More conference realignment talk

[Tyler COLEk]

Marquette joining the Big 12 would be bad from any reasonable fan's perspective. Why would anyone want to mess with what's happening in the Big East right now?

Obviously it would be much better than being left in the cold without a major conference affiliation. But if the Big 12 wants to package basketball media rights separate from football, who's to say there would be much (if any) financial incentive for Big East universities to switch? Isn't the entire appeal of moving to the P5 getting at least a tiny piece of that football pie?

[Shooter McGavin]

Which could be very good (joining the Big XII) or very bad (getting left behind with Providence, DePaul, and Butler) for Marquette

Yeah, the whole Shaka is going to be here for a long time and MU will be back to Al level success could be destroyed in an instant with a couple phone calls from the Big 12.  Enjoy the success of MU and the Big East conference while it lasts.  In a couple years the Players Championship may be much more important on weekends like this by many MU fans who are only interested in competing at the highest level. Not sure I would be willing to accept being in a different version of the MCC again either. 

[The Sultan]

If the worst case happened, and Villanova, UConn and SJU left the conference, the Big East would be able to pick up 2 or 3 decent programs and move forward. It would not make Marquette irrelevant and most certainly not be the next version of the MCC.  Don't get me wrong, it would not be nearly as good as the conference is now, but have some faith.

[SaveOD238]

Marquette joining the Big 12 would be bad from any reasonable fan's perspective. Why would anyone want to mess with what's happening in the Big East right now?

Obviously it would be much better than being left in the cold without a major conference affiliation. But if the Big 12 wants to package basketball media rights separate from football, who's to say there would be much (if any) financial incentive for Big East universities to switch? Isn't the entire appeal of moving to the P5 getting at least a tiny piece of that football pie?

The Big XII has produced the last two national champions and is year in and year out the best conference in college basketball.

Sure, Kansas would win the conference every year.  But we'd be in the next tier with Baylor, Houston, etc and at the very least no worse off than Iowa St or K State.

I prefer the current Big East, but I'd much rather be IN an expanded Big XII than out of it.

[Tyler COLEk]

The Big XII has produced the last two national champions and is year in and year out the best conference in college basketball.

Sure, Kansas would win the conference every year.  But we'd be in the next tier with Baylor, Houston, etc and at the very least no worse off than Iowa St or K State.

I prefer the current Big East, but I'd much rather be IN an expanded Big XII than out of it.

Of course if the Big East is majorly poached we'd want to be a part of that. But what's incentivizing those first Big East teams to make the jump? Even if you could guarantee the Big 12's quality long-term (which you can't—they'll have down years soon enough), that isn't a good enough reason to blow up decades-long rivalries, participation in the BET, and everything else the Big East has going it.

[Shooter McGavin]

If the worst case happened, and Villanova, UConn and SJU left the conference, the Big East would be able to pick up 2 or 3 decent programs and move forward. It would not make Marquette irrelevant and most certainly not be the next version of the MCC.  Don't get me wrong, it would not be nearly as good as the conference is now, but have some faith.

I think the worst case scenario leads to a slightly stronger version of the A-10.  The MCC was a little hyperbole on my part.  My concern would be the continued erosion of status that would eventually lead to a second tier in college basketball.  MU needs to be in a conference that is part of the 75-100 teams that eventually break away from the rest and have their own championship.  The movement for power conference consolidation in the last 10-15 years has been exponentially faster than the last 100 years combined. The writing is on the wall.  They will break away.  MU needs an invite from the big boys and there is concern on my part that will not happen.  Hopefully I am dead wrong. 

[The Sultan]

I think the worst case scenario leads to a slightly stronger version of the A-10.  The MCC was a little hyperbole on my part.  My concern would be the continued erosion of status that would eventually lead to a second tier in college basketball. MU needs to be in a conference that is part of the 75-100 teams that eventually break away from the rest and have their own championship.  The movement for power conference consolidation in the last 10-15 years has been exponentially faster than the last 100 years combined. The writing is on the wall.  They will break away.  MU needs an invite from the big boys and there is concern on my part that will not happen.  Hopefully I am dead wrong.

I doubt the bolded happens. There is zero reason for the top 75-100 teams to do that now.

[CountryRoads]

Of course if the Big East is majorly poached we'd want to be a part of that. But what's incentivizing those first Big East teams to make the jump? Even if you could guarantee the Big 12's quality long-term (which you can't—they'll have down years soon enough), that isn't a good enough reason to blow up decades-long rivalries, participation in the BET, and everything else the Big East has going it.

The Big12 isn't an attractive spot for MU or any other BE program. It would just take one phone call from the Big10 to snag Kansas and the basketball conference would quickly become crap. The success of Baylor and Houston are largely tied to their coaches and if they leave those programs and fan bases could easily fall off a cliff. Nothing would excite me less to look at the schedule and see games @BYU and home against UCF back to back.

[Hards Alumni]

The Big12 isn't an attractive spot for MU or any other BE program. It would just take one phone call from the Big10 to snag Kansas and the basketball conference would quickly become crap. The success of Baylor and Houston are largely tied to their coaches and if they leave those programs and fan bases could easily fall off a cliff. Nothing would excite me less to look at the schedule and see games @BYU and home against UCF back to back.

A couple of things:

1.  No.
2.  Houston isn't in the Big 12.

[CountryRoads]

A couple of things:

1.  No.
2.  Houston isn't in the Big 12.

They would be when any basketball only school would be a part of the conference. And  what do you mean by "no"?

There would be much more attractive options for any basketball only school than the Big12.

[The Sultan]

A couple of things:

1.  No.
2.  Houston isn't in the Big 12.

Houston will be in the B12 next year.

[Hards Alumni]

They would be when any basketball only school would be a part of the conference. And  what do you mean by "no"?

There would be much more attractive options for any basketball only school than the Big12.

Kansas is not the only good team in the conference was the "no".

[Hards Alumni]

Houston will be in the B12 next year.

I'm getting old.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Houston will be in the B12 next year.

Actually, this July as they negotiated an early exit.

https://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2022-news-articles/june-2022/06102022-big12.php

[The Sultan]

Actually, this July as they negotiated an early exit.

https://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2022-news-articles/june-2022/06102022-big12.php

I meant next academic year. I have to realize that not everyone works in higher education!

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

John Fanta
@John_Fanta
NEWS: Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman announces that the conference will be initiating talks about a renewal deal with media rights holder FOX Sports in the coming months.

https://twitter.com/John_Fanta/status/1633523513842647040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1633523513842647040%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=

[79Warrior]

If the worst case happened, and Villanova, UConn and SJU left the conference, the Big East would be able to pick up 2 or 3 decent programs and move forward. It would not make Marquette irrelevant and most certainly not be the next version of the MCC.  Don't get me wrong, it would not be nearly as good as the conference is now, but have some faith.

If the BE loses the greater metro NY market with a Nova, UConn and SJU exit then the conference takes a big hit imo.

[The Sultan]

If the BE loses the greater metro NY market with a Nova, UConn and SJU exit then the conference takes a big hit imo.

They'd still have Seton Hall, but yeah...

[forgetful]

John Fanta
@John_Fanta
NEWS: Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman announces that the conference will be initiating talks about a renewal deal with media rights holder FOX Sports in the coming months.

https://twitter.com/John_Fanta/status/1633523513842647040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1633523513842647040%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=

This and the fact that Fox holds the rights to B12 basketball, makes me think that a B12 raid on the BE is unlikely, and that its more likely to see some sort of B12-BE alliance hybrid for basketball (and maybe olympic sports?).

[muwarrior69]

The Big12 isn't an attractive spot for MU or any other BE program. It would just take one phone call from the Big10 to snag Kansas and the basketball conference would quickly become crap. The success of Baylor and Houston are largely tied to their coaches and if they leave those programs and fan bases could easily fall off a cliff. Nothing would excite me less to look at the schedule and see games @BYU and home against UCF back to back.

Isn't that true for most basketball programs.

[Dickthedribbler]

This and the fact that Fox holds the rights to B12 basketball, makes me think that a B12 raid on the BE is unlikely, and that its more likely to see some sort of B12-BE alliance hybrid for basketball (and maybe olympic sports?).

Forgetful:

Your citation to the Fanta announcement and your comments are the most intelligent/comforting take I've seen written on this topic in the last 2 months.

Why would FOX enter into negotiations with the Big East today regarding the renewal of its broadcasting rights, if it's going to standby and watch one of its other broadcast partners ( the B12) blow up the BE tomorrow. It's counterintuitive on a number of levels.

[The Sultan]

This and the fact that Fox holds the rights to B12 basketball, makes me think that a B12 raid on the BE is unlikely, and that its more likely to see some sort of B12-BE alliance hybrid for basketball (and maybe olympic sports?).

Makes a great deal of sense.

[shoothoops]

This and the fact that Fox holds the rights to B12 basketball, makes me think that a B12 raid on the BE is unlikely, and that its more likely to see some sort of B12-BE alliance hybrid for basketball (and maybe olympic sports?).

Hopefully they will find a better alternative to FloSports. Big 12 college baseball showdown opening weekend,  FloSports was charging $30 to watch games. Big East keeps renewing its FloSports deals too. Cost/value, production, etc...isn't strong.

[The Equalizer]

The Big12 isn't an attractive spot for MU or any other BE program. It would just take one phone call from the Big10 to snag Kansas and the basketball conference would quickly become crap. The success of Baylor and Houston are largely tied to their coaches and if they leave those programs and fan bases could easily fall off a cliff. Nothing would excite me less to look at the schedule and see games @BYU and home against UCF back to back.

The success of Houston is tied to Tilman Fertetta. 

[Oldgym]

In a wide-ranging interview with CBS Sports on Wednesday night, Robbins provided what might be the most inside look at the Pac-12-Big 12 realignment tussle to date.  Robbins said out loud what the industry has been whispering: Fox had a significant hand in luring USC and UCLA to the Big Ten. We learned that Arizona and Arizona State are basically a package deal with Robbins and ASU president Michael Crow in lockstep. If one leaves the conference, the other might follow.

No matter what happens with a Pac-12 deal, the SEC and Big Ten will be at least $30 million annually ahead of everyone else on a per-school basis. That gulf is significant and will be difficult to overcome.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/arizona-president-talks-keeping-pac-12-together-tv-deal-expectations-deadlines-big-12-interest-and-more/