What is DePoint of DePaul?

[1SE]

I mean everyone loves a good seal clubbing, but, honestly, how many of us were watching the first 30 minutes just praying that no one got hurt? At this point it's really hard to see what value DePaul brings to the Big East. In the era of mega-streaming traditional media market rights will matter less and less. And while this year is clearly a nadir (hopefully!), DePaul has been just abysmal since the New BE formed - it's never been better than a Q3 home game, and has been a Q4 home game 5 times since 2013.

What are the pros at this point?

Don't have to pay for a buy game?

Gets the walk-ons some guaranteed minutes?

Gets Marquette an additional home game at FiservSouth?

Their women's team is decent?

It's a close and cheap conference match-up for all our other sports?

It's 2 wins (but not always!) that might be useful in bubble years when we're looking for that magic number of 18 or 19 total wins?

Clearly whoever comes in next should be given a chance to turn it around - but at what point does the rest of the league say "you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here?" It seems like a team getting booted from a conference for poor performance is pretty rare, but it did happen to Temple BE football in 2001 - DePaul's track record has been similarly futile - could you just kick out their mbb?

I mean I guess if you boot them and don't bring in anyone else then you need to find two more (buy) games and/or one buy game and another "home and home". But honestly - wouldn't a game against Dayton tonight have been a bit more exciting? We're probably better than GMU anyway....

2024 - Q4
2023 - Q2/Q3 (A/H)(barely)
2022 - Q2/Q3
2021 - Q3
2020 - Q2/Q3
2019 - Q2/Q3
2018 - Q2/Q3
2017 - Q3/Q4
2016 - Q3/Q4
2015 - Q3
2014 - Q3/Q4
2013 - Q3/Q4

[PointWarrior]

"wouldn't a game against Dayton tonight have been a bit more exciting"

No, ABD - Anybody But Dayton.   Would rather play UW-Milwaukee or Grand Canyon...

[WarriorFan]

DePaul is great for the BEAST.   MU gets one additional home game, (for the Chi-town crowd) and 2 mid season scrimmages with much less strain than a real BEAST game. 

[StillAWarrior]

DePaul is great for the BEAST.   MU gets one additional home game, (for the Chi-town crowd) and 2 mid season scrimmages with much less strain than a real BEAST game.

This seems like a good moment to express our appreciation that Shaka is the coach at Marquette and our deep gratitude to the individual(s) who paid Wojo's buyout. It was not long ago that we sweated the DePaul game. During Wojo's tenure MU was only 9-5 against DePaul. That included two home losses.

[FairWeatherEagle]

I know the BE is mostly about basketball but I'm not sure about Depauls other sports. Are they decent? You mention women's basketball. I'm hoping the BE can make decisions on the whole of the conference. Not be a grotesque disfigured monster like the B10.  Football driving change.

Basketball also doesn't take too many people to have a decent team. A good coach and a couple of recruits and youre not in the cellar.

[StillWarriors]

I know the BE is mostly about basketball but I'm not sure about Depauls other sports. Are they decent? You mention women's basketball. I'm hoping the BE can make decisions on the whole of the conference. Not be a grotesque disfigured monster like the B10.  Football driving change.

Basketball also doesn't take too many people to have a decent team. A good coach and a couple of recruits and youre not in the cellar.

Their women's basketball team has not been as strong the last few years as it had historically. The had a star player transfer to LSU last year. I think the NIL stuff is even leaking into the women's game at the highest level. They have had the same coach for decades and were consistently very good until dipping recently. That athletic department/school has clearly not kept up with the times and they are paying for it.

[21Jumpstreet]

This seems like a good moment to express our appreciation that Shaka is the coach at Marquette and our deep gratitude to the individual(s) who paid Wojo's buyout. It was not long ago that we sweated the DePaul game. During Wojo's tenure MU was only 9-5 against DePaul. That included two home losses.

This. I actually said last night no chance we win by 27.5, it's DePaul, we could very well find ourselves in a frustrating dogfight. Welp, we may have reached the DePaul is irrelevant point, and I'm a fan from back in the day. It's too bad, really, lots of history there.

[swoopem]

This seems like a good moment to express our appreciation that Shaka is the coach at Marquette and our deep gratitude to the individual(s) who paid Wojo's buyout. It was not long ago that we sweated the DePaul game. During Wojo's tenure MU was only 9-5 against DePaul. That included two home losses.

After those 5 losses Wojo's press conference probably went something like this: "they're a really good team. They're well coached and winning in this league is hard"

Gosh, so happy that the big money folks stepped up

[MuggsyB]

I don't see anything positive DePaul adds to the BEast. 

[MU82]

Like the rest of us, I've been watching Big East basketball pretty closely ever since Marquette joined. And I can't remember watching a worse Big East team than the one that played Marquette last night.

Can't imagine the league booting them, though.

More likely: When the game of Conference Musical Chairs ends, they'll be left without a seat. Maybe they'll be able to compete in the MAC. (Or maybe not.)

[BallBoy]

Nothing to do with quality of sports. They bring the Chicago Market which makes the value of any TV contract higher.

Trading Chicago for Dayton would be dumb.

[TallTitan34]

Nothing to do with quality of sports. They bring the Chicago Market which makes the value of any TV contract higher.

Do they bring the Chicago market or do we? 

I could see there being more Marquette alums than DePaul alums in Chicago watching Big East games.

[MuggsyB]

Nothing to do with quality of sports. They bring the Chicago Market which makes the value of any TV contract higher.

Trading Chicago for Dayton would be dumb.

Take Loyola and kick out DePaul?

[The Sultan]

I don't really think the "market" matters as much as it used to. What matters are the number of eyeballs that watch the game - especially if more of the content is moving to streaming services.  And in that case, a program with a larger, dedicated fanbase, such as Dayton, may actually be more valuable than a program like DePaul.

But regardless, they aren't kicking out DePaul.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Nothing to do with quality of sports. They bring the Chicago Market which makes the value of any TV contract higher.

Trading Chicago for Dayton would be dumb.

They are so bad, the TV numbers have been a trainwreak.

[TallTitan34]

I don't really think the "market" matters as much as it used to. What matters are the number of eyeballs that watch the game - especially if more of the content is moving to streaming services.  And in that case, a program with a larger, dedicated fanbase, such as Dayton, may actually be more valuable than a program like DePaul.

But regardless, they aren't kicking out DePaul.

Going along with this, I think adding markets matters more when the conference has their own network (Big Ten) and is trying to get it added in new places (west coast).

Chicago is going to have any channel Big East games are on with or without DePaul.

[wadesworld]

I was more entertained last night than I was Saturday.  As long as the team is able to find focus when playing against DePaul, it's pretty fun to watch.

[DFW HOYA]

Nothing to do with quality of sports. They bring the Chicago Market which makes the value of any TV contract higher.
Trading Chicago for Dayton would be dumb.

"Markets" aren't essential in media deals anymore. Here are the rankings of TV markets in two conferences this season. Which is more valuable?

Conference 1
Top 50:
# 4, 5, 6, 12, 18, 21, 31, 46, 50
Top 100:
#51, 62, 70
Below Top 100:
#103

Conference 2
Top 50:
#7, 26, 46
Top 100:
#59, 61, 63, 76, 83, 95, 96, 98
Below Top 100:
#105, 134, 138

Conference 1 is the AAC. Conference 2 is the SEC.

[Hards Alumni]

Going along with this, I think adding markets matters more when the conference has their own network (Big Ten) and is trying to get it added in new places (west coast).

Chicago is going to have any channel Big East games are on with or without DePaul.

Exactly.  And if the BEAST seeks to replace DePaul they'd probably rather have the MSP metro area or even STL than the Dayton metro area.

[cheebs09]

The world needs ditch diggers too. I think DePaul is only one hire away from at least being respectable. They just have been really bad at doing that.

Their facilities seem up to par and are making the necessary investments. Certainly not Mu levels, but the bare minimum for a Big East school.

[MU82]

I was more entertained last night than I was Saturday.  As long as the team is able to find focus when playing against DePaul, it's pretty fun to watch.

True. I probably said, "What an effen pass!" at least a half-dozen times yesterday, and a couple of those were for Oso.

As I said in another thread, I wish we had played Providence or Xavier or even at Creighton last night because I think we'd have beaten anybody. Very high level of determination and focus, and it wasn't just because Depaul was the opponent. Indeed, playing a JV team could've made it more difficult to focus.

[Hards Alumni]

The world needs ditch diggers too. I think DePaul is only one hire away from at least being respectable. They just have been really bad at doing that.

Their facilities seem up to par and are making the necessary investments. Certainly not Mu levels, but the bare minimum for a Big East school.

nah

[Galway Eagle]

Potential: depaul  is by a decent bit the second largest school in the big east, that means how many exponentially more stakeholders between alumni, staff, parents that could watch. Additionally they're in, by quite a decent bit, the second largest metro area in the conference. If we say a good big east team brings in 10% of casual non affiliated observers from a market then you'd want that 10% to be from a 9million metro not from a small satellite city regardless how rabid the fanbase is.

Positives for us: Lastly DePaul gives the teams that do try a rallying event in a large market. I'd guarantee us, Creighton Butler and X all have their second largest alumni bases in Chicagoland. Playing here once is a huge opportunity to increase engagement among alumni and Increase their presence in front of potential students.

Recruiting: Lastly recruiting, Chicago isn't what it once was thanks to prep schools but it's still a pretty important area to keep and selling kids on being able to play in front of their friends & family every year is certainly a selling point.


All that said if Loyola wanted to pitch playing at the UC or wintrust id swap the pair in an instant.

[#UnleashSean]

Nothing to do with quality of sports. They bring the Chicago Market which makes the value of any TV contract higher.

Trading Chicago for Dayton would be dumb.

Depaul definitely does NOT bring the chicago market looool.

[Mu8891]

Exactly ^

Duh Paul does NOT bring the Chicago market!  I mean they draw like what ?....
500 fans per game ?