Could Gonzaga work in the Big East?

[5DollarPitcher]

Or is the location issue too much to overcome? IMO they need to leave their nothingness conference and it seems no football would likely disqualify them from the PAC 12.

[The Sultan]

Word is they had conversations back when the new Big East was formed but geography was clearly too much of an issue.

I don't think their conference is hurting them too much.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Basketball isn't the issue, it's every other sport they have to travel for.

[naginiF]

In theory? sure.

In practice? nope.

Plus, why would they? edit: what Fluffy and Chi said

[MU82]

Agree with everything Sultan said.

I mean, in the last 6 NCAA tournaments, they've finished:

Elite 8 ... Sweet 16 ... National Runner-up ... Sweet 16 ... Elite 8 ... National Runner-up.

Top guys want to play for the Zags, they have become a national brand, they've gotten high seeds annually for many years now, they play an awesome non-con schedule.

That's not a program being held back by their conference affiliation one iota.

In a year like this one, when folks were arguing whether or not they were the greatest team ever, yeah, their weak-arse conference was part of the discussion. But those debates don't matter. Gonzaga can make the Final Four and be legit threats to win the championship every year.

[GooooMarquette]

Agree with what several others have said so far. There just is no need for Gonzaga to do it.

[We R Final Four]

Or is the location issue too much to overcome? IMO they need to leave their nothingness conference and it seems no football would likely disqualify them from the PAC 12.

Why do they need to leave their conference???

[GoldenWarrior11]

No.  Gonzaga doesn't need the Big East, nor does the Big East need Gonzaga. 

Scheduling alliances are a beautiful thing, however.  Wouldn't mind an annual home/home with Gonzaga for the Big East, where they get a home game against a BE team, and one BE team gets them to travel.  Might work out for teams left out of the Gavitt Games and/or Big 12 Battle.

[Heisenberg]

Basketball isn't the issue, it's every other sport they have to travel for.

This is the stumbling block.  Spokane to Providence (or visa versa) for women's cross country/tennis/soccer/etc is horribly expensive and a killer on the athletes. (to save money they bus to Seattle, connect through Chicago or Dallas, and then Bus from Boston taking about 14 hours to get there the day before they compete!)

Now if there was a realignment where there were basketball and football-only conferences (and the rest of the sports were in a different conference), then you could have a conversation.

[AZMarqfan]

I've always thought the Big East and WCC should partner for filling schedules.  If Marquette were to get 3 non-conference games (at least two in Milwaukee) against WCC schools, it would likely be better than some of the schools they typically host.  This year Gonzaga was great, and the only really weak schools were USD and Portland.  A partnership would link these two conferences that have similar goals, while also having a scheduling relationship based on basketball and not requiring other sports commitments

[GooooMarquette]

I've always thought the Big East and WCC should partner for filling schedules.  If Marquette were to get 3 non-conference games (at least two in Milwaukee) against WCC schools, it would likely be better than some of the schools they typically host.  This year Gonzaga was great, and the only really weak schools were USD and Portland.  A partnership would link these two conferences that have similar goals, while also having a scheduling relationship based on basketball and not requiring other sports commitments

Either a partnership or a conference challenge like the Gavitt Games would be great. Maybe even a doubleheader or two in a neutral site like KC or Denver. Anything beyond that is unlikely to happen.

[MU82]

No.  Gonzaga doesn't need the Big East, nor does the Big East need Gonzaga. 

Scheduling alliances are a beautiful thing, however.  Wouldn't mind an annual home/home with Gonzaga for the Big East, where they get a home game against a BE team, and one BE team gets them to travel.  Might work out for teams left out of the Gavitt Games and/or Big 12 Battle.

Outstanding idea.

[Galway Eagle]

It might work occasionally but outside of Zags Nova there wouldn't be a great matchup. At best WCC sweeps the big East from Zags, ST Mary's, BYU. And that's a big maybe. But if the big East loses more than that we lose the power conference reputation

[Lennys Tap]

Why do they need to leave their conference???

This. A little private school in eastern freakin' Washington is a national powerhouse, a top 5 program. Why would they change ANYTHING?

[The Sultan]

I have no desire to see any sort of scheduling match up with the WCC.  Fun when you play the Zags or BYU.  Dull as dirt when you play Pacific.

[Scoop Snoop]

I have no desire to see any sort of scheduling match up with the WCC.  Fun when you play the Zags or BYU.  Dull as dirt when you play Pacific.

Yep. I would like to see Gonzaga and maybe BYU play BE teams but getting involved in a conference matchup has little to offer for the BE.

[MDMU04]

I have no desire to see any sort of scheduling match up with the WCC.  Fun when you play the Zags or BYU.  Dull as dirt when you play Pacific.

Exactly. We'll be treated to annual Villanova vs Gonzaga matchups while we play Pepperdine. Fun!

[The Sultan]

Exactly. We'll be treated to annual Villanova vs Gonzaga matchups while we play Pepperdine. Fun!

The Stan Bowl!!!

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

The Stan Bowl!!!

Swing and a miss.

[The Sultan]

Swing and a miss.

Oh that's right.  LMU. 

[StillAWarrior]

Yep. I would like to see Gonzaga and maybe BYU play BE teams but getting involved in a conference matchup has little to offer for the BE.

Agreed. It's interesting that the idea behind this thread is that the WCC is weak and doesn't provide Gonzaga with good competition, but the thread veered into a suggestion that the Big East teams should play those same teams.

[cheebs09]

Would be nice to use one of our "bye weeks" in our BE schedule to schedule with Gonzaga. Would also help them with not facing top competition after December.

I don't know if teams are looking for cross country trips in the middle of conference season if they can avoid it.

[GooooMarquette]

I have no desire to see any sort of scheduling match up with the WCC.  Fun when you play the Zags or BYU.  Dull as dirt when you play Pacific.

I think it depends. Would it replace one of our usual 'home and home' games, or a buy game against a team like Presbyterian? If the latter, I'll take Pacific and an occasional matchup with Gonzaga, BYU, SMU or LMU.

[The Sultan]

I think it depends. Would it replace one of our usual 'home and home' games, or a buy game against a team like Presbyterian? If the latter, I'll take Pacific and an occasional matchup with Gonzaga, BYU, SMU or LMU.

With the expansion to a 20 game conference season, I doubt there are many scenarios by which MU is going to be giving up home buy games.

[muwarrior69]

Agreed. It's interesting that the idea behind this thread is that the WCC is weak and doesn't provide Gonzaga with good competition, but the thread veered into a suggestion that the Big East teams should play those same teams.

... all the MU logic professors are apoplectic.