most importantly, it could preclude additions of non-Catholic schools down the road (e.g., Butler, VCU, or hell even UMass).  The Catholic schools all maintain their own identity just fine, there's no need to band a bunch together because the basketball would suffer for it.

[Aughnanure]

There's no need and little to be gained from a Catholic-identified or strictly urban school league.  Most importantly, it could preclude additions of non-Catholic schools down the road (e.g., Butler, VCU, or hell even UMass).  The Catholic schools all maintain their own identity just fine, there's no need to band a bunch together because the basketball would suffer for it.

I really don't think people are pushing this. Basketball schools just are mainly located in urban areas - if you can call downtown Omaha urban that is.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

There's no need and little to be gained from a Catholic-identified or strictly urban school league.  Most importantly, it could preclude additions of non-Catholic schools down the road (e.g., Butler, VCU, or hell even UMass).  The Catholic schools all maintain their own identity just fine, there's no need to band a bunch together because the basketball would suffer for it.

Reminds me of something I heard in Dr. McMahon's Irish history class a ways back. "Northern Ireland isn't a battle between Catholics and Protestants. It's a battle between Republicans who happen to be Catholic, and Unionists who happen to be Protestant."

Butler can and should be sought out. Temple, Memphis or Cincy too if they can park their football somewhere else (but in today's environment, that may not be realistic). What's being proposed isn't a Catholic-only conference. It's a high-level basketball-first conference, many of whose members are coincidentally Catholic.