A little birdie heard....

[ChicosBailBonds]

I guess you likes to drink Man Milk. Likes to drink Man Milk. Wadda cafone.

No, I just figure I'll hook him up to a bottler and I'll sell it at half the going rate.  High volume, low margin dealer...as long as Sultan is willing to piss constantly in those bottles for me. 

[Tums Festival]

There have been reports in the media stating Gonzaga has reached out to the C7. Why would they show interest if the travel logistics were unworkable? For 3M per year they can figure out a way to make it work. As has been stated many times on this board, adding Gonzaga would raise the conference's overall RPI more than any other school.

http://www.slipperstillfits.com/2012/12/12/3758586/report-gonzaga-would-love-to-part-ways-with-the-wcc

[GGGG]

How do you explain BYU then?

Easy.  BYU parks its non-football sports in a conference that doesn't sponsor football.  Gonzaga would be taking basketball out of a conference where it is the primary revenue producer.  Why would the WCC allow that?  Other WCC schools would lose money if Gonzaga takes out their basketball program.

The ND case with the ACC is different because they still get basketball and they make football scheduling arrangements.

[Avenue Commons]

There have been reports in the media stating Gonzaga has reached out to the C7. Why would they show interest if the travel logistics were unworkable? For 3M per year they can figure out a way to make it work. As has been stated many times on this board, adding Gonzaga would raise the conference's overall RPI more than any other school.

http://www.slipperstillfits.com/2012/12/12/3758586/report-gonzaga-would-love-to-part-ways-with-the-wcc

That article proposes this conference. How is DePaul in the "East", but Marquette in the "West."

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

West:
Gonzaga
BYU
Creighton
St. Mary's
Butler
Marquette
St. Louis


This is why, although it is feasible for basketball and has some appeal, this would be really hard to do for non-revenue sports.

[slack00]

That article proposes this conference. How is DePaul in the "East", but Marquette in the "West."
East:
Villanova
Providence
Georgetown
St. John's
Seton Hall
Xavier
Depaul

West:
Gonzaga
BYU
Creighton
St. Mary's
Butler
Marquette
St. Louis


This is why, although it is feasible for basketball and has some appeal, this would be really hard to do for non-revenue sports.

How is DePaul in the East and Butler in the West?

[ChicosBailBonds]

That article proposes this conference. How is DePaul in the "East", but Marquette in the "West."

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

West:
Gonzaga
BYU
Creighton
St. Mary's
Butler
Marquette
St. Louis


This is why, although it is feasible for basketball and has some appeal, this would be really hard to do for non-revenue sports.

The same way the Cowboys are in the NFC East, the Indianapolis Colts are in the South Division, Houston Astros in the AL West.   At some point you have to balance divisions by numbers and that can mean teams are geographically not proper.

[We R Final Four]

Butler in the East. Depaul in the west.  Geographically proper.

[Avenue Commons]

The same way the Cowboys are in the NFC East, the Indianapolis Colts are in the South Division, Houston Astros in the AL West.   At some point you have to balance divisions by numbers and that can mean teams are geographically not proper.

Comparing NFL football budgets to, say, women's cross country is not an apt comparison.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Comparing NFL football budgets to, say, women's cross country is not an apt comparison.

???

[Lennys Tap]

???

I think he saying that extra travelling costs don't matter in the NFL but might (given that they produce no revenue) for the average D1 woman's lacrosse team.

[keefe]

That article proposes this conference. How is DePaul in the "East", but Marquette in the "West."

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

West:
Gonzaga
BYU
Creighton
St. Mary's
Butler
Marquette
St. Louis


This is why, although it is feasible for basketball and has some appeal, this would be really hard to do for non-revenue sports.

Swap out DePaul and Marquette and this is a winner. Let's do it!

[BallBoy]

Swap out DePaul and Marquette and this is a winner. Let's do it!

I think that creates an imbalance in the divisions.  

Top Six Teams
Nova
Georgetown
Butler
Xavier
MU
Gonz

If you switch MU and Depaul than you have 4 of these guys in the East and only 2 in the West.

If you include look at the top 8, I still think it is imbalanced as BYU and Creighton aren't consistently on the same level as the other 6 so MU in the west adds some firepower to that division.

Villanova
Georgetown
Xavier
Marquette
Gonzaga
BYU
Creighton
Butler

I don't think divisions with 14 teams makes sense nor do they make sense for college basketball.  That works for football because there are fewer games and a conference championship to be played by the winners. It doesn't make sense for basketball because there are more allowed conference games and a conference tournament.  How do you seed for the conference tournament accurately when not all teams play or have even play each other? Keep it simple and say everyone plays each other at least once and certain teams have mirror games just like the previous Big East did.

I can't think of a conference that actually divides their teams into a division.  The Big Ten (with 12 teams) doesn't divide them up so why should this conference.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/standings

[Nukem2]

Yep, divisions make no sense for BB.  Just use the mirror approach.

[slingkong]

We aren't going to have the super-power schools we're used to seeing. But we'll have a good basketball league of teams dedicated to success. And as long as they are committed, we'll all be just fine.

Re. SLU, that is the problem.  As long as Biondi is there, they will never be committed to having a winning bball program, last year notwithstanding.  A helluva coach can overcome an idiot like Biondi but there are very few coaches with that ability.

[Galway Eagle]

Re. SLU, that is the problem.  As long as Biondi is there, they will never be committed to having a winning bball program, last year notwithstanding.  A helluva coach can overcome an idiot like Biondi but there are very few coaches with that ability.

What's wrong with Biondi?  does he hate bball?

[🏀]

What's wrong with Biondi?  does he hate bball?

From what I've read on message boards, Biondi is more interested in outside deals that the current state of SLU. There's a bit of revolt going on in STL.

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=35084.0

[The Equalizer]

There have been reports in the media stating Gonzaga has reached out to the C7. Why would they show interest if the travel logistics were unworkable? For 3M per year they can figure out a way to make it work. As has been stated many times on this board, adding Gonzaga would raise the conference's overall RPI more than any other school.

Simple.  The time change plays to their advantage. Gonzaga wants more national attention--flying east to play their road games gives it to them, because every road game is in prime time.  

Think about it . . .a 7PM weeknight start (whether in Spokane or elsewhere in the WCC) is already 10PM in the east--and the games will end after midnight.  If they travel east for 50% of their games, worst case is Milwaukee or Chicago, where a 7:00 PM start still finishes by 10:00 PM in the east---and every road game becomes potentially prime-time friendly.

Yes, they could choose a media-friendly 5:00 local start--but the networks have more than enough inventory of east coast prime-time games already. They're not likely to sign a deal with the WCC if it meant bumping the Big East, ACC, or SEC out of prime time.

Say what you want about Dayton or SLU--at least road games there will make the 10PM news in DC, Philly, NYC or Milwaukee.  

[Galway Eagle]

From what I've read on message boards, Biondi is more interested in outside deals that the current state of SLU. There's a bit of revolt going on in STL.

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=35084.0

Very interesting stuff there.  Hope they get their affairs together. 

[Zephyr820]

This all better happen fast because there's something out there that's just too dangerous.

Given the expiring television deal and no where to turn to, I'm pretty sure that if Xavier, Butler, and Creighton (or whomever) started acting as one, they'd be in a position of power vs the 7.  Simply, we need them more than the other way around.  It's my hope at least XU and BU are invited right away in January to get them on this side of the table.

That's a very real and very dangerous risk.  Luckily they don't seem to have realized their position yet

[Mufflers]

I want no part of any additions that prevent us from playing mirror games with Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's and Xavier every year.

[radome]

I want no part of any additions that prevent us from playing mirror games with Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's and Xavier every year.

Well said. Keep it small enough for rivalries.

[GGGG]

This all better happen fast because there's something out there that's just too dangerous.

Given the expiring television deal and no where to turn to, I'm pretty sure that if Xavier, Butler, and Creighton (or whomever) started acting as one, they'd be in a position of power vs the 7.  Simply, we need them more than the other way around.  It's my hope at least XU and BU are invited right away in January to get them on this side of the table.

What does this mean?  How are they more powerful if they acted as one?  What exactly would they do with that supposed power?

The fact is that the C7 is going to get a better television deal than any of those schools you mention.  If they decided to join, it would be even more lucrative, but if they don't there will be others that add value.

[GGGG]

I want no part of any additions that prevent us from playing mirror games with Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's and Xavier every year.

Don't count on it.