What's Your Ideal New Conference?

[Aughnanure]

8 teams? 20 teams? Divisions? Pods?  Name 'em.

What's your ideal conference setup? Try to be realistic (aka, no Kansas). I'll start.

EAST
Georgetown
Villanova
Xavier
St. John's
Seton Hall
Providence
Dayton
Richmond

WEST
Marquette
Gonzaga
Butler
Creighton
Wichita St
St. Mary's
St. Louis
DePaul

[AirPunches]

Marquette
DePaul
Georgetown
Villanova
Providence
Seton Hall
St Johns

Xavier
Butler
Gonzaga

Memphis
Temple

No divisions

[Norm]

10-12 teams tops.

Georgetown, Villanova, Seton Hall, St. John's, Providence, DePaul, Marquette, Xavier, Butler and Creighton for a 10-team league. For a 12-team league, add St. Louis and VCU.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I really dislike divisions. I would like 12 teams ideally but I can live with 10 as well.

Marquette
Georgetown
Nova
Depaul
Providence
St. Johns
Seton Hall

First 3 choices
Xavier
Butler
Creighton

Next 2 for 12 team league
SLU
Dayton/VCU two way tie for me for the final spot.

UDPride guy really makes me want to play Dayton and beat them badly.

[Dawson Rental]

EAST
Providence
St. John's
Georgetown
Villanova
Cleveland State
Xavier

WEST
Dayton
Butler
Marquette
DePaul
St. Louis
Creighton

Cleveland State?  No football.  They'd have to make a commitment to upgrade the program, so make them a probationary member.  We all know how state schools can have a financial advantage growing sports programs.  They are in a city with an NBA team and and NBA arena.  As a Division I program their recruits would be eligible to scrimmage against Cavaliers.  A city that is also a two and a half hour drive from Columbus, so you know that Cleveland residents can't regularly go to Ohio State basketball games.  Decent TV market that would benefit the league once the program improved.  Taking a step up in conference affiliation should be the impetus for improvement, but the league would still have to get a solid commitment from Cleveland State to improve the athletic program across the board.  Solid recruiting area.

No Seton Hall?  Doormat of the Big East.  Still trying to build with other school's rejects.  Redundant in the New York market.  Although, if any city can handle two league teams it would be New York.  But, does Seton Hall really have a following?  Dumping them is probably unrealistic given the fact that we bolted out the door with them in tow. Damn!

[MUFlutieEffect]

I'd be a big fan of a Catholic Conference.

Big East
C7

A-10
Xavier
Dayton
St. Joe's
St. Louis
Fordham


If we need more than 12
Creighton
Detroit

16-team "SuperConference"
Gonzaga
St. Mary's (CA)

[MUFlutieEffect]

No Seton Hall?  Doormat of the Big East.  Still trying to build with other school's rejects.  Redundant in the New York market.  Although, if any city can handle two league teams it would be New York.  But, does Seton Hall really have a following?  Dumping them is probably unrealistic given the fact that we bolted out the door with them in tow. Damn!

If we're being "realistic," eliminating one of the "C7" is not an option

[Dawson Rental]

Marquette
DePaul
Georgetown
Villanova
Providence
Seton Hall
St Johns

Xavier
Butler
Gonzaga

Memphis
Temple

No divisions

I'd love to have both Memphis and Temple, but we really are dreaming to expect either of them to drop their football teams from FBS to FCS status.  They'll be in the new Big East.

[augoman]

C7 plus Xavier, Butler, Creighton.

[brewcity77]

Marquette
Georgetown
Villanova
St John's
Seton Hall
DePaul
Providence

Xavier
VCU
Butler

Gonzaga
Creighton

As mentioned, the C7 are a must. We lose the automatic bid without Seton Hall (or DePaul, Providence, etc). The next three names add quality and make the conference more about basketball than theology by adding non-Catholic Butler and public VCU. I really want Gonzaga. Probably more than anyone other than Xavier. Even if they are basketball-only. If we went to 14, I'd probably say St Louis and BYU.

[Dawson Rental]

I'd be a big fan of a Catholic Conference.

Big East
C7

A-10
Xavier
Dayton
St. Joe's
St. Louis
Fordham


If we need more than 12
Creighton
Detroit

16-team "SuperConference"
Gonzaga
St. Mary's (CA)

The C7 left the Big East prompted by the addition of Tulane in all sports and you want to add Fordham?  The C7 would have to leave the new league and start all over again.

Ah, Detroit, the third team in southeast Michigan.  Maybe fourth.  Where's Eastern Michigan?

St. Joe's would be fine.  You've just got to sell Villanova on the idea of sharing Philadelphia with them.

[Dawson Rental]

Marquette
Georgetown
Villanova
St John's
Seton Hall
DePaul
Providence

Xavier
VCU
Butler

Gonzaga
Creighton

As mentioned, the C7 are a must. We lose the automatic bid without Seton Hall (or DePaul, Providence, etc). The next three names add quality and make the conference more about basketball than theology by adding non-Catholic Butler and public VCU. I really want Gonzaga. Probably more than anyone other than Xavier. Even if they are basketball-only. If we went to 14, I'd probably say St Louis and BYU.

Wow, I completely forgot about BYU.  They make a lot more sense as a second western team than St. Mary's does.  Mitt needs a job.  Maybe if we got Mitt to be commissioner of the new conference......

[GoMarquette32]

Marquette
Providence
DePaul
St Johns
Villanova
G Town
Seton Hall
Creighton
Xavier
Butler
Gonzaga
BYU

I think 12 is a good number of teams. Other possibilities: Memphis, temple, VCU, UCONN, Cincy.

[MUFlutieEffect]

The C7 left the Big East prompted by the addition of Tulane in all sports and you want to add Fordham?  The C7 would have to leave the new league and start all over again.

Ah, Detroit, the third team in southeast Michigan.  Maybe fourth.  Where's Eastern Michigan?

St. Joe's would be fine.  You've just got to sell Villanova on the idea of sharing Philadelphia with them.

Fordham is NOT a basketball powerhouse, there's no doubt about that.  However, it 1) increases the conference's presence in New York and 2) greatly improves the academic quality of the league (Fordham would EASILY be the second-best school academically behind only Georgetown).

Detroit is 1) like-minded in that it is Jesuit, 2) improving in basketball and a popular pick for Horizon League champ this year, and 3) provides a new media market (despite, as you fairly mentioned, by no means locks-up Detroit).

I can't imagine Nova would be against adding St. Joe's, but I suppose it's possible.

At any rate, you have to take into consideration that these decisions are about more than basketball (as you aptly noted in regards to Detroit).

[Avenue Commons]

I prefer a 12 team over 10 team league for greater exposure and bigger conferences are the trend.

10 Teams: Georgetown, Villanova, Seton Hall, St. John's, Providence, DePaul, Marquette, Xavier, Butler and Creighton.

12 Teams: Add St. Louis and Dayton.

[chapman]

C7 plus Xavier, Butler, Creighton.

Winner.  I'll also accept these plus SLU and VCU, though I'm starting to prefer the 10 team model.  

Ya'll need to gtfo with your football schools and craptacular basketball schools that happen to be Jesuit.  We're not playing football or having an academic bowl.  There's a reason Presidents, ADs, and coaches of the C7 have stressed this is a basketball move.

[Dawson Rental]

Fordham is NOT a basketball powerhouse, there's no doubt about that.  However, it 1) increases the conference's presence in New York and 2) greatly improves the academic quality of the league (Fordham would EASILY be the second-best school academically behind only Georgetown).

Detroit is 1) like-minded in that it is Jesuit, 2) improving in basketball and a popular pick for Horizon League champ this year, and 3) provides a new media market (despite, as you fairly mentioned, by no means locks-up Detroit).

I can't imagine Nova would be against adding St. Joe's, but I suppose it's possible.

At any rate, you have to take into consideration that these decisions are about more than basketball (as you aptly noted in regards to Detroit).

A sentimental reason to go with Detroit is their past history as a MU foe.  With Dickie V., baby!  Detroit's PG is a junior who also happens to be a Jr.  When head coach Ray McCallum's son Ray, Jr. graduates, it'll be interesting to see if Detroit can stay as good a team.  Sharing the same geographic area as two Big Ten teams is just too much of a ball crusher for that to happen, IMO.  Just look at what competing with Northwestern has done to DePaul!  If we're going to raid the horizon, let's be imaginative and take Cleveland State, instead.

[Warrior]

C7
Marquette
Georgetown
Villanova
St John's
Seton Hall
DePaul
Providence

Add
Xavier
Butler
+1 of these 3: Creighton, VCU, St. Louis

I like starting with 10 teams, then the conference can pick and choose if they decide to grow over time. 

[MUFlutieEffect]

Winner.  I'll also accept these plus SLU and VCU, though I'm starting to prefer the 10 team model.  

Ya'll need to gtfo with your football schools and craptacular basketball schools that happen to be Jesuit.  We're not playing football or having an academic bowl.  There's a reason Presidents, ADs, and coaches of the C7 have stressed this is a basketball move.

Stressed?  There's not much "stress" in a single press release.  It's completely asinine to believe that athletic conferences do not paint a broader portrait of universities and their reputations overall.  

The Big Ten, for example, has long coveted their AAU membership.  Similarly, the Ivy League is the pedestal for excellence in education, despite the reality that Dartmouth is by no means as academically prestigious as Harvard.  

Alternatively, revenue (i.e. media markets) were the catalyst behind the entire conference carousel in the first place.  For that matter, conferences EXIST for the purposes of reputation and revenue, not to improve athletic quality.

You're correct - this single press release did not specifically cite academics or media markets as factors in the formation of a new league, but to assert that basketball will be the singular focus of a new conference and that all else will go unconsidered is absolutely infantile.

[chapman]

Stressed?  There's not much "stress" in a single press release.

The press release, SJU's President's news conference, Larry Williams, Buzz, and JTIII have all brought up basketball as the reason for this split and the key for the new conference, and LW definitely made it clear that this is not the "Catholic Conference" for a reason.  Of course they're going to consider other factors aside from basketball, which is why schools that might be willing to join and park football elsewhere won't be invited.  But above all, schools that haven't committed resources to basketball success won't get a second look. 

[boyonthedock]

if we are talking semi realistic ideal, even for a few years, i can't imagine why this setup wouldn't be in the cards, if we are talking dream for as long as it lasts, and future stability when teams bolt. as follows:
c7 (obviously)
notre dame
BYU
memphis
temple
UCONN
CINN
Butler
Xavier
Gonzaga

after football schools leave, add, in this order:
VCU
Creighton
Dayton
SLU
st marys
richmond
wichita st.
george mason (?) [hope it doesn't get this far]
This is the dream, obviously. throw in UNLV, San Diego st, Utah state, etc. if you have slightly less fear of football schools than I do.

[muwarrior69]

8 teams? 20 teams? Divisions? Pods?  Name 'em.

What's your ideal conference setup? Try to be realistic (aka, no Kansas). I'll start.

EAST
Georgetown
Villanova
Xavier
St. John's
Seton Hall
Providence
Dayton
Richmond

WEST
Marquette
Gonzaga
Butler
Creighton
Wichita St
St. Mary's
St. Louis
DePaul

I'd switch Dayton with VCU. I think going big including the Zags and St. Mary's is the way to go. Play everyone once, let the league with our TV partner determine the mirror games.

As for non-basketball sports I am sure they'll figure a way that is cost effective and not a burden to the "real student athletes".

[Marqevans]

Let's get Loyola a new stadium so they can join too.  They are the only Illinois team to ever win an NCAA title.

[dwaderoy2004]

Marquette
Georgetown
Villanova
St John's
Seton Hall
DePaul
Providence

Xavier
VCU
Butler

Gonzaga
Creighton

As mentioned, the C7 are a must. We lose the automatic bid without Seton Hall (or DePaul, Providence, etc). The next three names add quality and make the conference more about basketball than theology by adding non-Catholic Butler and public VCU. I really want Gonzaga. Probably more than anyone other than Xavier. Even if they are basketball-only. If we went to 14, I'd probably say St Louis and BYU.

This.  100% agree with everything.  I'll barf if we add SLU to this league before creighton, gonzaga, vcu, st. marys, even dayton.

[Marcus92]

I think 10 teams is ideal. That allows an 18-game home-and-away conference schedule, with every team playing all the others twice a year — a balanced approach that should help build strong rivalries. (Not a fan of the Big East's recent approach to scheduling. Don't think the Duke-UNC rivalry would be what it is without playing twice a year.)

My Top 10:
Butler
DePaul
Georgetown
Marquette
Providence
Seton Hall
St. John's
VCU
Villanova
Xavier

Xavier and Butler are locks. The third addition is a toss-up for me between St. Louis, VCU and Creighton.

VCU gets the nod for a few reasons, primarily recent success and geography. While the Rams don't have the same long-standing tradition as many of the C7 schools, they've made the NCAA tourney 11 times — including 5 appearances since 2004 and a Final Four. That's roughly in line with Butler's resume. VCU's home in Richmond also gives the new conference access to the Southeast for recruiting. Both those factors are more important to me than the larger market size of St. Louis.