Gonzaga Reportedly Was Waiting for Big East Invite

[keefe]

This makes some sense, I remember DeGioia was quoted in the paper prior to selecting teams that they were considering all teams up to the Missouri river.  That would count Gonzaga out.

If Gonzaga is ok with the travel, I think they should be added. It's such a bigger hassle for them than it would be for the other 10 teams. Even for the other sports like baseball, they aren't even playing home and homes so you would only be taking your baseball team to Spokane every other year. You can be smart with the scheduling and have the Gonzaga teams travel to the east coast once a year doing a 3 team swing. I'd love it if the Big East went big and added Gonzaga, SLU, BYU and Dayton. East coast schools would not want that though.

As for number of teams, I just think in the long run, 14 will be the number. Once you get to 12, you are already losing out on home/home series. At 14, you can spare the travel to Spokane for more teams while also increasing your chances for more NCAA bids. I know BYU can jump ship, you can have Richmond replace them. In the end, it's about how many NCAA bids your conference gets, no one cares how many teams are in the league. With this set of teams, we will average 6-7 bids a year easy.

I had mentioned earlier that GU also opened up the aperture and modeled inclusion of several PST/MST schools including BYU, StM's, among others to form two 8-team divisions. This was opposed vehemently by the Georgetown faction. 

[GoldenWarrior11]

If the goal of the conference is elite basketball, then Gonzaga and VCU appear to put the top two on the list.  If institutional fits are at the top, then it's Saint Louis and Gonzaga.  If it's location (big cities), it's Saint Louis and Dayton.  If it's endowment, it's Richmond and Saint Louis. 

Saint Louis would appear to fit in the most criteria.  Gonzaga's only check is it's location.  If the schools feel that it's other positive attributes outweigh this, then an invitation will eventually be in order.  I think it's a tough sell however.

[Aughnanure]

No, it would be 9:30.

I wouldn't want it either. I'm just having a thought experiment here.

I think I was referencing Mike Deane's suggestion of some 4-6 team westward expansion.

[Anti-Dentite]

If the goal of the conference is elite basketball, then Gonzaga and VCU appear to put the top two on the list.  If institutional fits are at the top, then it's Saint Louis and Gonzaga.  If it's location (big cities), it's Saint Louis and Dayton.  If it's endowment, it's Richmond and Saint Louis. 

Saint Louis would appear to fit in the most criteria.  Gonzaga's only check is it's location.  If the schools feel that it's other positive attributes outweigh this, then an invitation will eventually be in order.  I think it's a tough sell however.

Georgetown is opposed to Richmond, infringing their territory.

[Aughnanure]

Georgetown is opposed to Richmond, infringing their territory.

I thought the rumor was they were oppossed to VCU and wanted Richmond instead. Didn't want to let a big "state school" start competing with them. Richmond is rich, high academics, draws a lot of kids from the Northeast, and wouldn't challenge Georgetown territory.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Richmond doesn't have that successful basketball program history, however.  If they wanted to bump a bit of that $1 billion endowment into their athletics programs, I'm sure the other schools wouldn't mind.

Unless another private, eastern-based, school goes on a run in the next few years, I'd say Saint Louis and Dayton are in the driver's seat.

[Anti-Dentite]

Richmond doesn't have that successful basketball program history, however.  If they wanted to bump a bit of that $1 billion endowment into their athletics programs, I'm sure the other schools wouldn't mind.

Unless another private, eastern-based, school goes on a run in the next few years, I'd say Saint Louis and Dayton are in the driver's seat.

Yep.

[GGGG]

I thought the rumor was they were oppossed to VCU and wanted Richmond instead.

I know they are opposed to VCU...but I don't know if they are necessarily pro Richmond.  That was floated out there.

[Coleman]

This makes some sense, I remember DeGioia was quoted in the paper prior to selecting teams that they were considering all teams up to the Missouri river.  That would count Gonzaga out.

If Gonzaga is ok with the travel, I think they should be added. It's such a bigger hassle for them than it would be for the other 10 teams. Even for the other sports like baseball, they aren't even playing home and homes so you would only be taking your baseball team to Spokane every other year. You can be smart with the scheduling and have the Gonzaga teams travel to the east coast once a year doing a 3 team swing. I'd love it if the Big East went big and added Gonzaga, SLU, BYU and Dayton. East coast schools would not want that though.

As for number of teams, I just think in the long run, 14 will be the number. Once you get to 12, you are already losing out on home/home series. At 14, you can spare the travel to Spokane for more teams while also increasing your chances for more NCAA bids. I know BYU can jump ship, you can have Richmond replace them. In the end, it's about how many NCAA bids your conference gets, no one cares how many teams are in the league. With this set of teams, we will average 6-7 bids a year easy.

Agree with everything you've said.

14 is the number. I really like the four you listed.

[Aughnanure]

I know they are opposed to VCU...but I don't know if they are necessarily pro Richmond.  That was floated out there.

True, I thought sentiment was that was their preference over VCU. Not necessarily that they wanted VCU but if a school in Richmond was getting in, it was going to be Richmond.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Dayton is not on the list, at all. Not being considered. The only people who think they are on the list are Dayton fans.

VCU, Richmond, SLU, Gonzaga, and BYU were on the original list. Wichita State has been added to the conversation. Dayton brings the conference absolutely nothing other than a rivalry with Xavier. FS1 is not going to pony up more money for Dayton. They probably won't pony up more for Richmond or SLU either. They will for VCU, Gonzaga, BYU and maybe Wichita State.

[Coleman]

Dayton is not on the list, at all. Not being considered. The only people who think they are on the list are Dayton fans.

VCU, Richmond, SLU, Gonzaga, and BYU were on the original list. Wichita State has been added to the conversation. Dayton brings the conference absolutely nothing other than a rivalry with Xavier. FS1 is not going to pony up more money for Dayton. They probably won't pony up more for Richmond or SLU either. They will for VCU, Gonzaga, BYU and maybe Wichita State.

Maybe that was the original list, but that was also before a Dayton Elite 8 appearance.

I'm not saying they are the best pick. I'd rather have  SLU, Gonzaga and BYU. But they don't bring nothing to the conference. Its an entirely different media market.

I still think if you add four, you add Dayton, SLU, Gonzaga and BYU. If Gonzaga can't work then you add VCU instead. But Dayton would be a fine addition, if part of that larger four.