Will Big 5 split from NCAA basketball?

[marquette]

When the split happens I'm not watching college sports ever again. Enough with this greed ! I got other interests to keep me occupied and won't put up with that nonsense.

I feel pretty much the same. If this happened, they would lose a lot of fans from other universities. Personally I'd shift my sports patronage from college basketball to professional, maybe go to a few more Brewers games (I'm from a baseball family anyway). I doubt you and me are the only ones. Maybe they don't care about the alumni of 12,000 enrollment Marquette, but you lose enough of us (plus a few 30,000 enrollment UW-Milwaukees or VCUs) and all of a sudden the interest in a basketball tournament is severely depressed. P5 would likely be killing the golden goose.

[BEwannabe]

you guys get it and it's what I've been saying, they won't walk away from something they know so well and start down an unknown path, there will be plenty of people with enough vision to assure this outcome. March Madness is now preceded by 6 weeks of speculation about what teams will get in and what will be there seed, who the first four in/out are, analysis of bubble teams. It's the perfect storm and what makes the first weekend 1 of the most anticipated events in sports across the globe. When it comes to sports in USA only the NFL playoffs have more fanfare. No one could possibly so stupid to tun their backs on this.

[marquette]

you guys get it and it's what I've been saying, they won't walk away from something they know so well and start down an unknown path, there will be plenty of people with enough vision to assure this outcome. March Madness is now preceded by 6 weeks of speculation about what teams will get in and what will be there seed, who the first four in/out are, analysis of bubble teams. It's the perfect storm and what makes the first weekend 1 of the most anticipated events in sports across the globe. When it comes to sports in USA only the NFL playoffs have more fanfare. No one could possibly so stupid to tun their backs on this.

I'd be curious to see what happens to the bracketologists when there is no more bracketology. 64/65 teams get in (even if they shrink it to 32 it's not as interesting), so much mystery! What do the networks do to fill those hours of programming? For that matter, will the networks go along with cutting a significant portion of their college basketball content? The P5 gets no money without the networks.

[Xudash]

you guys get it and it's what I've been saying, they won't walk away from something they know so well and start down an unknown path, there will be plenty of people with enough vision to assure this outcome. March Madness is now preceded by 6 weeks of speculation about what teams will get in and what will be there seed, who the first four in/out are, analysis of bubble teams. It's the perfect storm and what makes the first weekend 1 of the most anticipated events in sports across the globe. When it comes to sports in USA only the NFL playoffs have more fanfare. No one could possibly so stupid to tun their backs on this.

Exactly.

I find it humorous when I read about some dire predictions that suggest that the new "Cinderellas" will be schools like Northwestern, Wake, Penn State, etc. They can't be "Cinderellas" if they're already in the P5. For those that treasure that distinction, believing your school is automatically legitimate because it has big-time football, though it sucks at hoops, you can't have it both ways. NOBODY will look at them that way.

The magic of the existing NCAA Tournament is schools like Bucknell or Davidson making a run against schools that mostly would refuse to play them in the regular season. I couldn't agree more about the turn off factor as well; many, many fans of non-P5 schools would shut their viewership down in disgust were the existing Tournament to be blown-up. I believe everyone, including Slive and Delaney and the other P5 commissioners know this to be a fact, and they understand that there is no operating model that is better than the existing one for maximizing television dollars for a basketball tournament. Having noted that, perhaps 300+ schools is too many, but where would you draw the line on them, and the P5 are about to enjoy a material economic advantage anyway, which most likely will lead to garnering a few more at large bids.

We should count ourselves as being very fortunate to be Big East members. We have the money to compete. We continue to enjoy a peer-like reputation when it comes to basketball - the B1G deal would have never happened if it were otherwise.

In my opinion, at the end of the day, the real losers in all this will prove to be UC, UCONN and most of the other schools attempting to maintain football at a meaningful level outside of the P5. God help BC or Wake or one of the lessor P5 members should they ever go to the 4 x 16 model while forcing ND into a conference in order to remain in the club.

[SJHooper]

I wouldn't be shocked if it did happen this day in age because nothing makes sense anymore. It only has to make cents.

But then again it would be an extremely stupid move to change the tourney to exclusively big name football schools. The whole point and allure of the tourney is the role of the cinderella. Not one March goes by without analysts and people on the street predicting and clamoring for the next big upset. Without the chance of major upsets it's just the same old crap. Hopefully they will see that the best playoff in all sports in America does not need fixing.

Crazier things have happened, but I'm sorry I just can't picture a totally irrelevant and forgotten about or Division II Villanova, Georgetown, Memphis, UConn, Cincy, St. John's, Marquette, Gonzaga, etc. If they really go through with this totally changing the tourney it will be forever ruined beyond repair and they will lose a TON of fans and probably a ton of money as well. They will also lose the hype and mystique which cannot be purchased.

[Wizard of Westroads]

you guys get it and it's what I've been saying, they won't walk away from something they know so well and start down an unknown path, there will be plenty of people with enough vision to assure this outcome. March Madness is now preceded by 6 weeks of speculation about what teams will get in and what will be there seed, who the first four in/out are, analysis of bubble teams. It's the perfect storm and what makes the first weekend 1 of the most anticipated events in sports across the globe. When it comes to sports in USA only the NFL playoffs have more fanfare. No one could possibly so stupid to tun their backs on this.

God help BC or Wake or one of the lessor P5 members should they ever go to the 4 x 16 model while forcing ND into a conference in order to remain in the club.

That's my dream: BC decides to drop football and join us. There's the perfect fit we've been looking for. That freakin' Flutie pass against Miami is too good a memory for most alums to give up, though, so like I said, it's a dream.

[hoyahooligan]

I brought the subject of the P5 splitting away from the rest of the NCAA and forming their own basketball tournament on the Rivals Basketball board and none of the posters seemed to realize that was a possibility. These are mostly fans of P5 schools on that site and they don't seem to think it's being contemplated at all. Take that for what it's worth.

[stever20]

I brought the subject of the P5 splitting away from the rest of the NCAA and forming their own basketball tournament on the Rivals Basketball board and none of the posters seemed to realize that was a possibility. These are mostly fans of P5 schools on that site and they don't seem to think it's being contemplated at all. Take that for what it's worth.

I think the dangerous time for basketball would be not now, but rather in about 8-9 years. The current NCAA Tournament deal runs thru 2024, so 10 more years. When that expires is the real danger time I think.

[Amase2]

I wouldn't be shocked if it did happen this day in age because nothing makes sense anymore. It only has to make cents.

But then again it would be an extremely stupid move to change the tourney to exclusively big name football schools. The whole point and allure of the tourney is the role of the cinderella. Not one March goes by without analysts and people on the street predicting and clamoring for the next big upset. Without the chance of major upsets it's just the same old crap. Hopefully they will see that the best playoff in all sports in America does not need fixing.

Crazier things have happened, but I'm sorry I just can't picture a totally irrelevant and forgotten about or Division II Villanova, Georgetown, Memphis, UConn, Cincy, St. John's, Marquette, Gonzaga, etc. If they really go through with this totally changing the tourney it will be forever ruined beyond repair and they will lose a TON of fans and probably a ton of money as well. They will also lose the hype and mystique which cannot be purchased.

Good post

[HoosierPal]

I think the dangerous time for basketball would be not now, but rather in about 8-9 years. The current NCAA Tournament deal runs thru 2024, so 10 more years. When that expires is the real danger time I think.

Some who agrees with me! I have been criticized by many when I stated that in 10 years, the NCAA tourney will not look like it does today. Who, 10 years ago, predicted that the Power 5 would set up their own football rules and have their own football tournament? No one knows what the 2025 tourney will look like, but to say it won't change is shortsighted.

In 10 years will there be 'free agency' in college sports where athletes accept the highest financial offer on the table? Will athletes have 'contracts' with teams for two years and then they are free to re-negotiate? Will colleges have salary caps for football and basketball? You think there aren't entities out there right now trying to figure out how to make this happen? Never say never.