We shouldn't give up on Gonzaga

[Coleman]

The Zags are an elite program. We need them. We are already bringing questionable teams like DePaul and Seton Hall we can't expect Daytons and Richmonds to bring us up to where we need to be. If people from those schools read this, don't misunderstand me, your schools could compete with most of our conference and wouldn't bring us down, but that's not enough. We need to bring in a school that lifts everyone else up, that is BETTER than most of our conference.

The Zags are a unique opportunity to do that. Here's my proposal, which I mentioned on another thread: because of their distance, give them an extra $1,000,000 a year as a compensation for travel from the TV deal. No one will miss it, we're going to get a huge increase from our current deal and it can be split 11 ways. We are talking less than $100,000 per year per team given up. How would the Zags be able to say no to that (~$4 mil a year), compared to what they are currently getting in the WCC?

[tower912]

What about the compensation for MU's travels to Spokane?   What about 10 PM EST starts?

[Coleman]

What about the compensation for MU's travels to Spokane?   What about 10 PM EST starts?

We'd have 1 of those a year. Worth it.

Would you rather have a 10 pm start against a top 10 team or a 7 pm start against Dayton?

Easy choice.

[tower912]

MU is lobbying for Creighton and can't get the east coast teams to buy in because Creighton is too far west.   If this is true, Gonzaga to  the new conference is DOA.   And BTW, I am a Dayton fan.   Sister and B-I-L went there and I have fond memories of there, along with MU's history with Dayton in the 60's, 70's and 80's.   So give me the 7 PM start in Dayton.

[Windyplayer]

What about 10 PM EST starts?

This is comical.

[Coleman]

And BTW, I am a Dayton fan.   Sister and B-I-L went there and I have fond memories of there, along with MU's history with Dayton in the 60's, 70's and 80's.   So give me the 7 PM start in Dayton.

That's nice and everything. But the selection committee isn't going to consider that.

[NersEllenson]

What about the compensation for MU's travels to Spokane?   What about 10 PM EST starts?

My feeling was you have 2 divisions with 6 teams.  Gonzaga goes in West Division with MU.  You play each team in your division 2 times (totals 10 games), then you play 4 games outside your division Home, and 4 away.  Limits travel.  Those 4 Away games for the Eastern teams at Gonzaga - you aim to play on the weekends - no arena scheduling conflicts for the Zags...so they could host Saturday or Sunday games at any time they want...

Regarding travel - it's really only 1 trip per year to Spokane for MU's teams - not all that different than going to a South Florida currently.

To me it is very doable, and the value the Zags bring in basketball...for a basketball-centric league....it's a no brainer.  You figure it out and get it done.

[jsglow]

I really believe you guys are dreaming.

[79Warrior]

I really believe you guys are dreaming.

This.

[Tugg Speedman]

We'd have 1 of those a year. Worth it.

Would you rather have a 10 pm start against a top 10 team or a 7 pm start against Dayton?

Easy choice.

It is 6 hours to Spokane to NYC/Philly/Providence.  That a long flight but at least the basketball team flies private and in directly.  

To send the soccer team (which number 30 to 40 people when players, coaches, trainers and others are considered) one-way to Spokane on a charter is more than 50k.  100k round trip.  I doubt the school spends this much on the entire program (not including scholarships).

Non-revenue sports take a bus to Chicago Midway and fly Southwest or some other discount airline to Spokane.  It long, hard, luggage gets lost, flights get delay, you know the drill.  IT affects their performance on the field.

The ONLY way this could even be a discussion is if Gonzaga's non-revenue sports stay in the WCC and basketball is the only sport in the C7.  The WCC will never go for that.

Similarly I'll bet the push back against Creighton is not basketball.  It's St. Johns, PC and Seton Hall thinking about the money, time and hassle involved in sending non-revenue sports to Omaha.

[Tugg Speedman]

My feeling was you have 2 divisions with 6 teams.  Gonzaga goes in West Division with MU.  You play each team in your division 2 times (totals 10 games), then you play 4 games outside your division Home, and 4 away.  Limits travel.  Those 4 Away games for the Eastern teams at Gonzaga - you aim to play on the weekends - no arena scheduling conflicts for the Zags...so they could host Saturday or Sunday games at any time they want...

Regarding travel - it's really only 1 trip per year to Spokane for MU's teams - not all that different than going to a South Florida currently.

To me it is very doable, and the value the Zags bring in basketball...for a basketball-centric league....it's a no brainer.  You figure it out and get it done.

Great, we play Gonzaga, Creighton (which will not be this good every year) St. Louis, Depaul and Butler from the west twice.  We only play the eastern teams once.

MID-MAJOR!!  Let's just joint the A-10.

[Benny B]

What about the compensation for MU's travels to Spokane?   What about 10 PM EST starts?

Personally, I think the marginal travel time & cost of going to Spokane vs. Providence is being over-hyped.  It will suck for Providence to have to go x-country, but perhaps that's reason to go to 14 teams and have two divisions so the eastern seaboard teams don't have to go to Gonzaga (and vice versa) every single year.

And as far as start times, stipulate no weeknight games in Spokane start later than 6:00p PT, and make all efforts to schedule eastern teams on the weekends.

I'm sure Gonzaga wants in the C7 so I think there would be some leverage the C7 has in negotiating terms of their membership.  They don't need to rake the Zags over the coals, but at least try to make things reasonably convenient for the 13 teams that aren't on the west coast.

MU is lobbying for Creighton and can't get the east coast teams to buy in because Creighton is too far west.   If this is true, Gonzaga to  the new conference is DOA.

Agreed.  But then again, it might not be entirely true.  Perhaps MU and a couple others are indeed lobbying for Creighton, but are also lobbying for 12 teams and Gonzaga, too - while the easties agree on Creighton but are lobbying for only 10 teams, perhaps they're amenable to 12 teams on the condition that Richmond is also included.  It may not be a mutually exclusive proposition for Creighton and Richmond... and Gonzaga may still be in the mix.  Who knows?


Frankly, speculating and handicapping the Invite 3/5/7 is more fun than filling out tourney brackets.

[Benny B]

Great, we play Gonzaga, Creighton (which will not be this good every year) St. Louis, Depaul and Dayton from the west twice.  We only play the eastern teams once.

MID-MAJOR!!  Let's just joint the A-10.

If you're going to assume that Creighton won't always be this good, you also have to assume that DePaul and Dayton may not always be this bad.

[Tugg Speedman]

If you're going to assume that Creighton won't always be this good, you also have to assume that DePaul and Dayton may not always be this bad.

We will be lost to the eastern media in this division.  MID-MAJOR!

[Coleman]

Great, we play Gonzaga, Creighton (which will not be this good every year) St. Louis, Depaul and Butler from the west twice.  We only play the eastern teams once.

MID-MAJOR!!  Let's just joint the A-10.

#3 in the country (zags), #15 in the country (Butler), #17 in the country (us) #26 in the country (SLU), oh yeah, and another unranked team that will make the tournament (Creighton) IN ONE DIVISION

In what world is that mid-major? Try again.

[RJax55]

My feeling was you have 2 divisions with 6 teams.  Gonzaga goes in West Division with MU.  You play each team in your division 2 times (totals 10 games), then you play 4 games outside your division Home, and 4 away.  Limits travel.  Those 4 Away games for the Eastern teams at Gonzaga - you aim to play on the weekends - no arena scheduling conflicts for the Zags...so they could host Saturday or Sunday games at any time they want...

Regarding travel - it's really only 1 trip per year to Spokane for MU's teams - not all that different than going to a South Florida currently.

To me it is very doable, and the value the Zags bring in basketball...for a basketball-centric league....it's a no brainer.  You figure it out and get it done.

When Gonzaga is brought up to join the league, it is always referenced from an MU perspective. Question, are the Zags even interested in joining?

If you're MU or another C-7 team, one trip out to Spokane is no big deal. But, for Mark Few and his team, do you really want to play 9 road games that are either semi-across the country or coast-to-coast. I'm not sure, especially since Gonzaga has been able to build and sustain a model of success that frankly is unparalleled for any non-BCS conference school.

[Coleman]

When Gonzaga is brought up to join the league, it is always referenced from an MU perspective. Question, are the Zags even interested in joining?

If you're MU or another C-7 team, one trip out to Spokane is no big deal. But, for Mark Few and his team, do you really want to play 9 road games that are either semi-across the country or coast-to-coast. I'm not sure, especially since Gonzaga has been able to build and sustain a model of success that frankly is unparalleled for any non-BCS conference school.

Read my first post. For $4 million a year, I think they would. Anyone know what their current WCC deal is worth?

[Pakuni]

Great, we play Gonzaga, Creighton (which will not be this good every year) St. Louis, Depaul and Butler from the west twice.  We only play the eastern teams once.

MID-MAJOR!!  Let's just joint the A-10.

While I see your point, I don't see a sked that features two games a year against St. Louis, Creighton and DePaul as any less attractive than one with Providence, Seton Hall and Richmond twice a year. In fact, I'd prefer it.
I'd prefer not to see divisions, but a six-team division of MU, DePaul, Creighton, Gonzaga, Butler and St. Louis isn't all that bad. It wouldn't be significantly better or worse than one with Georgetown, Nova, Seton Hall, Providence, Xavier and Richmond.
MU/Gonzaga are on par with Georgetown and Nova.
Butler/Creighton > Xavier and St. John's.
DePaul/St. Louis equal to Providence and Seton Hall.

[Tugg Speedman]

#3 in the country (zags), #15 in the country (Butler), #17 in the country (us) #26 in the country (SLU), oh yeah, and another unranked team that will make the tournament (Creighton) IN ONE DIVISION

In what world is that mid-major? Try again.

Tell me what their 2015 ranking will be?  Based on their history, worse than this year.

Depaul, Butler and MU will be good ... Creighton will be a marginal NCAA team and Depaul and St. Louis will be NIT teams.  

Again, why is this better than leaving the C7 and joining the A-10?

[Coleman]

While I see your point, I don't see a sked that features two games a year against St. Louis, Creighton and DePaul as any less attractive than one with Providence, Seton Hall and Richmond twice a year. In fact, I'd prefer it.
I'd prefer not to see divisions, but a six-team division of MU, DePaul, Creighton, Gonzaga, Butler and St. Louis isn't all that bad. It wouldn't be significantly better or worse than one with Georgetown, Nova, Seton Hall, Providence, Xavier and Richmond.
MU/Gonzaga are on par with Georgetown and Nova.
Butler/Creighton at least equal to Xavier and Richmond.
DePaul/St. Louis equal to Providence and Seton Hall.

Actually....

Gonzaga > Georgetown
MU > Nova
Butler > Xavier
Creighton > Richmond
St. Louis > Providence
DePaul = Seton Hall

This is better in almost every regard.

[ChicosBailBonds]

And AGAIN, what do you do with Gonzaga's other 16 sports? Are we now going to invite them as well?  Throwing massive dollars down a rat hole.  If you invite them for basketball only, what conference would take Gonzaga's horrible other sports teams and why would they do it?  Finally, why would Gonzaga do this to their team, to their fan base, etc?  Playing half their games at 2 or 3 time zones away.  Massive travel on the student athletes, definitely a hit to their record, etc.

Hell, the way they have it setup right now, they may back into a number 1 seed (as ridiculous as that is) with their current setup. 

[Coleman]

Tell what their 2015 ranking will be?  Based on their history, worse than this year.

Depaul, Butler and MU will be good ... Creighton will be a marginal NCAA team and Depaul and St. Louis will be NIT teams.  

Again, why is this better than leaving the C7 and joining the A-10?

Because we aren't playing Duquesne. Try again dude.

[4everwarriors]

It is 6 hours to Spokane to NYC/Philly/Providence.  That a long flight but at least the basketball team flies private and in directly.  

To send the soccer team (which number 30 to 40 people when players, coaches, trainers and others are considered) one-way to Spokane on a charter is more than 50k.  100k round trip.  I doubt the school spends this much on the entire program (not including scholarships).

Non-revenue sports take a bus to Chicago Midway and fly Southwest or some other discount airline to Spokane.  It long, hard, luggage gets lost, flights get delay, you know the drill.  IT affects their performance on the field.





The ONLY way this could even be a discussion is if Gonzaga's non-revenue sports stay in the WCC and basketball is the only sport in the C7.  The WCC will never go for that.

Similarly I'll bet the push back against Creighton is not basketball.  It's St. Johns, PC and Seton Hall thinking about the money, time and hassle involved in sending non-revenue sports to Omaha.

Milwaukee has joined the 90's. Southwest now flies outta here.

[Tugg Speedman]

Because we aren't playing Duquense. Try again dude.

Now, we play DePaul twice ... same thing

[Coleman]

Now, we play DePaul twice ... same thing

THATS ALREADY HAPPENING. This is why we need Gonzaga.