More conference realignment talk

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Didn't think the move would happen. I think this was posturing to get something from the MWC.

Buffalo still makes the most sense to me.

[Billy Hoyle]

Didn't think the move would happen. I think this was posturing to get something from the MWC.

Buffalo still makes the most sense to me.

Buffalo and UAB.

[Herman Cain]

Didn't think the move would happen. I think this was posturing to get something from the MWC.

Buffalo still makes the most sense to me.

Buffalo and UAB.

Buffalo and UAB are logical moves for both parties.

[MarquetteMike1977]

Heard today and this is contrary to most I have heard previously that Saint Louis maybe be joining the Big East. My understanding is Saint Louis has acquired many big donors recently but is there anything to this

[Dr. Blackheart]

Heard today and this is contrary to most I have heard previously that Saint Louis maybe be joining the Big East. My understanding is Saint Louis has acquired many big donors recently but is there anything to this

So you and Shoots are buddies?

https://www.muscoop.com/index.php?action=profile;u=5608

[GoldenWarrior11]

SLU is making a major announcement on Tuesday per Twitter.

[Newsdreams]

SLU is making a major announcement on Tuesday per Twitter.

Left at the altar by Gonzaga, hey

[4everwarriors]

Green weenie, aina?

[Herman Cain]

SLU is making a major announcement on Tuesday per Twitter.

What Twitter did you see this on?

[JakeBarnes]

SLU is making a major announcement on Tuesday per Twitter.

Lots of rumors of MVC. Did Big East Prez's even meet to discuss expansion yet?

[tower912]

Nothing but a slu of rumors right now.

[Dr. Blackheart]

SLU is making a major announcement on Tuesday per Twitter.

Facilities expansion

[blue and gold]

Lots of rumors of MVC. Did Big East Prez's even meet to discuss expansion yet?

The SLU announcement on Tuesday is in regards to a new facility for athletics.

The rumor that this announcement is about SLU joining the MVC is false.

SLU will be making a very strong push to become Big East's 12th full-time member.

[JakeBarnes]

The SLU announcement on Tuesday is in regards to a new facility for athletics.

The rumor that this announcement is about SLU joining the MVC is false.

SLU will be making a very strong push to become Big East's 12th full-time member.

Appreciate the info!

[HutchwasClutch]

SLU will be making a very strong push to become Big East's 12th full-time member.

Just say no. Other than the St Louis market, what do they offer?  And their market size isn't that appealing either. Add wisely Big East. 

[Uncle Rico]

Just say no. Other than the St Louis market, what do they offer?  And their market size isn't that appealing either. Add wisely Big East.

Agreed.  Adding St. Louis adds absolutely nothing but embarrassment.  Might as well call it CUSA.  I'd rather add Belmont.  Nashville is a better city than St. Louis.  I'd rather add Denver, same thing.  I'd rather add Wichita State, same thing.  I'd rather add Evansville, same thing

[TedBaxter]

If the Big East were to add another team, Saint Louis may be the most logical based on the school itself, athletic facilities, athletic competitiveness overall, location compared to other schools and the city itself, whether you like it or not, fits in the larger market requirement.  Very nice on-campus facility with 10,600 capacity.  Attendance has been around 6,800. Could match up with Creighton as travel partners for home and home series. 

Belmont?  Good basketball program is the only benefit to the conference.  Blocks from an SEC program in Vanderbilt, so they don't get much coverage.  Play in a decent 5,000 seat on campus facility and in the last 2 years before Covid, averaged about 2,600 for home attendance.  The other sports don't match Big East schools.

Denver?  Plays in an on-campus gymnasium that seats 2,500.  Won 2 games last year so I doubt attendance is much.  Would play second fiddle to schools hockey program.  30 or so miles from a PAC-12 state university.  Like Belmont, receives very little coverage. 

[HutchwasClutch]

If the Big East were to add another team, Saint Louis may be the most logical based on the school itself, athletic facilities, athletic competitiveness overall, location compared to other schools and the city itself, whether you like it or not, fits in the larger market requirement.  Very nice on-campus facility with 10,600 capacity.  Attendance has been around 6,800. Could match up with Creighton as travel partners for home and home series. 

Belmont?  Good basketball program is the only benefit to the conference.  Blocks from an SEC program in Vanderbilt, so they don't get much coverage.  Play in a decent 5,000 seat on campus facility and in the last 2 years before Covid, averaged about 2,600 for home attendance.  The other sports don't match Big East schools.

Denver?  Plays in an on-campus gymnasium that seats 2,500.  Won 2 games last year so I doubt attendance is much.  Would play second fiddle to schools hockey program.  30 or so miles from a PAC-12 state university.  Like Belmont, receives very little coverage.

Really the only consideration that matters in expansion, is does a school raise the profile of men's basketball, the one and only cash cow for the Big East.  The television contract with Fox Sports is coming up. You want to make the member schools collectively as attractive as possible in terms of their men's basketball programs to hopefully force a media company bidding war.

I'm not arguing I think that's a pure and wonderful thing that it's all reduced to money, but that ship has long since sailed for major college athletics programs, so schools and conferences have to play along when everyone else is, or be reduced to irrelevancy. 

And the fact is, SLU does zero for the Big East.  They bring a television and media market somewhere in the 20's nationally.  That's nice, but nothing else is brought to the table to make them an attractive potential addition that moves the needle of media giants paying the TV deal, advertisers, fan interest, etc.  No signature moment of their men's basketball program, no recent or any track record of sustained program relevancy or success, nothing.  Facilities, very mediocre fan support, etc. add nothing of value to the conference. All these things you only start weighing if they first pass the litmus test of men's basketball being relevant, successful, attractive.  Which they clearly don't, very mediocre overall. 

If adding SLU is such a good idea, this would have happened by now.  They're  the same program, virtually same in everything when the new Big East was formed.  The conference correctly  passed on them then, and should politely say thanks, but no thanks if they are indeed going to make a major push soon for membership.  This would just be addition for the sake of addition and a 12th school. 

[HutchwasClutch]

If Gonzaga doesn't join as basketball only, which probably isn't happening, at what point should Loyola be strongly considered?  It's duplicating a market the conference already has a footprint, but - 

1) DePaul has never been relevant since being a member and being so poorly run, may never be.

2) This isn't merely a large media and potential fan market, it's massive and is too much to just pass out of hand with Loyola becoming a national player recently.

The huge cavaet of course is, can Loyola sustain their recent success at all post Moser?  But joining Big East May elevate them where it can happen.

I'm not endorsing their membership, but they definitely are appealing at this point in time. 

[Newsdreams]

The reality is BE will do what Fox wants to get a new contract and $$$.

[HutchwasClutch]

The reality is BE will do what Fox wants to get a new contract and $$$.

Fox Sports nor any other potential bidders can make Gonzaga, or any other school on a dream wish list say yes.  So that isn't reality. 

[Scoop Snoop]

If Gonzaga doesn't join as basketball only, which probably isn't happening, at what point should Loyola be strongly considered?  It's duplicating a market the conference already has a footprint, but - 

1) DePaul has never been relevant since being a member and being so poorly run, may never be.

2) This isn't merely a large media and potential fan market, it's massive and is too much to just pass out of hand with Loyola becoming a national player recently.

The huge cavaet of course is, can Loyola sustain their recent success at all post Moser?  But joining Big East May elevate them where it can happen.

I'm not endorsing their membership, but they definitely are appealing at this point in time.

Waaay back when DePaul was a national power, I think they were "Chicago's team" in the same sense that St. John's has a claim to being "New York's team" and they have that written on their home court floor. Let's not dismiss college teams as unimportant to sports fans in major pro sports markets.

While Loyola has a very long way to go to before becoming "Chicago's team" (and post Moser success is obviously step #1), they would need to commit to a major investment in facilities. I doubt that they will do this if for no other reason they did not make the commitment while Moser was there and probably could have sold the idea to donors. I am not advocating for their membership to the BE either but I really hate seeing the BE presence in the Chicago market wasted on such a self destructing school like DePaul. 

[TedBaxter]

Really the only consideration that matters in expansion, is does a school raise the profile of men's basketball, the one and only cash cow for the Big East.  The television contract with Fox Sports is coming up. You want to make the member schools collectively as attractive as possible in terms of their men's basketball programs to hopefully force a media company bidding war.

I'm not arguing I think that's a pure and wonderful thing that it's all reduced to money, but that ship has long since sailed for major college athletics programs, so schools and conferences have to play along when everyone else is, or be reduced to irrelevancy. 

And the fact is, SLU does zero for the Big East.  They bring a television and media market somewhere in the 20's nationally.  That's nice, but nothing else is brought to the table to make them an attractive potential addition that moves the needle of media giants paying the TV deal, advertisers, fan interest, etc.  No signature moment of their men's basketball program, no recent or any track record of sustained program relevancy or success, nothing.  Facilities, very mediocre fan support, etc. add nothing of value to the conference. All these things you only start weighing if they first pass the litmus test of men's basketball being relevant, successful, attractive.  Which they clearly don't, very mediocre overall. 

If adding SLU is such a good idea, this would have happened by now.  They're  the same program, virtually same in everything when the new Big East was formed.  The conference correctly  passed on them then, and should politely say thanks, but no thanks if they are indeed going to make a major push soon for membership.  This would just be addition for the sake of addition and a 12th school.

I didn't say adding SLU was a good idea.  I said that they make more sense than other programs being mentioned because of many factors.  They have also had recent success in the NCAA tournament.

[Newsdreams]

Fox Sports nor any other potential bidders can make Gonzaga, or any other school on a dream wish list say yes.  So that isn't reality.

I mean regarding if Gonzaga does not come but Fox says go get SLU BE will go after SLU or other programs Fox will want.

[JakeBarnes]

I mean regarding if Gonzaga does not come but Fox says go get SLU BE will go after SLU or other programs Fox will want.

I hope they say go get the Zags and heres a truck full of money to do so...