If the Catholic 7 breaks from the Big East, who should be invited to join?

[Aughnanure]

East
Georgetown
Villanova
St. John's
Providence
Seton Hall
Xavier

West
Marquette
DePaul
Butler
St. Louis
Creighton
Gonzaga

I like. But I think Gonzaga is an option for beyond 12. Such as:

East
Villanova
St. John's
Providence
Seton Hall

Atlantic
Georgetown
Dayton
Xavier
Richmond

Midwest
Marquette
DePaul
Butler
St. Louis

West
Creighton
Gonzaga
Wichita St
San Francisco

[Aughnanure]

Gonzaga would want ALL sports in Big East. Pretty much have to make a western division to make that happen.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/dec/12/gonzaga-part-discussion-new-league/

[AirPunches]

I guess I have gotten a softer heart for certain schools seeing how MU is always left out of the ACC/BIG/big 12 talks but if there is one school that I wouldn't want to be a part of this conference it would be...Dayton.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

I like. But I think Gonzaga is an option for beyond 12. Such as:

East
Villanova
St. John's
Providence
Seton Hall

Atlantic
Georgetown
Dayton
Xavier
Richmond

Midwest
Marquette
DePaul
Butler
St. Louis

West
Creighton
Gonzaga
Wichita St
San Francisco

That just looks crazy to me. I get that Gonzaga is a nice bball program, but its not worth overextending the conference.

[hairy worthen]

Ummm, why not just join the A-10 with that list Norm??  No way do you go to those last 4 teams. I'd switch VCU and Dayton around though.  Not sure what the hard on for Dayton is anyway?

Sshhhh,  that UDpride guy might be reading this. 

I wonder how he and his long  essay writing ass feel now about his A-10 "conference of stability among a sea of chaos"   

[frozena pizza]

I would take 7 so we can include Gonzaga and St. Mary's as a west coast partner.  So Creighton, Butler, Dayton, St. Louis, Xavier, Gonzaga, St. Mary's.  Granted more revenue split but there's no way you pass up a quality program like Gonzaga if you can get them.  I'm already planning my trip to Spokane.

[MUMBA]

half baked idea and an off-the-board alternative... go big and invite ALL the bordeline candidates like Detroit, etc.  Would it be feasible to go English soccer league style with a three tiered league and a system of relegation?  Worst team in each level gets demoted, the best moves up?  Gives the up and comers a chance to play up and keeps an incentive for the likes of DePaul to keep investing in a winning program?  Just a thought.  Always loved that concept in soccer.

[Norm]

Ummm, why not just join the A-10 with that list Norm??  No way do you go to those last 4 teams. I'd switch VCU and Dayton around though.  Not sure what the hard on for Dayton is anyway?

Adding 2 A-10 teams and 1 MVC team to form a 10-team league is not "joining the A-10." And a 12-team league plucking 4 A-10 schools is not necessarily "joining" it either - it's picking up their top teams. I'm also not a big fan of Dayton myself, and would have no problem subbing in VCU for Dayton in a 12-team league.

Again, I only threw the possibility of Detroit and Duquesne in there because of the media markets and the possibility that could help with a tv package. I'd much prefer a 10-teams league.

[jficke13]

half baked idea and an off-the-board alternative... go big and invite ALL the bordeline candidates like Detroit, etc.  Would it be feasible to go English soccer league style with a three tiered league and a system of relegation?  Worst team in each level gets demoted, the best moves up?  Gives the up and comers a chance to play up and keeps an incentive for the likes of DePaul to keep investing in a winning program?  Just a thought.  Always loved that concept in soccer.

It certainly wins points for innovation

[honkytonk]

ACC is quickly becoming a bastard of the ACC/Big East.  If the SEC grabs FSU and B1G grabs UNC, Notre Dame is stuck playing 5 games a year against teams that it just tried to avoid in Pitt, Cuse, Louisville.  Add in Duke, BC and Wake Forest - those teams wont do ANYTHING for ND football RPI.  So, by going C-7, their football would be truly independent and they would have the stability of the C-7 in making the other sports successful.

ND signed signed long-term agreements with BC, Pitt and Cuse even prior to their move to the ACC (see below). They like playing all of those schools (they played Pitt and BC this year...so I guess they didnt kill their rpi as you suggest). It's unclear whether or not these contracts will have to be modified now that ND agreed to play 5 ACC teams per year.



Pitt - 2013, 14, 15, 16
BC  - 2015, 16, 18, 19
SU  - 2014, 15, 16, 17

[brewcity77]

West
Creighton
Gonzaga
Wichita St
San Francisco

I'm on board with Creighton and Wichita State, and do feel it's worth expanding to include Gonzaga, but offering San Francisco over St. Mary's would be ludicrous. I realize the Dons have a rich history, but that's all it is. They've had 1 NCAA appearance in the past 30 years. Their two titles in the 1950s don't carry much weight anymore. Their gym is over 50 years old and only seats 5,300. There are probably 10 teams I'd include ahead of them, and that's just west of the Mississippi.

[chapman]

That just looks crazy to me. I get that Gonzaga is a nice bball program, but its not worth overextending the conference.

Agree.  They're a very good program, but don't fit the "big eastern city" definition and I question whether they'd have the commitment after 2-3 years of travel, especially if travel and competition cause them to miss some tournaments because somebody in their conference other than St. Mary's can beat them.  Great program, just not worth taking a two time zone difference from everybody else.  Also not worth taking other west coast programs to accommodate - St. Mary's has been good recently, but I don't think they can handle a strong conference given that they're still playing weak non-con schedules.
 
I like what I'm hearing as far as 10-12 teams.  The list from "sources" says Xavier, SLU, Creighton, Butler, and Dayton are candidates being discussed.  I'd sub Dayton for Richmond myself to get a different market and give Butler another non-Catholic school, but it seems like they've got the right idea - all CST or EST, all getting good markets, all private, none splitting sports between conferences.

[Aughnanure]

I'm on board with Creighton and Wichita State, and do feel it's worth expanding to include Gonzaga, but offering San Francisco over St. Mary's would be ludicrous. I realize the Dons have a rich history, but that's all it is. They've had 1 NCAA appearance in the past 30 years. Their two titles in the 1950s don't carry much weight anymore. Their gym is over 50 years old and only seats 5,300. There are probably 10 teams I'd include ahead of them, and that's just west of the Mississippi.

And Gonzaga's seats 6,000. St. Mary's is 3,500.

Money (and better games) fixes a lot of problems, and saying St. Mary's (and their much smaller endowment, academic rank, overall athletics, student body size and campus) should be the auto-ad because of 6 tournament appearances since 1960 is just as ludicrous.  

[brewcity77]

And Gonzaga's seats 6,000. St. Mary's is 3,500.

Money (and better games) fixes a lot of problems, and saying St. Mary's (and their much smaller endowment, academic rank, overall athletics, student body size and campus) should be the auto-ad because of 6 tournament appearances since 1960 is just as ludicrous.  

If that we're the only reason, I'd agree whole-heartedly. But in the past 20 years, both Gonzaga and St Mary's have made far more noticeable commitments to their programs. They are trending up and have been for some time.

[MU82]

I would switch MU and Xavier if at all possible. MU should lobby hard to be a part of the East.

Cinci is well east of Milwaukee. Also in the Eastern time zone. Just sayin'.

[Dish]

Gonzaga is 100% must in this new conference, even if they are the only PST team in the new league. They would absoltuely be my first phone call from the C7 to join. Have to have them.

[TJ]

Cinci is well east of Milwaukee. Also in the Eastern time zone. Just sayin'.

I don't think they should use geography to create the divisions.  Just create divisions that make sense.

[hilltopper03]

Is creighton going to be in the conference?

[brewcity77]

Gonzaga is 100% must in this new conference, even if they are the only PST team in the new league. They would absoltuely be my first phone call from the C7 to join. Have to have them.

I put them behind Xavier and Butler, but they are very high on my priority list. I think that they would help far more than many realize in terms of marketing the league and any television deal. If the league had a weekly "Big XXXDay" where they had an East Coast tip-off at 6 pm central, a Midwest tip-off at 8 pm, and a West Coast tip-off at 10 pm central I think it would be great for the league. But to do that, you probably need 2-3 teams out west to host those games. Gonzaga, St. Mary's, and Creighton would be my three picks.

Regardless, the Zags are big-time. I want them badly.

[chapman]

I don't think they should use geography to create the divisions.  Just create divisions that make sense.

Better yet, don't create divisions at all.  The 16 team Big East didn't need them.  The Pac 12 only uses them for football.  The SEC dropped divisions for basketball in the last year or two because they were pointless.

[Dish]

I put them behind Xavier and Butler, but they are very high on my priority list. I think that they would help far more than many realize in terms of marketing the league and any television deal. If the league had a weekly "Big XXXDay" where they had an East Coast tip-off at 6 pm central, a Midwest tip-off at 8 pm, and a West Coast tip-off at 10 pm central I think it would be great for the league. But to do that, you probably need 2-3 teams out west to host those games. Gonzaga, St. Mary's, and Creighton would be my three picks.

Regardless, the Zags are big-time. I want them badly.

To me, the goal is to create the best basketball conference in the country (given the circumstances). I'd figure out the logistics later. Gonzaga already tries to play a national non-conference schedule already. My gut feeling is they'd be all over joining this league. Opens up a recruiting window for Gonzaga in the Midwest/East, every other team gets a window to the Pacific Northwest.

[Pakuni]

I don't think they should use geography to create the divisions.  Just create divisions that make sense.

What, other than geography, makes sense?

Cats and Dogs
Butler
Gonzaga
Georgetown
Villanova

Good vs. Evil
Providence
DePaul
Seton Hall
Xavier (guns are good or evil, depending on your persuasion?)
Richmond (spiders = definitely evil)

For the Birds
Marquette
Creighton
Dayton
Temple

Edit: Since I couldn't figure out WTF a Billiken is, even after staring at a photo for several minutes, they must not be allowed entrance to this new conference.

[Marqus Howard]

To me, the goal is to create the best basketball conference in the country (given the circumstances). I'd figure out the logistics later. Gonzaga already tries to play a national non-conference schedule already. My gut feeling is they'd be all over joining this league. Opens up a recruiting window for Gonzaga in the Midwest/East, every other team gets a window to the Pacific Northwest.

Exactly, and adding as many high quality teams as possible will be important in negotiating a TV deal. I'm guessing a league with Gonzaga would bring in more TV revenue than a league with Dayton.

[TJ]

Better yet, don't create divisions at all.  The 16 team Big East didn't need them.  The Pac 12 only uses them for football.  The SEC dropped divisions for basketball in the last year or two because they were pointless.

+1

[Pakuni]

Better yet, don't create divisions at all.  The 16 team Big East didn't need them.  The Pac 12 only uses them for football.  The SEC dropped divisions for basketball in the last year or two because they were pointless.

In a conference that has the potential to literally span coast-to-coast, divisions make sense for scheduling/travel purposes.