Another Big East Expansion Discussion

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

That's why the BE would schedule every team's road trips to these schools back to back and on a shorter turnaround. Nonrevenue sports do this even for "short" trips (SoCal to NorCal).

This. Also, its another game closer to their recruiting base. Doesn't help much but it is something teams try to sell recruits on.

[chapman]

None.  I doubt Fox wants to pay more for the privilege of airing DePaul vs. SLU.  If we have to, BU for cool road trip and little other reason.

[tower912]

No one who plays or aspires to have D1 football.    Top teams from the A-10.    IMO, St. Louis and Dayton.    Gonzaga is a non-starter due to geography until they develop teleportation.   

[GGGG]

Good may be a little bit of a stretch regarding Temple.

If UConn would move football somewhere else.....they would be the choice.

Temple has a better basketball history than half the schools of the big east.

[brewcity77]

Dayton has had a reliably solid program for years with excellent fan support. With or without Archie, they are the only no-brainer. Yes, their UDPride fans are obnoxious, but the program even in down years is usually as top 100 program. Both Oliver Purnell and Brian Gregory won there.

The problem is who to add with them. SLU has been in a downward spiral since Rick passed despite the renewed commitment to the program. Gonzaga, the geography just doesn't work. Look at all the issues WVU has had in the Big 12 and Gonzaga is more of an outlier.

Who else? Wichita State and VCU are questionable philosophical fits with no league history. Richmond and Davidson are just too small in my opinion.

I like Dayton, but they aren't worth taking on their own and I don't see anyone else worth joining them. I hope we wait to see what happens with other schools. Maybe if another perfect fit like Dayton became available, then go for it. Otherwise, the league is fine as is.

[We R Final Four]

They have the 5th most victories all time and the same number of NCAA appearances as us.

Indeed--we got the best team in Philly already....don't need another Philly team as others have suggested.

[GGGG]

Indeed--we got the best team in Philly already....don't need another Philly team as others have suggested.

Why not?  Why not put the best basketball programs together regardless of their location?  At one point the old Big East has three New York teams and was set to have two in Philadelphia before the break up. Its not about getting a team, and only one team, in each market.

[We R Final Four]

We don't need to add any team. We can choose. That being said--Things will soon change, as they have in the past.
UConn is the best bball program in the country that is in semi-limbo situation.
This conference/MU needs rivalries/hatred/fight--at least UD would bring some passion as Brew said. Other than these teams, why?

[77ncaachamps]

Exactly... if you play on the road in Spokane on Tuesday night, the NCAA doesn't allow you to fly to San Fran afterwards for your Saturday afternoon game.

No one in Northern California calls it San Fran.

Re: Gonzaga...We need to lobby the Jesuits to open a university in Minnesota and/or Montana!

Seattle U would be a good candidate for the Zags as a dance partner into an expanded BE.
But adding those two would mean a new name for the League.

So, #fuggedaboutit

[MU82]

I'm not in love with any of the legit prospects.

Gonzaga and UConn if there were no travel, geographical or football considerations ... but there are ... so they aren't legit prospects. Memphis, Temple, Cinci? Same deal.

I keep reading and hearing that Dayton is the absolute best fit. Well, that says all anybody needs to say about expansion.

For the foreseeable future, I vote a very strong NO.

[#UnleashSean]

Temple has a better basketball history than half the schools of the big east.

And yet, they are now irrelevant.

[ChicosBailBonds]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25312472/college-hoops-mailbag-ohio-states-retooling-big-east-expansion

Interesting comments on the dilution of money.  I don't recall seeing that anywhere else that the contract will expand to count for expansion of the league.

SE

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=48083.msg744168#msg744168

[Jay Bee]

SLU is a likely candidate. Gonzaga will never join. Every road game for them would be a journey.

Is this truly that huge of a deal? (I b1tch about bidniz travel over an hour, but...)

[source?]

Since Majerus left SLU isn't the same team and I don't think they"ll  bring much to the conference. I'd rather have Dayton than Slu

Left, died. Potato, potato (doesn't really work in writing).

[WarriorFan]

Gonzaga and a western travel partner. I originally thought st. Mary's but they went the wrong way fast. Sultans suggestion of Denver is interesting. I would want to see massive improvements in basketball before we go down that road. They have a large endowment and are pretty dominant in other sports. Not to mention a large market. I think BYU makes the most sense right now. Great bball program, independent football, strong academics, and a fanatical worldwide fan base.

I'm glad someone finally mentioned BYU in this context.  They'd be a great fit.  Arena/Fans/Money and an excellent program. 

[GGGG]

And yet, they are now irrelevant.

I think we better be careful about who we brand as "irrelevant" based on a couple sub par seasons.  I mean, at least they made the NIT last year right?

[Brewtown Andy]

BYU is a football independent though.

That being said, I don't quite understand the notion of a "travel partner."  It's not as though these teams travel together.  It just means you have one road trip shorter than the rest.

The Big East has started using travel partners for Women's Basketball.  For example, St. John's plays Marquette on Friday night, while Seton Hall plays DePaul.  Flip flop for another game on Sunday afternoon.

[Benny B]

I'm glad someone finally mentioned BYU in this context.  They'd be a great fit.  Arena/Fans/Money and an excellent program.

BYU has its own television network already.  I'm skeptical as to how that would play out with FS1.

[GGGG]

The Big East has started using travel partners for Women's Basketball.  For example, St. John's plays Marquette on Friday night, while Seton Hall plays DePaul.  Flip flop for another game on Sunday afternoon.

I understand that.  The Pac 12 still uses them for men's basketball.

But if Gonzaga joins, and the BE implements something similar, it doesn't really matter if that "partner" is someone out west or someone in the east.  Gonzaga is still going to have to travel to those places by themselves.  The only "savings" would be the one time per year they make the trip to BYU instead of Dayton.  (Looking at men's basketball in isolation.)

So yes, the travel partner concept does save money.  However it would have a negligible impact on savings if the Zags travel partner is out west, or in the midwest.

[Brewtown Andy]

I understand that.  The Pac 12 still uses them for men's basketball.

But if Gonzaga joins, and the BE implements something similar, it doesn't really matter if that "partner" is someone out west or someone in the east.  Gonzaga is still going to have to travel to those places by themselves.  The only "savings" would be the one time per year they make the trip to BYU instead of Dayton.  (Looking at men's basketball in isolation.)

So yes, the travel partner concept does save money.  However it would have a negligible impact on savings if the Zags travel partner is out west, or in the midwest.

Also, adding Gonzaga and a western partner doesn't solve the Providence/Creighton pairing that the Big East is using for WBB.  What a terrible weekend that has to be.

[GGGG]

Also, adding Gonzaga and a western partner doesn't solve the Providence/Creighton pairing that the Big East is using for WBB.  What a terrible weekend that has to be.

Yeah I was trying to draw up travel partners as an example, but kept hitting a stumbling block.  When you have five distinctly east coast schools, and five distinctly midwest schools, it is hard to do!  And when all of the logical, *current* expansion candidates are from the midwest, it just makes it more difficult.

[frozena pizza]

My preference would be -

1.  Stick with 10
2.  Add Dayton and SLU (I could probably live with Davidson if there was a preference for another East Coast team)
3.  Anything else

[GoldenWarrior11]

I have mentioned it in previous Big East-expansion topics before, but the fact that the Big East, for the first time since the 80's, can look at expansion from a position of power and decision - rather than reactionary and need to survive.  The Old Big East was always the feast at the dinner table, with the ACC always chomping at the bit to take a bite out of the league (Miami, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Louisville).  The Big 12 took West Virginia (and tried to take Louisville.  The B1G even joined in by snagging Rutgers, although I think a lot of people with agree that the loss didn't hurt anyone. 

The Presidents, Fox, and Val Ackermann can lead from a position of strength - knowing that none of the current schools will be leaving.  We are the top dog in the basketball-only conferences.  If, and that's a big if, the league wanted a Gonzaga - they would get them.  The money that the league makes and the contract that we have can absolutely compensate for that.

The league will absolutely expand in the next 10 years (all conferences are about growth).  The question is who do they want to join their inner-circle.  My guess is a like-minded institution with no football and a large endowment towards basketball (Gonzaga, Saint Louis, Dayton and Duquesne are the top ones that come to mind).

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Some would argue that the very founding of this iteration of the Big East was a sound decision, but early (not a bad thing per se). 

Who knows what is going to happen on the football side over the next 5-10 years, but I would bet that there will be more like minded candidates in that time frame rather than less.  So in my mind I would let things play out for a few years, see what the next shoe is that drops in football - then pounce when it happens.  You can always add the candidates that are being thrown about today (as referenced above they don't have a better choice) -- however once you add them you lose some flexibility to add some more attractive schools down the road.

[Benny B]

It would be nice if Fordham could get its act together... aside from their athletic program, there's a lot to like there.

From Wikipedia:
"The university's men's basketball program also has an impressive heritage, boasting four NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship and 16 National Invitational Tournament appearances."

Four NCAAs and 16 NITs.  I forgive the boastfulness.

I still think Duke drops football someday... be it five or twenty-five years from now.  At least we'll keep Wojo in the Big East.