Were the Catholic 7 being foolish?

[bilsu]

What do you think?
Butler was a bust, Creighton is one and done and who knows what happens with Xavier. Drop those three and add Uconn, Cincy, SMU and Memphis and  the league looks a lot better to me. We would still have to put up with football and the other teams in AAC, whoever they are, but I think we would be better off going forward. Without expansion the New Big East, now that we are past the first season hype, is going to fall into oblivion.

[thekahoona]

Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I think it was foolish to think this league was going to come out of the gate as a world beater. The league will gel, but it will take a few seasons. I don't think oblivion is the destination.

[dgies9156]

Eventually, I suspect we will merge with the American Athletic Conference. The better teams will join the existing Big East and we'll make peace with the football playing schools. If we pull in a couple of A-10 teams that have great reputations (are you listening Shaka!), we'll end up with an OK football conference -- which is all the American Athletic is now -- and a reinvigorated basketball conference.

Incidentally, we had kind of a down year, but so did the ACC. North Carolina, Duke were both eliminated early. No ACC in the Final Four.

They will rebound and so will we!

[Tugg Speedman]

What do you think?
Butler was a bust, Creighton is one and done and who knows what happens with Xavier. Drop those three and add Uconn, Cincy, SMU and Memphis and  the league looks a lot better to me. We would still have to put up with football and the other teams in AAC, whoever they are, but I think we would be better off going forward. Without expansion the New Big East, now that we are past the first season hype, is going to fall into oblivion.

Stop, we have been through this a 1,000 times ...

The highlighted schools above play football.  They CANNOT, repeat CANNOT repeat CANNOT join a basketball only league.

Basketball is second to football in every way shape and form.  Boeheim did not want to leave the BE but his opinion did not matter because it is football that drives everything.

We are a conference for non-football schools.  So our merger partners are the A10 (which had 6 bids) and/or the Horizon league. 

Now if you want to ask ...

Why didn't we take VCU, Dayton and St. Louis into the BE instead of X, Creighton and Butler, that is a better question.  I think the answer is the three that we took are more committed to basketball bigger picture (budgets and tradition) than the three I mention that had outstanding (1 and done) years.

[bradley center bat]

The AAC also will have East Carolina,  Tulsa, Tulane joining UCF, USF and Houston. Temple will be better.

[Tugg Speedman]

Eventually, I suspect we will merge with the American Athletic Conference. The better teams will join the existing Big East and we'll make peace with the football playing schools. If we pull in a couple of A-10 teams that have great reputations (are you listening Shaka!), we'll end up with an OK football conference -- which is all the American Athletic is now -- and a reinvigorated basketball conference.

Incidentally, we had kind of a down year, but so did the ACC. North Carolina, Duke were both eliminated early. No ACC in the Final Four.

They will rebound and so will we!

No no no no no no no!!!

It is not about "making peace" with football schools.  Those football schools all make more money, and a lot more money than the basketball schools.  Just about all football schools make more money than basketball schools.

Merge with them and its the Big East clusterf**k all over again.  The football schools will look to run the conference, marginalize the basketball schools, throw out basketball schools for more football schools and ruin it like they did the old BE.

Are you guys not paying attention?  Or has Izzo dictum that everything more than three weeks old has been forgotten?

Football runs the world.  It dominates the world.  We only have two choices.  Merge with the best basketball only schools, which we did.  Or become a permanent mid-major.

If the BE becomes a permanent mid-major than that's it.  The only way out would be for you to donate $100 million plus to MU to start a football team.  So unless you're writing a check today, stop with this thinking.

[Tugg Speedman]

The AAC also will have East Carolina,  Tulsa, Tulane joining UCF, USF and Houston. Temple will be better.

All were chosen because of football.  Their basketball programs were an afterthought in the decision.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

The better question is:

So, after another RPI-killing loss to East Carolina, or another half-filled Bradley Center for National Marquette Day vs. Tulane, who here would jump at the idea to partner with the best basketball-only schools and form our own league?

[Tums Festival]

The worst thing to do is give up on the BE after only one season. As has been pointed out numerous times on this board, the BE is second to the ACC in top 100 recruits for 2014 and has six schools in the top 40 class rankings. Sounds like some people are starting to believe Brett's BS about the conference, the same one he could only go .500 in. The BE's long term goal needs to be to thoughtfully expand by adding the best hoops only schools to become the undisputed top hoops conference on the country. Any mixing with football schools will only create chaos.

[NotAnAlum]

No the Catholic 7 were being pragmatic! Conferences are all about Football and Football revenue.  Eventually the top 60 or so football schools will breakoff again in the quest to drive higher and higher revenue and to eliminate the need to share it with schools who are not "worthy" in big time football.  The C-7 were just the first to get the message.  By being the first to get the message they have the chance to build a league that can build a different identity and while it won't be at the level of the coming super conference it will be the next best thing.  Then as all those who's football programs are deemed "not worthy" get marginalized (UCONN being the first example) and their other programs get marginalized along with it, what We've started will at least be viable as a "Winter Content Alternative" for the networks.

[MDMU04]

There was no workable alternative which would have provided any future with stability. Did we learn anything about the standing of basketball only schools in any conference realignment that involves football schools when it happened less than a year ago?

The likeliest scenario for expansion at some point in the future is a merger with the stronger A10 schools under the Big East name. There will never be another affiliation with football playing schools. The interests are too different.

[XavierFan]

Butler a bust? You are making that judgement after one year? If that's the standard, then Marquette and Georgetown are busts, too, because they were supposed to carry the league last year -- and failed.

Xavier, by the way, has a top 20 recruiting class coming in and Creighton has a bigger fan base than just about anyone in the country, save Syracuse ... this league NEEDS the three new entrants. ...

What do you think?
Butler was a bust, Creighton is one and done and who knows what happens with Xavier. Drop those three and add Uconn, Cincy, SMU and Memphis and  the league looks a lot better to me. We would still have to put up with football and the other teams in AAC, whoever they are, but I think we would be better off going forward. Without expansion the New Big East, now that we are past the first season hype, is going to fall into oblivion.

[Litehouse]

Butler a bust? You are making that judgement after one year? If that's the standard, then Marquette and Georgetown are busts, too, because they were supposed to carry the league last year -- and failed.

Yep, thanks Brett

Creighton has a bigger fan base than just about anyone in the country, save Syracuse ...

Let's not get crazy here.  Creighton has nice attendance figures, but their fan base isn't anywhere near the big state schools.

Back on topic... the New Big East is the best situation we could have hoped for.  I'd like to stick with the current 10 teams for the forseeable future.

[XavierFan]

Oh, really? Creighton was SIXTH in the nation in 2013 in attendance -- ahead of "big states schools" like Wisconsin, Ohio State and Arizona -- and they will probably go UP once the 2014 stats are released...

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2013.pdf

Yep, thanks Brett
Let's not get crazy here.  Creighton has nice attendance figures, but their fan base isn't anywhere near the big state schools.

Back on topic... the New Big East is the best situation we could have hoped for.  I'd like to stick with the current 10 teams for the forseeable future.

[radome]

There was no workable alternative

Exactly, the old Big East was great while it lasted but its over. I hate what college football has done to basketball.

[Litehouse]

I said they have great attendance, but attendance alone does not equal fan base.  Feel free to argue away though.  Of all the things for Marquette fans to get riled up about this morning, this isn't one of them.

[ScoopReader]

The Big East will become a major basketball conference, it may just take a little bit of time. I don't see it becoming a national title contender every season, but it definitely has the potential to have numerous teams ranked in the Top 25 and competitive in the tourney. Just look at the teams...



Marquette: Despite people's fears will hire a coach and will continue the legacy we have grown accustomed to. Will be a Top 25 team again...

Georgetown: Had a down year, will always be a prominent name in college basketball

Villanova: Was ranked high all year, will continue to grow

Xavier: Down year like Marquette, but has a great recruiting class coming in and will likely be able to repeat success from the past few years

St. Johns: Program is on the rise, look for them to maintain consistency and become a familiar name in the Top 25 again

Butler: Program is in transition since Stevens left. I think they will reload and at least be competitive in conference

Providence: Had a good season, even if this is as good as they get they are certainly a more competitive program than the bottom of the SEC and maybe even Big 10 (Purdue, Penn State, Northwestern, Indiana this year)

Creighton: Had a GREAT season, will need to reload and will certainly drop off for the foreseeable future, but their fan base, commitment to basketball and being in the Big East will help them reload

DePaul: Well.... Maybe they will surprise us?

Seton Hall: Step up from DePaul, but doesn't have the upside of the other schools in the conference.



I think we eventually look to add SLU and Dayton (I know some people on here will go crazy...) but the conference has the potential to be strong top to almost bottom. Could pump out some decent tourney teams and have a very good conference RPI.

[MarquetteDano]

Oh, really? Creighton was SIXTH in the nation in 2013 in attendance -- ahead of "big states schools" like Wisconsin, Ohio State and Arizona -- and they will probably go UP once the 2014 stats are released...

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2013.pdf

And Marquette was 15th.  That is attendance which is nice for the school but Fox Sports 1 doesn't give one crap about attendance.  Do you really think Creighton is sixth in the country and Marquette 15th in television ratings?

[Pakuni]

No.
They made the best out of a terrible situation, and despite the lack of tourney success this year, the conference was solid overall (4th in conference RPI rankings... ahead of the SEC, A-10, AAC and ACC).
Anyone who thought this was going to be instantly comparable to the old Big East was misguided. But it was, and will continue to be, a solid conference.

[ChicosBailBonds]

What do you think?
Butler was a bust, Creighton is one and done and who knows what happens with Xavier. Drop those three and add Uconn, Cincy, SMU and Memphis and  the league looks a lot better to me. We would still have to put up with football and the other teams in AAC, whoever they are, but I think we would be better off going forward. Without expansion the New Big East, now that we are past the first season hype, is going to fall into oblivion.

Doesn't matter, UCONN, Cincy, SMU, Memphis weren't going to join....they need a football home.  Aresco was clear on that so it's a non-starter in my opinion.

As far as the oblivion comment, I just don't agree.  You have a ton of money coming into this league for hoops, the channel is carried by most distributors on basic cable.  At the end of the day, you need programs like Marquette, Georgetown and St. John's to play well.  The Buzzard, with all his bitching about the weakness of this conference, sure looked like a total dud with his 6th place team. 

[Pakuni]

And Marquette was 15th.  That is attendance which is nice for the school but Fox Sports 1 doesn't give one crap about attendance.  Do you really think Creighton is sixth in the country and Marquette 15th in television ratings?

A lot of factors weigh into television ratings beyond which teams are playing. Day of week. Time of day. What network. What else is on at the time.

[mikekinsellaMVP]

It amazes me people want to write off the league decision after one year.  ONE DATA POINT DOES NOT MAKE A TREND.  If we're a four-bid league for three straight years, you can call that a pattern.  People here were lambasting Dayton last spring as we were looking to invite other schools -- has your opinion changed based on one run to the Elite Eight?

Should we have stuck with the AAC?  Been faithful to UConn, who would jump to the ACC or B1G the second they get the chance?  Faithful to Cincy, whose consistently decent football program is more compelling than the Huskies' program?  Has Mark Few been ripping his hair out because WCC competition is atrocious outside of BYU and St. Mary's?  We land Howland or another "impact hire" and it's a moot point -- eight straight years of success has made this a place where people want to coach and want to play.  Brent's comments about the league are silly way to publicly justify his departure.

[MarquetteDano]

A lot of factors weigh into television ratings beyond which teams are playing. Day of week. Time of day. What network. What else is on at the time.

Sure.  But the comment made was "CREIGHTON HAS ONE OF THE BIGGER FAN BASES IN THE COUNTRY".  That is simply not true.  They have great home attendance but not one school in the Big East has one of the bigger fan bases in the country.

I am not bad mouthing the Catholic 7 decisions for the New Big East however let's not pretend because Marquette, Creighton, et al. draw a lot of home fans that it compares to the state school's fan bases.

[mattyv1908]

The Big East will become a major basketball conference, it may just take a little bit of time. I don't see it becoming a national title contender every season, but it definitely has the potential to have numerous teams ranked in the Top 25 and competitive in the tourney. Just look at the teams...



Marquette: Despite people's fears will hire a coach and will continue the legacy we have grown accustomed to. Will be a Top 25 team again...

Georgetown: Had a down year, will always be a prominent name in college basketball

Villanova: Was ranked high all year, will continue to grow

Xavier: Down year like Marquette, but has a great recruiting class coming in and will likely be able to repeat success from the past few years

St. Johns: Program is on the rise, look for them to maintain consistency and become a familiar name in the Top 25 again

Butler: Program is in transition since Stevens left. I think they will reload and at least be competitive in conference

Providence: Had a good season, even if this is as good as they get they are certainly a more competitive program than the bottom of the SEC and maybe even Big 10 (Purdue, Penn State, Northwestern, Indiana this year)

Creighton: Had a GREAT season, will need to reload and will certainly drop off for the foreseeable future, but their fan base, commitment to basketball and being in the Big East will help them reload

DePaul: Well.... Maybe they will surprise us?

Seton Hall: Step up from DePaul, but doesn't have the upside of the other schools in the conference.



I think we eventually look to add SLU and Dayton (I know some people on here will go crazy...) but the conference has the potential to be strong top to almost bottom. Could pump out some decent tourney teams and have a very good conference RPI.

The fact that you said Seton Hall is a step up from DePaul and doesn't have upside clearly shows your lack of understanding regarding what you're talking about.  Did you watch a single Big East game this year?

[Texas Western]

This league did very well the first year out of the gates . If anything it was Marquette and Georgetown who hurt the league . Every team in the league is positioned well for the future . The double round robin schedule is a huge factor in building rivalries .  Next year everyone will get after very hard in non conference play and things will be fine .