What's Your Ideal New Conference?

[🏀]

Butler
DePaul
Georgetown
Gonzaga
Marquette
Providence
Seton Hall
St. John's
Villanova
Xavier

Done.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

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.

I'm on the same page as BrewCity.  I prefer to keep it Midwest & Northeast.  First 10 are easy.  11 & 12 gets tough.  If you want known better programs and are OK with wider geography then definitly Creighton & Gonzaga.  If you don't want to stretch that far then sub Dayton & StLU.  Like the BYU idea if their game. 

[Zombie45]

[Sagarin rating in brackets]
The C7 plus [avg 81.06]

Ten Team League
Xavier [84.37]
Dayton [80.03]
Butler [82.15]

Twelve Team League
3 above plus:
Creighton [81.98]
St. Louis [77.90]

If you want to keep the lague all Catholic, I would switch out Butler for Saint Joseph [80.31]
The reason i would select St. Louis over Saint Joseph is that they have a far better facility and they are in a market not covered by any other school.
The Reason i would select Dayton over Creighton is that i think it helps to not spread out the league unnessacarily

[Marcus92]

We've heard LW, JTIII and others say this is about basketball. To me that rules out both Notre Dame and Brigham Young — programs that are built around football.

Seems like a relatively simple (and sound) principle. Ultimately, ND's we'll-join-for-all-sports-except-football stance didn't work out for either the school or the Big East. Stability means you're either in or you're out. There is no in-between. Let the ACC be warned.

[Pakuni]

Butler
DePaul
Georgetown
Gonzaga
Marquette
Providence
Seton Hall
St. John's
Villanova
Xavier

Done.

Like it, but would add Creighton and St. Louis. Two more ldecent-sized markets and more places to host later games. Think TV double-header with first game tipping off at 7 p.m. Eastern followed by a 9 p.m. (Eastern) start in Milwaukee, St. Louis, Omaha, Spokane, etc.

[tower912]

C7 plus Xavier, VCU, Creighton, Butler, and Dayton.   Two divisions.   Home and home within your division, one game against the other division.  

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

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

Agreed. I also agree with Brew. This has to be the list if basketball is #1 priority.

Marquette
Georgetown
Villanova
St John's
Seton Hall
DePaul
Providence

Xavier
VCU
Butler

Gonzaga
Creighton

[🏀]

I swear to God I'll pistol whip the next person that suggests Dayton.

[Pakuni]

I swear to God I'll pistol whip the next person that suggests Dayton.

http://www.udpride.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=3

Can I watch?

[MarqLaw]

Marquette
DePaul
Georgetown
Villanova
Providence
Seton Hall
St Johns

If 10 teams
Butler
Xavier
Gonzaga

If 12 teams
Creighton
SLU

[chapman]

I swear to God I'll pistol whip the next person that suggests Dayton.

Don't want an NIT regular that hasn't made the second weekend of the tournament in 28 years, has annoying fans and a mostly redundant market to Xavier?

From the board they seem pretty tame though...either they have one or two wackos or a rival fan is trolling to make them look bad.

[tower912]

Dayton.

[Litehouse]

Keep it at 9 teams for now, C7 + Xavier and Butler.  16 game home-and-home schedule gives everyone more flexibility to schedule 2 more home-and-home's each year against teams from other conferences.  At least at the beginning, it will be critical to show we're one of the top leagues, and having more opportunities to beat other "BCS" league teams will help demonstrate that.  We'll have a better chance to raise our RPI and get "signature wins" by playing more tough out of conference games.

Plus, I don't want to be stuck in the Western division and lose annual games against Georgetown, Villanova and St. Johns.

[The Equalizer]

I swear to God I'll pistol whip the next person that suggests Dayton.

Can someone explain the rational reason for this animosity toward Dayton?

Not every team in the league can be a top-half contender.  If no other reason, we need someone that gives DePaul a fighting chance at not being the "DePaul" of the new league.  

[Marcus92]

I swear to God I'll pistol whip the next person that suggests Dayton.

Couldn't agree more.

I'd be okay with Dayton if basketball tradition were the only factor. The Flyers have more NCAA appearances (including reaching the 1967 title game) than either St. Louis or VCU.

What absolutely knocks them out of the running for me is proximity to Xavier. Dayton is within 60 miles of Cincinnati and it's the #62 ranked media market in the country. So it doesn't expand our reach for either TV viewers or recruiting. St. Louis, VCU or Creighton would bring far more to the table.

Somewhere down the road, the new conference might want to have two schools from essentially the same market. There's room in the ACC for Duke and UNC. But I just don't see how Dayton is one of the 3 (or even 5) best candidates for entry right now.

[AirPunches]

Why all the Dayton love? I'm not sure if the voting is done by majority or it has to be unanimous when adding teams to the new conference, but if the powers at MU votes for them to be in the conference I would be disappointed and would lose some respect for them. If it's majority, there isn't much MU can do.

Dayton is a mid major, has a whiny fan base, and has been sub-par for a long time now. We can get a little more creative than Dayton, come on now. Maybe as a last resort or something but there's no rush to grab them now.

Also, that's ridiculous to think that Xavier and Dayton are a package deal. If Xavier says we'll join but only if Dayton comes, then the C7 should say thanks, but no thanks. They have a lot of options and Dayton shouldn't be one of them.

[avid1010]

Butler Creighton
DePaul
Georgetown
Gonzaga
Marquette
Providence
Seton Hall
St. John's
Villanova
Xavier

Done.

[Pakuni]

Avid ... Creighton but not Butler?
For the love of all that is holy, why?
I like Creighton as team 10 or 11, but never ahead of Butler.

[dwaderoy2004]

No saint Louis.  No Dayton.  If those are the schools we have to admit to a 12 team league, this league isn't going to be so hot.

[avid1010]

Avid ... Creighton but not Butler?
For the love of all that is holy, why?
I like Creighton as team 10 or 11, but never ahead of Butler.

i don't like butler's future without stevens...if someone in the know has strong knowledge that stevens is staying put until coach k. retires, or something along those lines, i think butler could get their feet under themselves in a new league.  i'm not sure about butler's facilities...i know creighton draws really well.  i just worry that butler has a hard of being relevant once stevens leaves.  the other schools have been successful under multiple coaches.  

[westcoastwarrior]

Why BYU....they have a football program?

[Chili]

i don't like butler's future without stevens...if someone in the know has strong knowledge that stevens is staying put until coach k. retires, or something along those lines, i think butler could get their feet under themselves in a new league.  i'm not sure about butler's facilities...i know creighton draws really well.  i just worry that butler has a hard of being relevant once stevens leaves.  the other schools have been successful under multiple coaches.  

butler was relevant before brad steven's. they play in hinkle field house - the arena from hoosiers. i was speaking with some butler alums (former athletes) last night and they were filling me on their plans on them currently raising $7M for renovations to their athletic practice facilities. stevens has a nice payday at butler and i don't see him moving until k leaves. also, indiana is a recruiting hotbed for talent.

[tower912]

i don't like butler's future without stevens...if someone in the know has strong knowledge that stevens is staying put until coach k. retires, or something along those lines, i think butler could get their feet under themselves in a new league.  i'm not sure about butler's facilities...i know creighton draws really well.  i just worry that butler has a hard of being relevant once stevens leaves.  the other schools have been successful under multiple coaches.  

I have to reject this argument.    What is the future at MU if Buzz leaves?    When McDermott graduates from Creighton?   If Wright leaves Villanova?   If Shaka leaves VCU?   What has St Louis ever done without Shoonhour or Majerus?    Other than the fact they have been part of the BEast forever, why do we actually want Providence, St Johns, and Seton Hall?    And if you are going to make that argument about Butler, then you must WANT Dayton, as they have a long history of being decent.    

The tie that binds this new conference going forward is a commitment to being the best basketball-only conference in the country, much like the original vision for the Big East.      There are 'what-ifs' everywhere.   Who knows, upgrading the conference affilitation may KEEP Brad at Butler and Shaka at VCU.  

[🏀]

Dayton.

[🏀]

Can someone explain the rational reason for this animosity toward Dayton?

Not every team in the league can be a top-half contender.  If no other reason, we need someone that gives DePaul a fighting chance at not being the "DePaul" of the new league.