CBS and ESPN: C7 may stop at nine schools

[Pakuni]

Xavier and Butler only. I could live with this.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/21787349/catholic-7-looking-at-nine-schools-might-stop-there

The Catholic 7 may only expand to nine schools.

According to multiple sources, the seven teams leaving the Big East -- Georgetown, Marquette, Villanova, Seton Hall, St. John's, DePaul and Providence -- may only add Xavier and Butler in the immediate future. There has been speculation the league would expand to 12 teams, but it now appears that it will be a nine- or 10-team league. Sources revealed there is a lack of consensus among the above schools on who the 10th member should be.

Creighton, Saint Louis, Dayton, Richmond and VCU were all under consideration if the league opted to expand to 10 or 12 teams.

"Nine teams would be ideal in the sense that each team would be able to play every team twice in the league," one source said.

ESPN story:
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9000502/catholic-7-schools-keep-big-east-name-new-league-next-season-according-sources

The Big East's departing Catholic 7 schools are expected to start their own league next season and will keep the Big East Conference name, sources told ESPN's Brett McMurphy, Andy Katz and Dana O'Neil.

Joining the Catholic 7 schools -- DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Villanova -- in the new "Big East" this fall will be Xavier and Butler, sources said.

[Aughnanure]

No way. I would think Fox would want at least an 18-game schedule, so 10 teams allows for 9 home and 9 away games. Do any leagues play 16 game schedules anymore?

[Pakuni]

No way. I would think Fox would want at least an 18-game schedule, so 10 teams allows for 9 home and 9 away games. Do any leagues play 16 game schedules anymore?

Perhaps Fox is willing to trade some conference matchups involving the likes of Dayton or St. Louis for more appealing non-conference games, maybe Georgetown-UConn, Marquette-Gonzaga, Xavier-Cincy, Butler-Memphis, etc.
Fewer conference games gives these programs flexibility to schedule more quality OOC matchups without losing the necessary buy games.

[tominsalem]

Perhaps Fox is willing to trade some conference matchups involving the likes of Dayton or St. Louis for more appealing non-conference games, maybe Georgetown-UConn, Marquette-Gonzaga, Xavier-Cincy, Butler-Memphis, etc.
Fewer conference games gives these programs flexibility to schedule more quality OOC matchups without losing the necessary buy games.

STJ has already scheduled Syracuse for the next 2 years.

[Eldon]

How many teams does a league need for an auto bid to the tourney?  For some reason I thought it was 10

[wadesworld]

How many teams does a league need for an auto bid to the tourney?  For some reason I thought it was 10

1) Every conference gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

2) It won't matter whether the C7 gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament or not, because they will be sending multiple at large teams to the NCAA Tournament every year.

[Pakuni]

2) It won't matter whether the C7 gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament or not, because they will be sending multiple at large teams to the NCAA Tournament every year.

Oh, it matters. The lack of an automatic bid won't keep the conference from being a multi-bid league, but it certainly makes the conference tourney more interesting, at least for bubble teams and teams who only would get in that way.

[wadesworld]

Oh, it matters. The lack of an automatic bid won't keep the conference from being a multi-bid league, but it certainly makes the conference tourney more interesting, at least for bubble teams and teams who only would get in that way.

How often do teams that wouldn't get into the NCAA Tournament from the top 6 conferences (I would consider the C7 at least on par with the bottom of those conferences in every year) win their conference tournament and take over an automatic bid?  Very, very rarely.

[Pakuni]

How often do teams that wouldn't get into the NCAA Tournament from the top 6 conferences (I would consider the C7 at least on par with the bottom of those conferences in every year) win their conference tournament and take over an automatic bid?  Very, very rarely.

I don't care to examine a decade worth of automatic bids to find out, because you're missing the point.
The automatic bid gives all conference teams (and their fans) reason to care. It's also an essential element of the whole March Madness hoopla, the idea that anyone can get into the tourney. Take away the bid, and 3-4 teams in the conference (and their fan base) have no reason to care or watch.

[Litehouse]

I would love this, and have been advocating it on these boards.  I think 9 is better, for at least for the first few years.

[setyoursightsnorth]

It'll be up to 10 teams next year. Seven, plus X and butler. If ND can't get to the acc next year, they'll hang around with the c-7.  Then bring in creighton and SLU after that and we're good

[Groin_pull]

It'll be up to 10 teams next year. Seven, plus X and butler. If ND can't get to the acc next year, they'll hang around with the c-7

No thanks. We don't need to serve as a one-year home for ND. Best of luck to them...somehow I think they'll land on their feet.

[DCWarriors04]

Why 13 schools...if that's the case leave Dayton behind and stick with 12

[brewcity77]

ESPN just reported that we will have a 9-team league in 2013-14 then will add Creighton, Dayton, and St. Louis in 2014.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Its one of things where I dont care. I just want to leave.

[MUMountin]

How many teams does a league need for an auto bid to the tourney?  For some reason I thought it was 10

6.

I don't think this is a bad move, so long as it doesn't affect the per-school $ from Fox.  Keeps the basketball product really strong, with I'd guess up to 7 of 9 teams that could be bubble teams or locks next year (all but DePaul and SH).  If 5-6 of those can actually make it, those are pretty good odds.

And, I like the idea of flexibility to schedule a few more tough non-conference games.

[brewcity77]

6.

I don't think this is a bad move, so long as it doesn't affect the per-school $ from Fox.  Keeps the basketball product really strong, with I'd guess up to 7 of 9 teams that could be bubble teams or locks next year (all but DePaul and SH).  If 5-6 of those can actually make it, those are pretty good odds.

And, I like the idea of flexibility to schedule a few more tough non-conference games.

I don't think it can be 6. Has to be at least 7 because the requirement is 7 teams that have been in a league together for 5 years. That's exactly why Marquette and DePaul were added to the Big East in 2005, with the idea of the football schools and basketball schools eventually going their separate ways.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

I don't think it can be 6. Has to be at least 7 because the requirement is 7 teams that have been in a league together for 5 years. That's exactly why Marquette and DePaul were added to the Big East in 2005, with the idea of the football schools and basketball schools eventually going their separate ways.

Didn't they drop the requirement to 6 for the WAC's sake a couple years ago?

[Warriors10]

ESPN just reported that we will have a 9-team league in 2013-14 then will add Creighton, Dayton, and St. Louis in 2014.

I don't know if this is a typo in the ESPN article but the final paragraph says:

While Butler, Xavier and a team yet to be determined are expected to join the new Big East this fall, the Catholic 7 schools are also expected to add Creighton, Dayton and St. Louis in 2014 for a 13-team league.

Let the theories begin...

Spot open for Gonzaga

[muguru]

I don't know if this is a typo in the ESPN article but the final paragraph says:
Let the theories begin...

Spot open for Gonzaga

It will be one of SLU, Creighton or Richmond most likely. Also could be VCU or Dayton, though it seems there isn't a ton of support for Dayton.

[chapman]

If Notre Dame gets a free year with the C7east, it better have strings.  Little or no television revenue, or future year scheduling obligations.

And please don't bother going to 13 teams.  Going from 12-13 teams is a 8.3% growth, and adds 8.3% of additional regular season games...does that really increase the per school share of revenue when that 13th team is as lame as Dayton?  It certainly doesn't increase the basketball product; we already have too many teams that never make the tournament in the C7.

[Groin_pull]

Screw ND. Let them park their team somewhere else for one year.

Having said that, I'd love to see a long-term home-and-home series with them.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

It will be one of SLU, Creighton or Richmond most likely. Also could be VCU or Dayton, though it seems there isn't a ton of support for Dayton.

It seems to me that all of today's articles have been mentioning Dayton, with silence regarding schools like Richmond and VCU.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'm hearing it will be 10 and that person is at FOX Sports who told me. 

[Pakuni]

I'm hearing it will be 10 and that person is at FOX Sports who told me. 

ESPN concurs.
Now reporting that Creighton will be the 10th member this fall, with Dayton and St. Louis possibly joining in 2014.