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

[🏀]

Guys, one important thing we are missing is Lacrosse. What schools have good lacrosse teams?

[TJ]

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

While I like the divisions you just came up with, no divisions is the way to go.

[Groin_pull]

From that list, I'll go with:

Xavier
Gonzaga
St Marys
Saint Louis
Creighton

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'd still like to see UMass.  With Uconn out and BC having already left, there is a potential opportunity there.  It may not be big, but then again neither were UConn and others back in the late 70's when the Big East was created.

I know they have football, but they are in the MAC for that, don't see it as a threat as long as every other school also doesn't have football.

[Norm]

Guys, one important thing we are missing is Lacrosse. What schools have good lacrosse teams?

Villanova, Georgetown, St. John's, Providence and Marquette have lacrosse teams. None of the others mentioned in this thread (except for Detroit) have lacrosse teams.

[chapman]

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

Probably likely to create more problems.  You're going to tell Marquette they have to go to Spokane every year but Xavier only has to go once every three or four years because Marquette is "closer"?

Guys, one important thing we are missing is Lacrosse. What schools have good lacrosse teams?

Of C7: St. John's, Providence, Georgetown, Villanova.  So we make five.  Of schools that have been mentioned at all for this conference, even just a little: UMass, Denver, St. Joseph's, Detroit.  So nobody we seem serious about adding.  

Just by glancing at the list of D1 teams and conferences, it looks like 6-8 is the preferred size.  Unless any of the C7 or their invitees are starting up a program, I think easiest course would be to take our five and merge with Rutgers (formerly Big East) and Michigan (Independent) for a conference.  That'll last until the B1G cash cow grows enough that every school can afford a team.

[🏀]

I wasn't serious about the lacrosse question...

[reinko]

I wasn't serious about the lacrosse question...

Dude, chilLAX bro!

[Pakuni]

Probably likely to create more problems.  You're going to tell Marquette they have to go to Spokane every year but Xavier only has to go once every three or four years because Marquette is "closer"?

It would be more like every other year. And, yeah, it is closer.
And I'm still not sure why a few extra hours on an airplane ONCE a year is seen as some sort of dealbreaker around here. I mean, you'd rather be in a conference with Dayton than Gonzaga because of a few extra hours on an airplane once every 12 months?

[Dish]

It would be more like every other year. And, yeah, it is closer.
And I'm still not sure why a few extra hours on an airplane ONCE a year is seen as some sort of dealbreaker around here. I mean, you'd rather be in a conference with Dayton than Gonzaga because of a few extra hours on an airplane once every 12 months?

I go to Seattle every month for work, I fly commercial (not charter), it's fine. This isn't the 1960's. I realize Gonzaga is in Spokane too, which is actually closer than Seattle.

If Gonzaga isn't at least invited, I'd be extremely disappointed.

[🏀]

I go to Seattle every month for work, I fly commercial (not charter), it's fine. This isn't the 1960's. I realize Gonzaga is in Spokane too, which is actually closer than Seattle.

If Gonzaga isn't at least invited, I'd be extremely disappointed.

+1

[Aughnanure]

I'd still like to see UMass.  With Uconn out and BC having already left, there is a potential opportunity there.  It may not be big, but then again neither were UConn and others back in the late 70's when the Big East was created.

I know they have football, but they are in the MAC for that, don't see it as a threat as long as every other school also doesn't have football.

If they can give commitment to the league (and not football), I say yes. Also helps divisions (yes, I like divisions -  more than ONE team can "win" something and it helps [more] regional rivalries)

East: UMass, St. John's, Seton Hall, Providence
Atlantic: Georgetown, Villanova, Richmond, VCU
Midwest: Xavier, Dayton, Butler, St. Louis
West: Marquette, DePaul, Creighton, Wichita St

[lalumiere]

Without a doubt, the goal of the new Big East conference should be to create the best basketball conference in the nation.  Certainly the conference should consist of nationally recognized basketball programs.  As a result, the conference should not be narrowly based on religious affiliation but should be based on the value that each prospective member will make towards the conference's goal of becoming the best basketball conference.

There are prospective members that have nationally recognized basketball programs who also have football programs.  For example, Memphis, UMass, and Temple all have strong nationally recognized basketball programs who also have football programs.  The new Big East could certainly add a few members like Memphis or UMass as full members, but they would have to house its football programs elsewhere.  Most likely, members who would have football would have to either compete as an independent in football or would have to join another conference as an associate member for football only.  In order to make sure basketball will remain prominent with in the conference, and that the new Big East will never sponsor football as a sport, there should be a bylaw established that no more than 25% of membership in the new Big East can have NCAA Division 1 FBS program.

Also, geography is an important part in constructing the new Big East conference but it's not as important as attracting the best basketball programs as possible.  Although, Gonzaga is geographically far from the current footprint of the Big East, Gonzaga has a nationally recognized, successful basketball program.  As a result, Gonzaga should be considered as well as another very strong national brand in basketball, BYU.  If Gonzaga would be added BYU could be added as well to provide a travel partner with Gonzaga while achieving the goal of becoming the best basketball conference in the nation.

Other prospective members that should be considered are the top members of the Atlantic 10 conference who have excellent basketball programs.  For example, Xavier, Butler, Saint Louis, and Dayton could certainly be considered.  Creighton, from the Missouri Valley Conference who also has a nationally prominent program could be a very attractive option as well.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Dude, chilLAX bro!

Which one is you?

[nyg]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8742607/seven-catholic-schools-leaning-leaving-big-east-sources-say

In this updated article from Katz, it mentions a quote from Mike Brey who stated the C7 have reached out to:

Xavier
St. Louis
Dayton
Creighton
Gonzaga
St. Mary's

That would add up to 13 teams. 

[chapman]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8742607/seven-catholic-schools-leaning-leaving-big-east-sources-say

In this updated article from Katz, it mentions a quote from Mike Brey who stated the C7 have reached out to:

Xavier
St. Louis
Dayton
Creighton
Gonzaga
St. Mary's

That would add up to 13 teams. 

"Sources" also saying they want 10, perhaps 12, so someone's getting left in the WCC/MVC/A10.

[Warriors10]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8742607/seven-catholic-schools-leaning-leaving-big-east-sources-say

In this updated article from Katz, it mentions a quote from Mike Brey who stated the C7 have reached out to:

Xavier
St. Louis
Dayton
Creighton
Gonzaga
St. Mary's

That would add up to 13 teams. 

Plus ND = 14

[Skatastrophy]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8742607/seven-catholic-schools-leaning-leaving-big-east-sources-say

In this updated article from Katz, it mentions a quote from Mike Brey who stated the C7 have reached out to:

Xavier
St. Louis
Dayton
Creighton
Gonzaga
St. Mary's

That would add up to 13 teams.  

Do you think that conferences over-recruit just like schools do?  I wonder how heated one of those schools will get when they realize that they got recruited over

[🏀]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8742607/seven-catholic-schools-leaning-leaving-big-east-sources-say

In this updated article from Katz, it mentions a quote from Mike Brey who stated the C7 have reached out to:

Xavier
St. Louis
Dayton
Creighton
Gonzaga
St. Mary's

That would add up to 13 teams. 

Leave Dayton first, then St. Mary's.

[warriorchick]

Villanova, Georgetown, St. John's, Providence and Marquette have lacrosse teams. None of the others mentioned in this thread (except for Detroit) have lacrosse teams.

Are you sure Detroit has a lacrosse team?  Or are they just carrying around those sticks for protection?

[brewcity77]

Butler should absolutely be included. They have shown a strong commitment to their program, increase name recognition, are associated with a top-30 media market in Indianapolis, and have shown a willingness to increase their level of competition by stepping up to the A-10.

Though I'm curious why Mike Brey would be the authority on this. Are we really confiding in Notre Dame over this? If so, is it because they might still be in play?

[Skatastrophy]

Butler should absolutely be included. They have shown a strong commitment to their program, increase name recognition, are associated with a top-30 media market in Indianapolis, and have shown a willingness to increase their level of competition by stepping up to the A-10.

Though I'm curious why Mike Brey would be the authority on this. Are we really confiding in Notre Dame over this? If so, is it because they might still be in play?

If we floated the idea their way to ask them if they wanted to join, I have no doubt that we'd tell them everything.  I'm not surprised that Brey knows everything about the situation.

[Pakuni]

Butler should absolutely be included. They have shown a strong commitment to their program, increase name recognition, are associated with a top-30 media market in Indianapolis, and have shown a willingness to increase their level of competition by stepping up to the A-10.

Though I'm curious why Mike Brey would be the authority on this. Are we really confiding in Notre Dame over this? If so, is it because they might still be in play?

Or it could indicate these discussions have been going on for some time now, as in before Notre Dame jumped ship.

[🏀]

Butler should absolutely be included. They have shown a strong commitment to their program, increase name recognition, are associated with a top-30 media market in Indianapolis, and have shown a willingness to increase their level of competition by stepping up to the A-10.

Though I'm curious why Mike Brey would be the authority on this. Are we really confiding in Notre Dame over this? If so, is it because they might still be in play?

Maybe Butler isn't included since ND will carry that market instead...

[LastWarrior]

Priceline is crazy. I've flown O'Hare to Seattle several times, and it's about four hours. Milwaukee to Spokane is a shorter flight.
The benefits of Gonzaga (over say, Dayton) outweigh a couple extra hours in the air once a year.

Seconded on the Priceline is crazy.  You should be booking on Orbitz, the unofficial official travel agency of MUScoop!