C7 Announcement Rumor

[Dawson Rental]

They've been committed to basketball for a long time, have a rabid fan base (albeit an annoying and insecure one) and fill a 12,000+ seat arena. VCU is large, public and has a 6,000ish seat arena. There was that spreadsheet from the GTown board that showed Dayton in the top 3 of the C7+candidates for investment in basketball - behind only us I believe. Their investment just hasn't turned into great success on the court yet.  

I actually prefer Richmond and their $2 billion endowment over VCU anyways.

How does a school's endowment help its athletic league?  Do you see it providing a big on campus arena?

[Aughnanure]

Jesuit Division vs Non-Jesuit Division?

I have Georgetown, Marquette, Creighton, St. Louis, and Xavier. That's five. So close.


Gonzaga, San Francisco, LMU, St. Joe's, Holy Cross, Fordham, Detroit and Santa Clara are still out there though...

[Aughnanure]

How does a school's endowment help its athletic league?  Do you see it providing a big on campus arena?

Well they already have a 9,000+ seat arena. But yes, it proves they have the financial capability to invest highly in their athletics.

[warriorchick]

Maybe we can convert them?  It's just like inviting a friend to church.

For what it's worth,  Butler is pretty Catholic in terms of its student population.  Per the VP of Student Affairs (an MU grad himself), more students self-identify as Catholic than any other faith, and I believe that is even if you lump the Protestants together.

[Aughnanure]

For what it's worth,  Butler is pretty Catholic in terms of its student population.  Per the VP of Student Affairs (an MU grad himself), more students self-identify as Catholic than any other faith, and I believe that is even if you lump the Protestants together.

Butler (and Richmond) were actually founded as Christian. Butler by the Disciples of Christ church and Richmond by Virginia Baptists.

[MU Buff]

I quick went through kenpom ratings and figured out where this conference would rank every year since 2003:

03 - 4th, ahead of Big East, Big Ten, Pac 10
04 - 6th, ahead of Pac 10
05 - 7th
06 - 7th
07 - 4th, ahead of Pac 10, Big East, Big 12
08 - 7th
09 - 7th
10 - 6th, ahead of Pac 10
11 - 8th, behind Mountain West
12 - 5th, ahead of ACC, Pac 12
13 - 7th, ahead of SEC, behind Mountain West

[MerrittsMustache]

I quick went through kenpom ratings and figured out where this conference would rank every year since 2003:

03 - 4th, ahead of Big East, Big Ten, Pac 10
04 - 6th, ahead of Pac 10
05 - 7th
06 - 7th
07 - 4th, ahead of Pac 10, Big East, Big 12
08 - 7th
09 - 7th
10 - 6th, ahead of Pac 10
11 - 8th, behind Mountain West
12 - 5th, ahead of ACC, Pac 12
13 - 7th, ahead of SEC, behind Mountain West

Interesting. Although, not apples to apples considering these teams wouldn't have played each other (for better or worse) and their SOS's would be different.

[Aughnanure]

I quick went through kenpom ratings and figured out where this conference would rank every year since 2003:

03 - 4th, ahead of Big East, Big Ten, Pac 10
04 - 6th, ahead of Pac 10
05 - 7th
06 - 7th
07 - 4th, ahead of Pac 10, Big East, Big 12
08 - 7th
09 - 7th
10 - 6th, ahead of Pac 10
11 - 8th, behind Mountain West
12 - 5th, ahead of ACC, Pac 12
13 - 7th, ahead of SEC, behind Mountain West

That's respectable, but did you remove the C7 members from the Big East?

[Dawson Rental]

I have Georgetown, Marquette, Creighton, St. Louis, and Xavier. That's five. So close.


Gonzaga, San Francisco, LMU, St. Joe's, Holy Cross, Fordham, Detroit and Santa Clara are still out there though...

There's still time to change the invites to include only Xavier and Loyola's, then if you go to three divisions, you could have the all Loyola division. (Loyola Marymount, Loyola of New Orleans, Loyola of Chicago, and Loyola Baltimore.

[MU Buff]

That's respectable, but did you remove the C7 members from the Big East?

No, I didn't want to spend that much time on it.

[Dawson Rental]

That's respectable, but did you remove the C7 members from the Big East?

Don't you understand?  He doesn't care.

[MU Buff]

Interesting. Although, not apples to apples considering these teams wouldn't have played each other (for better or worse) and their SOS's would be different.

True, I just wanted to do a quick run through.  I also didn't factor in taking teams away from the Big East, just concentrated on the new conference.

[Aughnanure]

No, I didn't want to spend that much time on it.

Thanks. Was just making sure. Gives a decent idea of what this set-up would be.

[GOO]

Well, I guess there goes hope for VCU and Gonzaga, if these reports are true.  I'd love to see Gonzaga at the BC rather than Dayton.  That would look a whole lot better, in my opinion than SLU and Dayton on the schedule (sorry, to SLU and Dayton, not trying to disrespect you guys, just going by perception... I know Dayton has had a lot of success). 

Maybe if we go to 14 down the line, we can look at VCU or Gonzaga or some team who drops football but has great basketball.  Maybe we now schedule Gonzaga once in a while. 

[Litehouse]

I just hope we're not stuck in the "West Division" with only 1 game against Georgetown, Nova and St. Johns every year.

[GOO]

I just hope we're not stuck in the "West Division" with only 1 game against Georgetown, Nova and St. Johns every year.

Ugghhh, there better not be divisions or our attendance just went way down!

[Benny B]

Does this mean that progression on an "amicable divorce" is moving forward pretty quickly?

More importantly, once the divorce is final, do we need to seek an annulment from the Vatican, or is the Pope on board with Butler?

[muwarrior69]

Take it and run.   Good geographic footprint.   Like minded schools.   Every game nationally televised?    Grab it.   Learn how to be gracious to Dayton fans. 

Agree, if true. Tired of ESPN anyway. Would be nice to have a network promote the league rather than back handedly destroy it. Perhaps Gonzaga and Portland could join if the league wanted a national footprint. I know Portland is not great, but are they any worse than Depaul or Dayton right now.

[Aughnanure]

Agree, if true. Tired of ESPN anyway. Would be nice to have a network promote the league rather than back handedly destroy it. Perhaps Gonzaga and Portland could join if the league wanted a national footprint. I know Portland is not great, but are they any worse than Depaul or Dayton right now.

LMU or San Fran if we need another team out west to go w/ Zags (if not BYU).

[🏀]

They immediately have to use the money to find a better placement of their TV camera.

Ink that crap into their contract.

Also, every arena is going to have to be retrofitted with spitoons for all the traveling Dayton fans.

[Coleman]

Well they already have a 9,000+ seat arena. But yes, it proves they have the financial capability to invest highly in their athletics.

So we should go after Yale?

[Benny B]

So we should go after Yale?

Meh... Oral Roberts would be a better fit.  With all those Catholics schools, there's bound to be some oral bobs in there somewhere.

[MU86NC]

Save them for when Notre Dame wants in.

Speaking to the best man in my wedding (who unfortunately is a ND grad) before the 1st half ended I told him ND would be lucky to get a invite to the C7!!!

[Aughnanure]

So we should go after Yale?

Does Yale actually want to try at athletics? Because if they do, with the money they have they could compete immediately. This isn't about a flash-in-the-pan success, or the hot sexy name now, or even who has the most success this past decade. It's future success and stability, and billion dollar endowments (along with a better academic reputation and a bigger arena) do matter.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Does Yale actually want to try at athletics? Because if they do, with the money they have they could compete immediately. This isn't about a flash-in-the-pan success, or the hot sexy name now, or even who has the most success this past decade. It's future success and stability, and billion dollar endowments (along with a better academic reputation and a bigger arena) do matter.

Unfortunately Yale has a football team that plays in an 80,000 seat stadium.  I drive by the Yale Bowl twice a day.