[Cracked Sidewalks] Big East Win Targets

[brewcity77]

In our latest Cracketology, we go through every team in the Big East to see what they need to do to make the NCAA Tournament field. Let's just say it's bleak.

Cracketology: Big East Win Targets

[Billy Hoyle]

We're a three bid league this year, likely the same as the WCC.

[Jay Bee]

I like to say, "Well over 25% of the conference!"

#GAP

[GoldenWarrior11]

Outside of UConn, St. John's and Villanova, the league just isn't good this year and too many teams are in a "rebuilding" phase (which is a poor excuse in today's NIL/portal era, as there really shouldn't be a rebuilding phase for any high-major-level program).  We have our own disappointing situation this season, but there simply are too many bad teams in the conference this season (and the difference between #11 and #6 is relatively small). 

[willie warrior]

Yes, we are bad in a bad league.

[wadesworld]

People thought rev share would give basketball only schools this giant advantage over football schools.  Turns out it's not rev share that matters, but big money alums that can provide NIL deals for athletes outside of rev share.  As willie says, the gap has widened.  Basketball only schools can pay maybe $2MM more in rev share than football only schools?  Cool, that's half of an NIL deal for a top level player that an SEC school can provide.

[Mu8891]

The entire BE is way down this year...

Three tiers:

1. UConn

2. SJU and Nova

3. Crap

And what happens when UCONN eventually leaves for the ACC or B12 ( which is just a matter of time) ?

[Jay Bee]

The entire BE is way down this year...

Three tiers:

1. UConn

2. SJU and Nova

3. Crap

And what happens when UCONN eventually leaves for the ACC or B12 ( which is just a matter of time) ?

Then the rest of the league follows our lead and folds up.

[Scoop Snoop]

The entire BE is way down this year...

And what happens when UCONN eventually leaves for the ACC or B12 ( which is just a matter of time) ?

Yep. Not if. When.

Of course, UCONN brings in $ to the BE both from the tourney and our TV contract's value with them in the BE. After that? The remaining BE members will have a chance for 2 more Ws vs. other BE teams that have been almost automatic Ls vs. UCONN. Big deal.

With the megadonors shelling out Big Bucks in the power conferences, even after FB, the future of the BE as a high-level conference is certainly in question.

[mug644]

I'm not inclined to think that UConn is looking to run anywhere in the next few years. They "bet" on football being the only driver of financial security for the athletic department when the Big East broke up and they joined the AAC in 2013. That failed, and they gladly rejoined the Big East when they had the chance, essentially putting their football program out to (independent) pasture.

They also see the history of successful Big East basketball programs leaving to join power conferences because of football. Schools like BC, Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville and ND (though they are a unique situation) show that the grass is not always greener, especially as the football and basketball programs at those schools have all declined.

Add the uncertainty around NIL and the NCAA overall, and I think UConn will wisely allow things to play out, knowing that once cards start to get shuffled, they will be highly desired, because they have a strong b-ball program (including women's) and have a crappy football program (that won't threaten existing top programs in whatever conference is trying to lure them).

All that said, I don't necessarily disagree with the idea that it will be 'when' not 'if' ... just that it isn't happening imminently.

[MU82]

We Scoopers sure are champs at worrying about stuff!

[Scoop Snoop]

We Scoopers sure are champs at worrying about stuff!

Says one half of the Scoop Sunshine Boys. You should try worrying. It's fun.

[tower912]

Alfred E. Neuman, Rudyard Kiplings 'If', and Theodore Roosevelt's 'Man in the Arena' in a blender.

[GoldenWarrior11]

UConn has won six national championships in men's basketball since 1999 and twelve in women's basketball since 1995.  If basketball drove realignment, UConn would be in the most lucrative conference in the country.  Football continues to drive all realignment decisions (including UConn's return to the Big East).  UConn Football had one nationally recognized year and they couldn't get fans to go to the Fiesta Bowl (and lost money in the process).

The Big Ten isn't adding UConn.  Neither is the SEC.  The Big 12 Commissioner attempted to convince its Presidents to add UConn and they rebuffed the overtures.  The ACC will not add them unless they lose all of their valuable football programs to other conferences (and at that point, their valuation as a whole will be significantly less than it is today - and the ACC is still drastically behind the SEC and Big Ten).

While the UConn/Big East partnership is a marriage of convenience, there's nothing else out there that can really bring more value or exposure for UConn right now.  UConn belongs in the Big East.