“Now is the time”

[Niv Berkowitz]

Not to be a narcissist and quote myself....but I will.

You take this league to NBC and their sports network that is dying for content especially without NHL, get a 5 year contract.  The games will be on all the time, hell they are still replaying equestrian events from the London Olympics, some of the bigger match ups get shown on NBC itself, and then you see if you can get a bigger deal when all the restructuring is done.  Basically, you take the BEast exit money and the initial network deal to float/build the league for 5 years, hope like hell you get a couple of deep tourney runs out of members of the league and work like crazy to build brand recognition.  You'll still get A talent, the key is the first 5 years in getting everything established.

Q: How do we make the ECU's and Tulane's go away, then, without paying them off to leave? Can they just be booted out, because if this conference retains the Big East name...then you can't do that.

Unless, it's just a separate league....which if it is, I just missed a couple of the previous messages. Sorry.

[Pakuni]

Q: How do we make the ECU's and Tulane's go away, then, without paying them off to leave? Can they just be booted out, because if this conference retains the Big East name...then you can't do that.

Unless, it's just a separate league....which if it is, I just missed a couple of the previous messages. Sorry.

The basketball only schools, if they act unanimously, have the power to dissolve the conference, without penalty or input from the foot ball programs. But only until July, when Temple, UCF, SMU, Houston and Memphis become voting members and could block such a move.
I'm not sure who retains the name "Big East" if that happens, but I doubt SMU, Houston, Memphis, etc., would fight very hard to retain it.

[mu03eng]

Interesting:

If you only took 10 today, that would give you flexibility to add 4-6 more in a handful of years. There could be some pretty nice options depending how everything shakes out.

At the rate the landscape is changing, that might be a fantastic move, or it could also backfire.

Go to 12, you get more total league games to sell, and you still have room to go to 16 when the landscape shakes out.

[jesmu84]

I'm not sure about taking anyone from the Missouri Valley. I think between current A10 teams and Big East defects, there'd be plenty for a 10-12 team league. Creighton is solid this year, but the MVC is up and down every couple of years - for example, if we did this 5 years ago, we'd want Southern Illinois becuase they were the consistent NCAA tourney team.

[Pakuni]

I'm not sure about taking anyone from the Missouri Valley. I think between current A10 teams and Big East defects, there'd be plenty for a 10-12 team league. Creighton is solid this year, but the MVC is up and down every couple of years - for example, if we did this 5 years ago, we'd want Southern Illinois becuase they were the consistent NCAA tourney team.

Creighton fits the model because it's:
a) Private/Catholic
b) In a metro area
c) Has a solid fanbase (has finished in top 25 in attendance seven years running, including 6th overall last year).

SIU is none of the above.

[mu03eng]

Here is the mechanism

Current Big East members(2012) with cross outs for teams leaving and bold for those with current voting rights
Louisville
Notre Dame
Pitt
Syracuse
Rutgers
Marquette
Georgetown
Cincinnati
UConn
DePaul
Villanova
USF
St Johns
Seton Hall
Providence
Temple

New members coming in
Houston
Memphis
SMU
UCF
Tulane

So you get
Marquette
Georgetown
DePaul
Villanova
St Johns
Seton Hall

To vote Temple, UConn, Cinncy, and USF out(Temple doesn't have a vote so the basketball schools have the required 2/3 majority 7-3).  You then vote to rescind the offers to the new five and extend offers to at least Xavier, Butler, and SLU and I think definitely Dayton and Creighton to get to 12.  

You then shop that to a network and scene

You are welcome  

[mu03eng]

Creighton fits the model because it's:
a) Private/Catholic
b) In a metro area
c) Has a solid fanbase (has finished in top 25 in attendance seven years running, including 6th overall last year).

SIU is none of the above.

+1

[w0bbie]

To vote Temple, UConn, Cinncy, and USF out(Temple doesn't have a vote so the basketball schools have the required 2/3 majority 7-3).  You then vote to rescind the offers to the new five and extend offers to at least Xavier, Butler, and SLU and I think definitely Dayton and Creighton to get to 12.  

I understand not letting FB schools join to maintain the majority vote, but why vote out UConn, Cincy, and USF?  Keep their basketball around until they find a home, and make them pay their exit fees once they do.

[mu03eng]

I understand not letting FB schools join to maintain the majority vote, but why vote out UConn, Cincy, and USF?  Keep their basketball around until they find a home, and make them pay their exit fees once they do.

Because my understanding is the threshold to dismiss teams is a 2/3 vote and when Temple gets a vote in 6 months the basketball only schools lose that threshold.  Then they would lose the ability to rescind the outstanding offers because Temple, USF, UConn, and Cinncy want to keep football.  So to rescind you have to kick out those 3.  Plus UConn and Cinncy are fighting to get into the ACC anyway.  Their buyouts are the cost of getting a 12 team all basketball league that is stable.

[AirPunches]

Like others have mentioned, I'm in the camp of keeping the conference as small as possible for at least the first few years and not adding programs like Dayton and Creighton. Once the fate of the Big East/ACC is determined and the realignment is done, I think it would a smart move to take a look at some of the schools that get left out (Cincy, UCONN, Memphis, Temple, and maybe some surprising ones like Duke and Wake Forest).

Don't offer football for the conference, and make it so it could never be an option. This hybrid model wouldn't work in the next 5 years as realignment continues but once the deals are in place and it's all over, the schools that were left out would at least be in a high major basketball conference (maybe the best one, who knows).

A conference of MU, GTOWN, NOVA, St. Johns, Providence, Seton Hall, Depaul plus 2 programs (Xavier and ____ ) could survive a few years on their own. Then add the top teams that are left out and you have a nice bball conference. Don't be too quick to add the good mid-majors just yet cause that will always be an option.

[The Process]

I understand not letting FB schools join to maintain the majority vote, but why vote out UConn, Cincy, and USF?  Keep their basketball around until they find a home, and make them pay their exit fees once they do.

Because they WILL screw us, Samwell style.

[M@RQUETTEW@RRIORS]

Because they WILL screw us, Samwell style.

Exactly!

They will turn it into CUSA 2.0.  They want a piece of the football action and just like us on this board are only thinking of THEIR best interests.  If we keep them around they will keep the Tulanes, ECUs, Houstons etc.  It will be a joke.  Consider what they might do once the football schools have the majority again.  Vote us out?  I wouldnt doubt it.

[🏀]

Because they WILL screw us, Samwell style.

What, what?

[JTBMU7]

Here is the mechanism

Current Big East members(2012) with cross outs for teams leaving and bold for those with current voting rights
Louisville
Notre Dame
Pitt
Syracuse
Rutgers
Marquette
Georgetown
Cincinnati
UConn
DePaul
Villanova
USF
St Johns
Seton Hall
Providence
Temple

New members coming in
Houston
Memphis
SMU
UCF
Tulane

So you get
Marquette
Georgetown
DePaul
Villanova
St Johns
Seton Hall

To vote Temple, UConn, Cinncy, and USF out(Temple doesn't have a vote so the basketball schools have the required 2/3 majority 7-3).  You then vote to rescind the offers to the new five and extend offers to at least Xavier, Butler, and SLU and I think definitely Dayton and Creighton to get to 12.  

You then shop that to a network and scene

You are welcome  

thanks, if this can legitimately happen then i'm all for it. would be a huge step in the right direction. i also think partnering with one of the new networks, be it NBC Sports or CBS, would be beneficial and easier than ESPN.
i am still skeptical but let's hope they figure this out.

[w0bbie]

Because my understanding is the threshold to dismiss teams is a 2/3 vote and when Temple gets a vote in 6 months the basketball only schools lose that threshold.  Then they would lose the ability to rescind the outstanding offers because Temple, USF, UConn, and Cinncy want to keep football.  So to rescind you have to kick out those 3.  Plus UConn and Cinncy are fighting to get into the ACC anyway.  Their buyouts are the cost of getting a 12 team all basketball league that is stable.

Yes, I understand the need to maintain the majority.  That's why I didn't list Temple.  Get rid of them and rescind the other invites before Temple gets a vote.  Then the BB schools still have a majority.  Everyone will know that UConn, Cincy, and USF will be looking desperately to move out.  They might as well pay when they do.  And in the meantime, the league can work on adding the other basketball schools.  Maybe I am still missing something.

[frozena pizza]

The one problem with keeping it small in the hope that you can add others later is that you don't have a buffer if you lose more teams.  Keep in mind, defections can still work both ways, especially if any of the power conferences start adding bball only members.

[The Process]

What, what?

Exactly. And in this case, WE would be Samwell.

Now is the time for this.

[Hards Alumni]

The one problem with keeping it small in the hope that you can add others later is that you don't have a buffer if you lose more teams.  Keep in mind, defections can still work both ways, especially if any of the power conferences start adding bball only members.

In addition, the smaller schools without a 'real' conference might regress to the point that it would be difficult to find value from adding them.

[Tums Festival]

FWIW, if this concept were to happen, I'd go to NBC Sports over CBS Sports because I think NBC is more of a basic cable channel whereas CBS is a sports tier channel.

[honkytonk]

If I could vote for a Catholic member, I'd definitely cast one for Dayton.

-UD Arena is a great place to watch a game and is easy within reasonable distance to alums throughout the midwest.
-They have solid attendance figures in the A10. They would get a boost with better competition coming to town.
-They are NOT fairweather fans.
-The city of Dayton supports all the teams in the city.
    - There is a reason they have hosted more NCAA tournament games than any venue in the country (even if they are the play-in games)
    - The Class A minor league team in Dayton has the all-time record for most consecutive sell-outs of any professional sports team in the country at 815. They have a current streak going at 913 games. Last season, they drew an average of 8500 fans, third in the country (only two AAA teams beat them).

It's definitely a sports town and their gameday atmosphere is solid. Just seems like a no-brainer to me....moreso than SLU. Hell, I'd prefer Dayton over SHU as well. And even DePaul. Unfortunately, markets are fairly important. However, I'd rather have great competition than great markets with 'meh' teams. Let the football schools builds conferences around market size.

[Benny B]

Exactly. And in this case, WE would be Samwell.

I'd rather be Butters.

[LAZER]

I think if this Conference was to eventually take shape, taking on a Catholic identity isn't a good idea.

[🏀]

If I could vote for a Catholic member, I'd definitely cast one for Dayton.

-UD Arena is a great place to watch a game and is easy within reasonable distance to alums throughout the midwest.
-They have solid attendance figures in the A10. They would get a boost with better competition coming to town.
-They are NOT fairweather fans.
-The city of Dayton supports all the teams in the city.
    - There is a reason they have hosted more NCAA tournament games than any venue in the country (even if they are the play-in games)
    - The Class A minor league team in Dayton has the all-time record for most consecutive sell-outs of any professional sports team in the country at 815. They have a current streak going at 913 games. Last season, they drew an average of 8500 fans, third in the country (only two AAA teams beat them).

It's definitely a sports town and their gameday atmosphere is solid. Just seems like a no-brainer to me....moreso than SLU. Hell, I'd prefer Dayton over SHU as well. And even DePaul. Unfortunately, markets are fairly important. However, I'd rather have great competition than great markets with 'meh' teams. Let the football schools builds conferences around market size.

Love this summary on Dayton.

[The Process]

I'd rather be Butters.

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

I think if this Conference was to eventually take shape, taking on a Catholic identity isn't a good idea.

I agree here. While many of the potential candidates are Catholic, not all are, especially once we look at hypothetical expansion.

[RJax55]

I think if this Conference was to eventually take shape, taking on a Catholic identity isn't a good idea.

I agree. I wouldn't mind seeing schools like VCU and George Mason in such a conference.