Big East Expansion?

[chapman]

I know Dayton rubs some folks here the wrong way, but their arena seats 13,500 people, and they consistently get 12k/13k at home games.  That is really huge.  They have also been to 16 NCAA tournaments and travel extremely well.  Archie Miller has really elevated their level of play over the past few seasons.

But who wants to travel there once a year?  I'd rather go to Oshkosh. 

Give me Boston.  Not every winter will be like last.

[keefe]

Sorry KEEFE, but while I respect Gonzaga and you, this is a BAD IDEA because:

1. league expansion is about more than Mens BB; it is about all team sports and the travel costs and time in transit {for all these BE schools and Gonzaga} is prohibitive; and

2. Gonzaga is in Wash.State, which the last time I looked, is a Pacific Coast state which is not a good BE "brand fit." There is enough press negativity toward our league now due to NBE's lack of NCAA success and this would just fuel the pundits making "fun" of the NBE.

A man driving a Plymouth can dream about owning a Porsche...

You might end up buying another Plymouth but you always look at the Porsche...

[dgies9156]

Thoughts on Davidson or Belmont?

Maybe I'm an old former Nashvillian, but I remember Belmont as a backwater school living in the shadow of Vanderbilt. Their basketball team for years was an after-thought when compared to such regional powers as Vandy, Memphis, Tennessee and Western Kentucky. They're in a tough market where they'll compete night after night with Vanderbilt and the Nashville Predators. Their recent success is OK, but their tradition doesn't hold a candle to us, Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's or even DePaul!

How many NBA players came from Belmont? Not many!

If we want to move the Big East toward the A-10 or, God forbid, the Ohio Valley Conference, bring on Belmont! Even Dayton is a better choice than Belmont if we have to expand.

[Tugg Speedman]

The Fox contract that we signed in 2013, the 12-year/10 school $500 million contract, stipulated that we could add two schools to get to 12 and the deal would be amended to $600 million - adding potentially $50 million per new school.

From a NY Times article when the deal broke:
Fox won them over with a 12-year deal worth about $500 million, according to reports. But the contract could spike to $600 million if the conference grows to a dozen teams, according to two people briefed on the contract but not authorized to speak publicly about its terms.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/sports/ncaabasketball/fox-sports-and-new-big-east-are-teaming-up.html?_r=0

If team(s) are added, we wouldn't be diluting the pot - we would just be adding to it.

For this to actually happen you would have to find two schools that the BE would consider worthy AND Fox has to believe is worth the extra $100 million.

Realistically?  I see none.  I see fantasies (ND, Uconn, etc?) but nothing realistic.

[GoldenWarrior11]

For this to actually happen you would have to find two schools that the BE would consider worthy AND Fox has to believe is worth the extra $100 million.

Realistically?  I see none.  I see fantasies (ND, Uconn, etc?) but nothing realistic.

Considering Fox has been overspending on other properties for FS1, I don't think it is a huge stretch for them to give the ok to two schools that would only add more content during the winter for the Big East.  Two more teams gives them an extra game each night of Big East play, and I think that would be more valuable than a rerun of UFC or soccer.

[bilsu]

The reason I would not want to expand is you lose the round robin schedule.

The two reasons I would like to expand are:

Raising the conference strength, which means they would have to be schools that have consistently shown that their addition would raise the conferences strength.

The Big East tournament would work better with 12 teams.  Right now the 5th & 6th teams are getting a bye, which hurts their chances of getting an NCAA bid. For the league to consistently expect more than four bids, I think the 5th & 6th teams need to play a first round game.

[uncle zeffy]

But who wants to travel there once a year?  I'd rather go to Oshkosh. 

I think Dave Attell said it best..

"I was in Dayton, Ohio. You ever been there? Yeah? You know what's a fun thing to do there? Pack up and get the f*ck outta there.""

[GGGG]

Considering Fox has been overspending on other properties for FS1, I don't think it is a huge stretch for them to give the ok to two schools that would only add more content during the winter for the Big East.  Two more teams gives them an extra game each night of Big East play, and I think that would be more valuable than a rerun of UFC or soccer.

My guess that they are losing money on the BE as it stands right now.  I doubt they will add to their losses.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I agree with others that unless it is an elite program, you don't expand...right now. We will need to think about expansion before our TV deal is up. We need to prove that we can drive eyeballs to FS1 and the only thing that will do that is adding more marquis teams. There will be another round of realignment in the next ten years. I have no idea what it will bring. But I do believe that we will need to add 2 more marquis teams eventually to stay relevant. I think UConn and Memphis would be the best bets.

But we do have a few years to see how the landscape changes.

[ChicosBailBonds]

The Fox contract that we signed in 2013, the 12-year/10 school $500 million contract, stipulated that we could add two schools to get to 12 and the deal would be amended to $600 million - adding potentially $50 million per new school.

From a NY Times article when the deal broke:
Fox won them over with a 12-year deal worth about $500 million, according to reports. But the contract could spike to $600 million if the conference grows to a dozen teams, according to two people briefed on the contract but not authorized to speak publicly about its terms.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/sports/ncaabasketball/fox-sports-and-new-big-east-are-teaming-up.html?_r=0

If team(s) are added, we wouldn't be diluting the pot - we would just be adding to it.

The per team revenue doesn't change, still $50M.  That's what ultimately matters.  No incentive for the current schools to do it, very little for Fox to do it, if any at all.

[79Warrior]

The per team revenue doesn't change, still $50M.  That's what ultimately matters.  No incentive for the current schools to do it, very little for Fox to do it, if any at all.

There is an incentive for the schools to expand IF it makes the BE stronger.

[chapman]

Given the available candidates, got to believe for Fox it's an even more resounding "no", unless anyone cares to make the case that it's worth another $75M (assuming 2016 expansion) to air DePaul vs. SLU and Dayton vs. Seton Hall rather than just running with darts on FS2 for nine years.   Which is a risk long-term for the conference if they were to defy Fox's wishes.  If a UConn was a viable option and they had fewer years to drop the cash, Fox might give it some thought.  We're only two years in, but the length of the deal might have been the biggest coup in the bargain for the conference to have some time to figure things out.

[Herman Cain]

The per team revenue doesn't change, still $50M.  That's what ultimately matters.  No incentive for the current schools to do it, very little for Fox to do it, if any at all.

The double round robin format is also attractive to Fox, gives them plenty of material to promote and analyze pre and post game. To me the key is building our  conference identity through rivalries. Right now we are lucky in that all 10 teams in the conference are on an upward trend (broadly defined  for sure) , I think that will work in everyone's favor. We are a league where conference games are hard fought and not easily won. I would like to see the Big East put up several more years like last year. Marquette can really help the league by regaining its previous form.

[oldwarrior81]

Considering Fox has been overspending on other properties for FS1, I don't think it is a huge stretch for them to give the ok to two schools that would only add more content during the winter for the Big East.  Two more teams gives them an extra game each night of Big East play, and I think that would be more valuable than a rerun of UFC or soccer.

You do realize the Women's World Cup final drew over 26 million viewers on big Fox.
The 70+ games telecast on FS1 and FS2 drew a combined audience of a little over 8.1 million.
Actually the semi-final game featuring US v. Germany drew 8.4 million.

Seton Hall vs. Marquette on Jan. 28th attracted under 23,000 viewers.  DePaul vs. Marquette on Mar. 7th was watched by 24,000.

[MU82]

Short of Fox insisting on schools being added, there is absolutely no reason for any of the current 10 schools wanting to expand.

And what incentive does Fox have to insist upon expansion? None.

As Lou Piniella used to say, it's a "mute" point!

[keefe]

There is an incentive for the schools to expand IF it makes the BE stronger.

Adding Dayton, SLU, BU, VCU, et al will not make the BE stronger

[ChicosBailBonds]

I think Dave Attell said it best..

"I was in Dayton, Ohio. You ever been there? Yeah? You know what's a fun thing to do there? Pack up and get the f*ck outta there.""

Dave Attell is great....as is Doug Stanhope.

[ChicosBailBonds]

There is an incentive for the schools to expand IF it makes the BE stronger.

I agree with your statement, but I think you and I also know there aren't any schools out there that will make the BE stronger that are truly viable.   Thus, no reason to do it.

[keefe]

There are a lot of candidates, but there seems to be issues with almost all of them. I would rank the candidates:

1. UConn
2. Gonzaga
3. Memphis
4. VCU
5. Cincinnati
6. BYU
7. UMass
8. Wichita State
9. Temple
10.
11. Boston University
12. St. Louis
13. Richmond