For those of you eager for U of Dayton bbal to become part of the Big East

[TinyTimsLittleBrother]

The better basketball program is the better fit. Period.

Not to break this down over the definition of "fit," but I disagree with this.

Kentucky and Kansas would be terrible "fits" in this conference. 

[Coleman]

Not to break this down over the definition of "fit," but I disagree with this.

Kentucky and Kansas would be terrible "fits" in this conference.  

And because they have football, I would agree with you. I'm not sure I see the relevence of your point when it comes to Dayton vs. VCU.

My point is that a non-football school with the best basketball program is the best fit. Everything else (public, private, catholic, even geography) is secondary. That's what this conference needs to be about if it wants to compete.

[tower912]

The Flyers probably have around 5 years to get their house in order and make a strong case to be included in the BEast 2.0.    I hope they are able to pull it off.  But, if they haven't made progress by the time the league is ready to expand, it is their own fault and others will be invited. 

[Brewtown Andy]

There is this:  http://www.laxpower.com/laxnews/news.php?story=35878

Dayton adding a new D1 sport, women's lacrosse. 
Since Dayton has been open about wanting an invite to the BE for basketball, rounding out their athletic teams to fit better within the BE can't hurt.  The BE has just 3 women's lax teams, Georgetown, Villanova and Marquette, not enough to get an auto bid for the NCAA tourny, so Dayton might be thinking this move helps just a little bit with their courtship of the BE.

The Big East is going to continue to house the teams from the AAC.

http://www.vuhoops.com/big-east/2013/5/1/4290556/temple-rutgers-join-new-big-east-lacrosse-field-hockey

For next spring, that means an eight team league, for 2015 it'll be a six team league with Rutgers and Louisville leaving the AAC.

Unless the rest of the AAC suddenly starts adding lacrosse, this arrangement will suit everyone involved. And I'm sure that the lacrosse schools in the Big East would prefer that the existing membership add the sport before expansion of the total membership.

[MUBillsTil2017]

The Big East is going to continue to house the teams from the AAC.

http://www.vuhoops.com/big-east/2013/5/1/4290556/temple-rutgers-join-new-big-east-lacrosse-field-hockey

For next spring, that means an eight team league, for 2015 it'll be a six team league with Rutgers and Louisville leaving the AAC.

Unless the rest of the AAC suddenly starts adding lacrosse, this arrangement will suit everyone involved. And I'm sure that the lacrosse schools in the Big East would prefer that the existing membership add the sport before expansion of the total membership.

Right, the AAC joined up with the BE for some of the non-rev sports to enable the sport to remain eligible for the auto qualifier for the NCAA's.  Associate membership seems all the rage now to fill out conferences.   If I'm over at the President's chair at UofD, I'm looking down the road and seeing nothing but upheaval for the mid tier 4 year colleges in terms of enrollment and athletics.  How best to join what looks like a stable, well funded, athletic conference?  Add a sport(s) that is in short supply at the BE, especially if it suits Title IX requirements.    I grew up not far from Dayton and I never knew it was a Catholic school until the BE explosion took place.  I think its problem with the BE isn't so much basketball, its the low desirability of the school and the town for promising high school seniors. 

[Eldon]

I know this has been posted before, but

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ1cwq8-SBQ

You're welcome.

[brewcity77]

Even IF that's true (I disagree with your above premise, I think the league wanted to get the logistically "easy" teams in first to begin play as soon as possible, then deal with the Gonzaga issue after the league was established)...I still provided two teams who are easily a better fit than Dayton.

Gonzaga has been belabored to death on here. Financially, travel-wise, it's just not viable.

Better fits however does not equal simply better basketball if you look at the make-up of the league. Currently all private, mostly Catholic, all with religious roots. Dayton and SLU also fit that mold. Richmond is closer to fitting it than VCU. I could go with Richmond, but VCU, as attractive as they are (and personally, I'd take them over anyone else out there if it were up to me) look like a school that won't be allowed in.

When it comes to the mission of the school, geography, and the athletic programs, St. Louis and Dayton are the two best fits. That doesn't mean they are necessarily my favorite choices, but they are undoubtedly better fits than VCU, Richmond, or anyone on the left coast.

[Coleman]

Gonzaga has been belabored to death on here. Financially, travel-wise, it's just not viable.

Better fits however does not equal simply better basketball if you look at the make-up of the league. Currently all private, mostly Catholic, all with religious roots. Dayton and SLU also fit that mold. Richmond is closer to fitting it than VCU. I could go with Richmond, but VCU, as attractive as they are (and personally, I'd take them over anyone else out there if it were up to me) look like a school that won't be allowed in.

When it comes to the mission of the school, geography, and the athletic programs, St. Louis and Dayton are the two best fits. That doesn't mean they are necessarily my favorite choices, but they are undoubtedly better fits than VCU, Richmond, or anyone on the left coast.

While you may in fact be correct from the perspective of the university presidents making the decisions, my argument is that it shouldn't be like this. It should be about fielding the most competitive basketball (and, secondarily, other sports) conference in the country. And that's it.

People seem to want it both ways. They want to have a huge TV contract and great media exposure, top billing, respect from ESPN, and be known as a power conference, but keep a private, religious, east-coast/midwest school identity that requires inviting the likes of Dayton and Richmond (Hint, that's been done, and it was called the A-10), when MUCH better programs (VCU, Gonzaga, etc.) are out there if you get rid of these nonsense requirements. You can't have both. We won't be getting 6+ bids every year when we have Dayton in our conference. Just remember that when you are complaining in 5 years that the Big East only got 3 bids. Don't miss the forest for the trees.

[tower912]

Yes, it would be nice to have Gonzaga purely from a basketball perspective.    But everything else must be considered.    No way around it.