Gonzaga Reportedly Was Waiting for Big East Invite

[GoldenWarrior11]

I miss the days where conferences actually reflected the member schools that were aligned.  Today, the BIG 10 has 12 members (about to be 14).  The Big XII has 10 members.  The Atlantic Coast Conference has roots in the Midwest.  

At least the PAC-12 has shifted it's name to reflect the number of schools involved.

[Aughnanure]

No, it would be 9:30.

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

But not every west coast game is gonna be at 7. Just an 8:00 tip would be 10 in Central and 11 in Eastern.

[Coleman]

But not every west coast game is gonna be at 7. Just an 8:00 tip would be 10 in Central and 11 in Eastern.

By the way, we are talking about literally one game a year.

BYU is one hour behind. Gonzaga would be the only Pacific time zone road game in the 14 team scenario I just laid out.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I like UNLV and BYU, but don't they both have FBS football? Isn't that a disqualifier?

UNLV couldn't come. D1 football and terrible academics. BYU is independent in football and could possibly work.

I don't think there is enough quality bball only teams out west. Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, BYU, Denver, San Fran, Loyola Marymount, San Diego, and Long Beach State are the only possibles I can think of. A lot of those are stretches.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

Because it's an NCAA rule. Can't be in a conference JUST for basketball.

Notre Dame does it ....
Villanova and Gtown do it ....
Several others do it as well ....

[Aughnanure]

Notre Dame does it ....
Villanova and Gtown do it ....
Several others do it as well ....

What are you talking about? The rule is the conference you play basketball in has to be the main conference for your athletic program. It's not a rule for football or other oddly-aligned sports like hockey and lacrosse.

Notre Dame is in the ACC for all their sports except football. Don't know what you're talking about for Georgetown and Villanova. Their non-D1 football programs?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Notre Dame does it ....
Villanova and Gtown do it ....
Several others do it as well ....

They put their football programs in other conferences. Their basketball programs are with their olympic sports. I don't understand why there is a difference but some posters are saying that NCAA rules require bball programs to remain with olympic sports.

[VegasWarrior77]

UNLV couldn't come. D1 football and terrible academics. BYU is independent in football and could possibly work.

I don't think there is enough quality bball only teams out west. Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, BYU, Denver, San Fran, Loyola Marymount, San Diego, and Long Beach State are the only possibles I can think of. A lot of those are stretches.

UNLV's football team just got the one year bowl ban for bad grades.  Right after they had made a bowl game this past year for the first time in many years.

[GGGG]

Two schools traveling together wouldn't work at all. They'd have to travel together first of all, and then have to spend 4-5 days out in Spokane waiting for both teams to finish playing their games before flying back. The lodging for the extra days in Spokane would negate any discount that the teams would get by flying together.

Not only that, but you know that DePaul would cheapen out on the juice boxes when it's their year to supply the snacks.

Seriously we fly charter.  We are a big time program.  Why would we need to fly to Spokane with another school?

[GGGG]

UNLV's football team just got the one year bowl ban for bad grades.  Right after they had made a bowl game this past year for the first time in many years.

UNLV...the UWM of college football.

[keefe]

I thought keefe said that Gonzaga had the invitation but turned it down.  Hmmmm....

I never said that. Quit making sh1t up.

GU was approached by several BE members to ascertain interest. GU set up a team to look at feasibility from many dimensions. And as I said a year ago, GU was interested but not convinced and not all BE members were on board due to geography. But GU had some powerful advocates in its corner within the BE.

Some suffer during Lent while others carry the Cross afterwards.

 

[MU82]

It's pretty simple:

If there were a way to get just Gonzaga basketball, it would be a distinct possibility. But as long as either NCAA rules, Gonzaga preferences or both mandate that the other sports also must be part of the conference, it's a non-starter.

[keefe]

As was argued here many times over, geography is and will always be the main issue.  I hope GU admins weren't seriously think the Big East was going to ask them for an invite based on their locale.

Location, location, location.

From what I heard location was the deal though not about basketball. Each BE team was willing to fly its men's hoops team out to the Can once a year. The resistance was for all of the other sports.

And as I said last year, the GU committee was modeling any number of ways to make something work. Obviously, in the end, there was no work around for Olympic sports.

[77ncaachamps]

As an MU fan in CA, I have to say NO to any expansion west.

It's not economically feasible.

And the last time Conference USA was tried, it didn't venture past the Rockies and almost folded in 6 years.

Not to mention that NOW it's more like Conference Southern USA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conference_usa

Look at those affiliates. Sheesh.

[GGGG]

I never said that. Quit making sh1t up.

GU was approached by several BE members to ascertain interest. GU set up a team to look at feasibility from many dimensions. And as I said a year ago, GU was interested but not convinced and not all BE members were on board due to geography. But GU had some powerful advocates in its corner within the BE.

Some suffer during Lent while others carry the Cross afterwards.

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=35362.msg437542#msg437542

You said:  "I am not sure where they are at in their thinking but they have a firm offer to join."

So "a firm offer to join" doesn't mean they were invited?

[keefe]

Really what we are talking about is a merger between the BE and the WCC. 

As I mentioned last year one of the scenarios being investigated by GU was to identify other MST/PST partners to create a geographical Division construct. This included serious discussion with BYU and I am told Provo was in favor except for potential issues with their network and FSN.

[keefe]

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=35362.msg437542#msg437542

You said:  "I am not sure where they are at in their thinking but they have a firm offer to join."

So "a firm offer to join" doesn't mean they were invited?

Read through all of my threads and you will see that my point is GU had solid endorsement within the BE for membership. I also point out that GU was looking for ways to make it work, for them and everyone in the BE.

The reality is, and what people do not know, is that the Gonzaga case ultimately came down to a power struggle between Marquette and Georgetown. For whatever reason, DeGioia either won this round or Pilarz decided this wasn't the right fight. And I also heard that the question has been tabled and not dismissed.

[bilsu]

I think Wichita St would be a more likely addition than BYU.

[GGGG]

Read through all of my threads and you will see that my point is GU had solid endorsement within the BE for membership. I also point out that GU was looking for ways to make it work, for them and everyone in the BE.

The reality is, and what people do not know, is that the Gonzaga case ultimately came down to a power struggle between Marquette and Georgetown. For whatever reason, DeGioia either won this round or Pilarz decided this wasn't the right fight. And I also heard that the question has been tabled and not dismissed.

Well I have no reason to doubt you, but you must admit that I wasn't "making sh!t up."  "Firm offer to join" means something pretty significant.

A "done deal" as it were.

[keefe]

Well I have no reason to doubt you, but you must admit that I wasn't "making sh!t up."  "Firm offer to join" means something pretty significant.

A "done deal" as it were.

GU had/s some strong backers within the BE who want them in. Still. But the reality is that this is about more than expanding westward, though that is significant. This is a struggle for the very soul of the conference.

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

Well I have no reason to doubt you, but you must admit that I wasn't "making sh!t up."  "Firm offer to join" means something pretty significant.

A "done deal" as it were.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Actually, I think it's about flying into Spokane vs a major city. Hard to fly Olympic sports in on commercial jets. Basketball travel is not a problem.

It's not just about basketball, however....you have to deal with all of the other sports as well.  It's one thing if they joined for basketball only, but why would the WCC let them do that.  Thus, as a full fledged member you have soccer, volleyball, tennis, etc, etc to and from Spokane from places like New York, D.C, Philadelphia.  What's worse is the travels for the GU athletes.  Nightmare.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Why wouldn't the Big East take them as full member?

The burden of travel due to geography is overwhelmingly on Gonzaga. I just don't understand this argument.

You are talking one event per sport per year (at most) that would require a trip to Spokane. And men's and women's teams could travel together, or even schools like DePaul and Marquette could travel together.

Big East might taken them as basketball only, but if I were the WCC I would tell them to pound sand if they thought they were just going to park the other sports there and take the trophy wife to another league.  That's the bigger issue.  It also opens up a huge can of worms for the Big East.  What if the ACC wanted G'Town just for hoops and you have that precedent going?  Etc, etc.  Just nota  good idea all the way around.

[ChicosBailBonds]

From what I heard location was the deal though not about basketball. Each BE team was willing to fly its men's hoops team out to the Can once a year. The resistance was for all of the other sports.

And as I said last year, the GU committee was modeling any number of ways to make something work. Obviously, in the end, there was no work around for Olympic sports.

Yup, totally makes sense.  Even worse for GU who would have to make multiple flights out back east.

[Jet915]

Read through all of my threads and you will see that my point is GU had solid endorsement within the BE for membership. I also point out that GU was looking for ways to make it work, for them and everyone in the BE.

The reality is, and what people do not know, is that the Gonzaga case ultimately came down to a power struggle between Marquette and Georgetown. For whatever reason, DeGioia either won this round or Pilarz decided this wasn't the right fight. And I also heard that the question has been tabled and not dismissed.

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.