NY Times: Imagine the Big East, Coast to Coast

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Actually it isn't a fan issue. I think the BE schools would agree. And unless they drop down to FCS they ain't parking football anywhere.

Nope, if Uconn went independent in football the beast would take them without hesitation. But you're right, Uconn football isn't going anywhere

[WarriorPride68]

DePaul
Loyola Maramount
San Francisco
Santa Clara
St. Mary's

wouldnt this just solidify mid major status?

[MUfan12]

There is already pushback in some quarters that schools like Creighton and DePaul are poor fits and attendance to these games is down. Georgetown liked the idea of academic peer institutions in the old big East (Notre Dame, BC), and there are none in the new 10-team arrangement.

Nothing sells tickets like USWNR rankings!

[Groin_pull]

Nothing sells tickets like USWNR rankings!

Imagine, universities considering their academic standing. Don't they know schools should just focus on being assembly lines for the NFL and NBA?

[GGGG]

Adding these schools would be the sign for Georgetown and Villanova to find another home.

There is already pushback in some quarters that schools like Creighton and DePaul are poor fits and attendance to these games is down. Georgetown liked the idea of academic peer institutions in the old big East (Notre Dame, BC), and there are none in the new 10-team arrangement.

Oh brother.  Where exactly do Georgetown fans think they deserve to be as a non-football school? 

[GGGG]

Nope, if Uconn went independent in football the beast would take them without hesitation.

I don't think that is the case at all.  I don't think the BE has any interest in schools where football could be a distraction

[GGGG]

Imagine, universities considering their academic standing. Don't they know schools should just focus on being assembly lines for the NFL and NBA?

Good think you are wearing a helmet in your profile pic, because the point just sailed above your head.

[MUfan12]

Imagine, universities considering their academic standing. Don't they know schools should just focus on being assembly lines for the NFL and NBA?

Trouble reading? I'm not saying they should sell out their academics for sports. But the academic profiles of other schools has precious little to do with attendance.

[jsglow]

DONT FIX WHAT ISN'T BROKEN! DO NOT DILUTE THIS LEAGUE FURTHER.

If the Zags want in, great - give em' a travel partner (BYU or St. Marys) and make them bite the bullet to get to their road games. Add them for Men's BB only for all I care. Just PLEASE don't do this East / West split garbage in which MU is going to be in the weaker grouping.

Exactly.  Divisions as proposed is as foolhardy for Marquette as changing our nickname to Gold or having Blueteaux as our mascot.

[UticaBusBarn]

I realise the point has been made countless times, but to state the obvious, it is all about money. That is to say, it is all about television "live content."

Therefore, the determining force behind any expansion will be media markets. For instance, Dayton is out because it falls under, and is a sub-set to the Cincinnati (Xavier) market.

The Big East may expand from 10, if, and only if, the "right" (read pretty big and fairly rich) markets come into play. So, if the Big East stays east, one has to look for the "right" team in Atlanta, Detroit, Cleveland, and/or, the Florida market.

If the Big East/FOX decide to go west, well, that really opens up the dynamic.

The second part of the expansion equation, is the new members must be not only in an uncovered biggish market, but also be a team with history at a high level. This, in turn, does two things. Higher competition, in more markets, leads to higher which, in turn, generate more revenue.

Finally, the "right" new members, in significant markets, that have a fairly high level basketball brand, should lead to more NCAA bids. These bids, of course, lead to more television coverage, and more money.

The ACC, because of the number of teams it has in the "Sweet 16" (a phrase first turned by Al McGuire, by the way), today, will earn an additional 30 million dollars. If the ACC teams go further, then the league earns more. (Also, note how many of the remaining 16 also have football programs.)

So, in conclusion, the determining factors for any Big East league expansion are market placement/size, and a school with a historically significant basketball program/brand.

Frankly, I do see many schools fitting these parameters (UConn, Zags, and ?) short of a raid, or Universities further bifurcating their varsity sports programs into different leagues, expansion seems to be a "tuff nut to crack."

[jsglow]

And not to pick on you at all Vegas but you must admit that you're biased living 1500 miles away.  If I were in your shoes, I'd love MU (and every other BEast team) flying west twice each year, even if only for BEast TV during prime time.

Honestly guys, potentially regularly trading a home game with Nova each year for a game with St. Mary's is just plain dumb.  We worked our arse off (and thank you DePaul) to get invited to the big boy table a decade ago.  And now others in the general midwest (looking at you Creighton and Butler) get to thank us for the same.  Despite what Bill Walton likes to claim, the center of the basketball universe is not west of the Rockies front range.

I have no objection to folks like Gonzaga but the burden must be 100% on them.  If they want 10 3000-4000 mile round-trip frequent flyer credits each year they can be my guest.

[Golden Avalanche]

Adding these schools would be the sign for Georgetown and Villanova to find another home.

There is already pushback in some quarters that schools like Creighton and DePaul are poor fits and attendance to these games is down. Georgetown liked the idea of academic peer institutions in the old big East (Notre Dame, BC), and there are none in the new 10-team arrangement.

The attendance issue is a result of the malaise called JTIII that infests your program. You've been irrelevant as a legitimate NCAA Tournament threat for a decade. Get out of the first weekend (hell, how about just winning an opening round game more than twice a decade?) regularly and perhaps you'll get a crew higher then the usual 6,500 to walk through the Verizon Center's doors.

[Pakuni]

Adding these schools would be the sign for Georgetown and Villanova to find another home.

Where, exactly?
The Power 5 ain't exactly looking for small, private schools without football programs, you know.
And, seriously, what exactly has Georgetown done this century that allows you to look down your nose at a program like Gonzaga?

[Eldon]

Adding these schools would be the sign for Georgetown and Villanova to find another home.

There is already pushback in some quarters that schools like Creighton and DePaul are poor fits and attendance to these games is down. Georgetown liked the idea of academic peer institutions in the old big East (Notre Dame, BC), and there are none in the new 10-team arrangement.

Assuming that you did not choose ND and BC by chance, it seems you are defining peer institution as:

*Catholic
*Research powerhouse (R1/RUVH)
*High USWNR ranking

If so, then can you really fault the new BE for not having any Gtown peers?  By that definition, ND and BC are the only peers that Gtown has!

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I don't think that is the case at all.  I don't think the BE has any interest in schools where football could be a distraction

You can think that. But if UConn went Independent in football tomorrow, they would be in the Big East on Thursday.

[Aughnanure]

Gonzaga perspective. Interesting seeing their read on St. Mary's vs Santa Clara and Loyola Marymount. I still think you'd add BYU before any of those (BYU is not getting into the Big XII or any major conference anytime soon).

http://guboards.spokesmanreview.com/showthread.php?56786-Big-East-expansion

[Badgerhater]

Athletes who get paid to play the game dread west coast road trips.

Can we at least pretend that D1 college hoops players are in college and that traveling coast-to-coast for an entire conference season is not in their best interest?

If not, can we at least find a booster to provide a team Airbus 380 that includes classrooms, living facilities and a small practice gym?

[GGGG]

You can think that. But if UConn went Independent in football tomorrow, they would be in the Big East on Thursday.

Well you can keep saying this. I don't think it's accurate.

[MerrittsMustache]

Athletes who get paid to play the game dread west coast road trips.

Can we at least pretend that D1 college hoops players are in college and that traveling coast-to-coast for an entire conference season is not in their best interest?

If not, can we at least find a booster to provide a team Airbus 380 that includes classrooms, living facilities and a small practice gym?

Couldn't Gonzaga set up a remote athletes-only campus in Cleveland with an arena and practice facilities? Problem solved!

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Gonzaga perspective. Interesting seeing their read on St. Mary's vs Santa Clara and Loyola Marymount. I still think you'd add BYU before any of those (BYU is not getting into the Big XII or any major conference anytime soon).

http://guboards.spokesmanreview.com/showthread.php?56786-Big-East-expansion

Interesting idea one of them had about expanding to 16 and making four divisions of four. Round robin with your division and one game against every other team.

Atlantic
Providence
St. John's
Georgetown
Seton Hall

East
Butler
Xavier
Villanova
Dayton

Midwest
Marquette
Depaul
Creighton
St. Louis

West
Gonzaga
St. Mary's
BYU
Denver/Loyola Marymount/San Diego (whatever West Coast team fits the best)

I actually really like this idea in theory. Unites all the major basketball only schools. Hits a lot of major media markets. Good competition, the only doormats added are St. Louis and whatever the last west coast team is (even the old 16 team BEast had Rutgers/South Florida so 3 doormats in a 16 team conference is not bad). I don't think it works because of TV money. I think our contract only allows for expansion to 12.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Well you can keep saying this. I don't think it's accurate.

You can keep saying this. I know its not accurate.

[WarriorFan]

Adding these schools would be the sign for Georgetown and Villanova to find another home.

There is already pushback in some quarters that schools like Creighton and DePaul are poor fits and attendance to these games is down. Georgetown liked the idea of academic peer institutions in the old big East (Notre Dame, BC), and there are none in the new 10-team arrangement.

Sorry, cannot let you get away with this.  The only people who think Gtown are not among their academic peers now are the  east coast bred blue blood muppets who are the very reason the rest of us didn't go to Gtown. 

[Groin_pull]

That is your opinion. I do not give a damn that they are football schools. Two football schools, especially ones that the power 5 do not want, are not going to have any power over the Big East. I want the best basketball conference possible. These are far superior to some of the names being thrown out there.

Then get ready for those schools to bail the instant one of the P5 conferences looks to expand—and they will.

[Groin_pull]

Good think you are wearing a helmet in your profile pic, because the point just sailed above your head.

Busted. Serves me right for glancing at the posts instead of actually reading them.

[Coleman]

I would dread the 10pm starts of those west.coast games

They wouldn't be 10pm starts. Probably 8 pm central, 9 pm eastern (6 pm pacific)