UConn Smoke

[Bluejay]

Their addition would guarantee more money per school for our TV contract, which I'd expect to be immediately renegotiated. It needs to be revisited anyways with the secondary package still not determined for next year.

There's a provision to expand up to 12 teams without affecting per school payouts, so no need for a renegotiation although that's still possible if Fox really wants to double down.

There is, but the one thing the whole Big 12 expansion/non-expansion episode should have taught us is that the networks are not all that excited about being forced to pay more money for expansion they are not in favor of. I think it is wise not to piss off your TV partner, especially in this cord-cutting environment.

[stever20]

One point- the secondary package does nothing for the Big East. The Big East isn't getting paid right now by CBS. CBS pays Fox directly for their games.....

[GoldenWarrior11]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/court-report-mark-few-continues-to-go-after-mark-emmert-figuring-out-kentuckys-3-point-woes/

Apparently, four schools have reached out to the Big East about potential membership. My guess is that they are (in no particular order): UConn, Davidson, Dayton, Saint Louis. It sounds like Gonzaga informally had some internal discussions, but after their flirtation with the MWC last year - and the improvement to the WCC, they are likely content with where they are.

[Bluejay]

I find it interesting that the fans of X, Butler and CU seem to be the most vocal critics against UConn.

I think many of us are saying show us the money. I get the idea that UConn potentially adds value to a TV deal, but I haven't yet seen a TV network specifically say that adding UConn would be worth X amount of additional dollars.

The flip side to your statement Gumby is that the 3 new schools don't have their feelings clouded by sentimentalism about the past and past rivalries. It is perhaps a little easier for us to look at a UConn add on a cost-benefit basis as a result. I'd also posit that we all come from non-FB conferences and may be a little paranoid about FB causing problems with the current conference arrangement. From this outsider's perspective, FB killed the original Big East after mortally wounding it multiple times prior. I'm a little concerned about adding someone with P5 football dreams, despite how crappy their FB team may be now.

[stever20]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/court-report-mark-few-continues-to-go-after-mark-emmert-figuring-out-kentuckys-3-point-woes/

Apparently, four schools have reached out to the Big East about potential membership. My guess is that they are (in no particular order): UConn, Davidson, Dayton, Saint Louis. It sounds like Gonzaga informally had some internal discussions, but after their flirtation with the MWC last year - and the improvement to the WCC, they are likely content with where they are.

I'd actually probably put VCU that list instead of Davidson..... Remember VCU showed pretty well last month in Brooklyn.... played St John's in that great game.....

[GumbyDamnit!]

I find it interesting that the fans of X, Butler and CU seem to be the most vocal critics against UConn.

I think many of us are saying show us the money. I get the idea that UConn potentially adds value to a TV deal, but I haven't yet seen a TV network specifically say that adding UConn would be worth X amount of additional dollars.

The flip side to your statement Gumby is that the 3 new schools don't have their feelings clouded by sentimentalism about the past and past rivalries. It is perhaps a little easier for us to look at a UConn add on a cost-benefit basis as a result. I'd also posit that we all come from non-FB conferences and may be a little paranoid about FB causing problems with the current conference arrangement. From this outsider's perspective, FB killed the original Big East after mortally wounding it multiple times prior. I'm a little concerned about adding someone with P5 football dreams, despite how crappy their FB team may be now.

I don't disagree with you BlueJay. You make valid points. I openly admit that I miss some rivalries. In order I miss playing: Syracuse, UConn and in a weird way, BC. I don't miss Pitt or Rutgers or USF, Cincy, or even L'ville as much. I miss the old, original BE members. You are right that FB and TV viewers might be the ultimate trump cards.

Now, in no way does any of this affect my allegiance to the current 10. With the exception of maybe DePaul (sorry Demon fans), if there were 12-13 programs in a 10 person lifeboat and I had control over who stays and who goes, my current BE brethren would be safe.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/court-report-mark-few-continues-to-go-after-mark-emmert-figuring-out-kentuckys-3-point-woes/

Good find, GoldenWarrior11.

Multiple schools have reached out re: expansion

Val Ackerman said the league was not in discussion about expansion right now, but when pressed, did admit that more than three schools have approached the Big East about potentially joining the conference.

"We do talk about it internally," Ackerman said. "I think every conference commissioner worth their salt has to be thinking about it in terms of long-term, where your league is and [evaluating] the future. But at this point, our schools are very satisfied with the current 10 programs and 10-school setup."

If expansion came to be in the Big East, Ackerman said going to 11 would be most ideal and "very workable" because it could allow the double round-robin intra-league scheduling to remain in place. Going to 12 or more schools would eliminate that, and given that Creighton AD Bruce Rasmussen is coming off a year in which he was the selection committee chair, his input on the value of round-robin scheduling -- when it comes to NCAA Tournament evaluation -- carries a lot of weight.

The Big East is also in wait-and-see mode as to how 20 league games -- and the new NET rankings -- affect other big conferences when it comes to seeding and selection. As it stands now, most Big East teams are already guaranteed 20 high-major games because there's 18 conferences tilts, the Gavitt Games with the Big Ten in November and the Big East-Big 12 series, which started this season.

What schools make for ideal candidates? The rumor mill has consistently put out a litany of programs, many of them currently in the A-10, such as Saint Louis, Dayton, Richmond, VCU, Rhode Island, Davidson and Saint Joseph's. A source previously told me that Gonzaga even informally debated the idea.

And of course, there's UConn, which has a fanbase aching to get back into the Big East. But it's football program and all the money attached to that currently stands as a logistical hurdle, if not 100-foot wall.

Ackerman said any school up for consideration would have to check a lot of boxes before entering into real discussion.

"Geography would be important," she said. "Commitment to basketball would probably be the No. 1 thing, the notion that they would be additive as it relates to our basketball prospects. Are they going to help secure our chances every year of getting into the NCAA Tournament? Possible No. 2: Would they help us with our tournament? Would they bring fans to Madison Square Garden?"

The Catholic-school angle is also not insignificant. Butler, which is private and of similar makeup to the other nine, is the only non-Catholic institution in the Big East. There's also a high level of camaraderie and morale among the membership now, something that Ackerman noted wasn't there right before the old Big East fissured, when the league was bigger.

[ProprietyofLeyluken]

My guess is that they are (in no particular order): UConn, Davidson, Dayton, Saint Louis.

If UConn was really on that list, they'd already be in.

My guess is they are:
St Louis
St Boneventure
St Josephs
VCU
Davidson
Dayton

[stever20]

My guess is that they are (in no particular order): UConn, Davidson, Dayton, Saint Louis.

If UConn was really on that list, they'd already be in.

My guess is they are:
St Louis
St Boneventure
St Josephs
VCU
Davidson
Dayton

Not necessarily. I mean, if UConn was coming next year, they wouldn't announce it until April quite frankly.... Like GW11 said I believe....

[Westbrook#36]

My guess is that they are (in no particular order): UConn, Davidson, Dayton, Saint Louis.

If UConn was really on that list, they'd already be in.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that, doesn't make it any more true. The BE holds all the leverage here, we won't expand unless it is an absolute is a homerun deal for us. Truth is, and you know it, UConn needs the BE much, much more than the BE needs UConn, fact.