Longest Conference Affiliation

[MUMonster03]

just noticed that next season will be the longest we have ever been in one conference, some may argue the split makes it two different conferences, but next year will be 11 beating out CUSA.

Just thought it was interesting with all the teams that have moved around, we have now stayed in the same place the longest since joining a conference.

[HutchwasClutch]

And we're in the right conference for our school and athletic programs.

[GooooMarquette]

And we're in the right conference for our school and athletic programs.

Agree.  The prestige of the previous version of the BE was much greater, but the current version was inevitable and provides the best chance for long term stability.

[warriorfan 14]

looking at cusa, boy has that conference changed. i think charlotte and rice are the only teams left from when we were in that conference

[sailwi]

IIRC Charlotte left for the A 10 and came back, think they are starting football so they needed a conference with other football teams.  I was looking at conference tournament brackets the other day and was amazed how lousy CUSA has become.

[GooooMarquette]

Rice was never in C-USA with Marquette.  Our last season was 2004-05, and they were still in the WAC.  I believe they joined right after we left.

[dbwarriors]

looking at cusa, boy has that conference changed. i think charlotte and rice are the only teams left from when we were in that conference

UAB, Soutern Miss

[GGGG]

UAB, Soutern Miss

And UAB might be gone soon since dropping football.

[bradley center bat]

UAB is looking good in the Conference USA Title Game right now on FS1.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Would we want them in The Big East?

[brewcity77]

Would we want them in The Big East?

I would only want teams that improve the standing of the league, and there aren't a lot of those out there. The round-robin format has been perfect for the league thus far. The only schools I think would be worth letting in are schools that for various reasons we wouldn't have any interest in. UConn, Notre Dame, and Cincy are all good fits if they drop football, but that won't happen, so cross them off the list. Gonzaga is a nice fit from a philosophical and program prestige standpoint, but they are about 1,000 miles too far west, so unless they relocate, they aren't worth mentioning.

The only school I would actually want that makes sense is Dayton. Good philosophical fit, great fan support, routinely successful program. But the East Coast teams won't want to add a Midwest team without adding another team on the East Coast. Who on the East Coast is worth it and actually moves the dial? I don't think such a school exists.

[Dawson Rental]

Would we want them in The Big East?

Seriously?

[GGGG]

Seriously?

It's not necessarily a bad thought.  Major city, big school, no football.

If the BE ever warms up to a public school like VCU, I think UAB would make some sense.  But I am not sure they want to take that step - or even expand at all.

[GoldenWarrior11]

UAB will never be in the Big East, even if their dropped football program stays dropped.  They have made the tournament 15 times, and are in a big market, but they are not an institutional fit, nor do they bring the basketball prestige that the league craves. 

UConn, Notre Dame, Gonzaga, Saint Louis and Dayton are the only realistic possibilities for expansion, and I don't think any expansion occurs in the Big East until their contract with Fox is near completion (10 more years). 

[brewcity77]

Maybe VCU, if Georgetown was willing to go along with it.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'm comfortable with the 10 teams we currently have. If UConn, Notre Dame, or another top basketball program with football ever made itself available I would go after them. I think we can bide our time and see if any of the VCUs, Wichita States, Saint Louises, or Daytons of the world can make themselves competitive enough to warrant an invite.

[dgies9156]

If you re going to expand the Big East in the future, here's some rationale why and who would be "right"

1) St. Louis -- Big market, improving basketball team and strong potential rivalries with Marquette, DePaul, Creighton. Great philosophical fit as well. A natural for what we are trying to be.

2) Dayton -- Crappy market but solid support. Rival for Xavier. Marquette fans hate 'em. Would have to move the BigEast tournament from Madison Square Garden to University of Dayton Arena to make this happen but say what you want, these fans love their team.

3) VCU -- Great program, good coach and recent success. Good addition for Georgetown, Villanova et al.

Beyond these three, you would have wholesale raid the A-10. Dayton and St. Louis would solidify the western end of the conference.

[ChicosBailBonds]

If you re going to expand the Big East in the future, here's some rationale why and who would be "right"

1) St. Louis -- Big market, improving basketball team and strong potential rivalries with Marquette, DePaul, Creighton. Great philosophical fit as well. A natural for what we are trying to be.

2) Dayton -- Crappy market but solid support. Rival for Xavier. Marquette fans hate 'em. Would have to move the BigEast tournament from Madison Square Garden to University of Dayton Arena to make this happen but say what you want, these fans love their team.

3) VCU -- Great program, good coach and recent success. Good addition for Georgetown, Villanova et al.

Beyond these three, you would have wholesale raid the A-10. Dayton and St. Louis would solidify the western end of the conference.

The list isn't bad, even though people here get crazy about Dayton.  SLU, however, I feel is in trouble.  I know it is just one bad year, but Jim Crews is not the guy IMO.  Wojo "might" be the guy for us, but Crews definitely isn't for SLU.  They need to make a change.  Crews was going with Rick's players.

I'd like to stick to 10 to be honest.  I used to be against UCONN, but I'm not as much anymore.  Can't stand some of their crooked ways, but if they could find a way to play MAC football or something along those lines, I'd be good with it.  Thing is, I don't think they see themselves devaluing their football prospects.

[GGGG]

For the second year in a row, the AAC has arguably been screwed out of an at large bid.  If you are Temple, it has to make you wonder if it is worth it.

Yeah, but its not going to change I know.

[VegasWarrior77]

3) VCU -- Great program, good coach and recent success. Good addition for Georgetown, Villanova et al.

In a few years Shaka will be at Wisconsin.

[brewcity77]

In a few years Shaka will be at Wisconsin.

Because he likes Madison soooooo much...

[bork]

Interesting how few ex-Big East teams made the NCAA.  Only Cincy, Louisville and Notre Dame.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

In a few years Shaka will be at Wisconsin.

Shaka wouldn't go to Madison even if Bucky gave him coach k level money. No chance. No way

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Interesting how few ex-Big East teams made the NCAA.  Only Cincy, Louisville and Notre Dame.

And west Virginia.

[GoldenWarrior11]

For the second year in a row, the AAC has arguably been screwed out of an at large bid.  If you are Temple, it has to make you wonder if it is worth it.

Yeah, but its not going to change I know.

The thing is though, there is genuine concern for fans of AAC schools.  When the AAC started, the belief was that the league would be considered a P6 conference.  The feeling was that there would finally be getting national respect.  There was an ESPN contract (which, for schools like ECU, Tulane, UCF, Houston, SMU, Tulsa, Memphis, and Temple is huge), a national athletic anchor in UConn, and major media markets that TVs would love (Cincinnati, Houston, Dallas, Tulsa, Memphis, Temple, Orlando, Tampa, New Orleans and Philadelphia).  Even with a Fiesta Bowl win, a Men's NCAA Championship, and a Women's NCAA Championship, the league is still considered no better than a G5 conference - an updated and redressed Conference USA if that.

Temple, this year, went 23-10, RPI of 34, SOS of 60, a top 10 win of 25, and games against Duke, Kansas and Villanova.  If Temple were in the Atlantic-10, or the Big East, with this schedule, I don't think there's a chance of them being left out of the tournament.  Temple is not the flavor of the month, either - they are the 6th most winningest program in basketball.  

The UConn to the Big East talk has been beat to death for months here, but if I'm UConn, Cincinnati or Memphis, I'd really start thinking about my commitment to the American Conference.  The expectations of the league are not being met - and they are not going to change anytime soon.  You are only as strong as the athletic programs in your league and, in the AAC, basketball schools like Tulane, ECU, UCF, USF, and Houston really brought down the conference this year.