Candidates?

[Bill Marsh]

I don't know if there is a camp for me, but count me as "open to hearing UCONN, Temple, Memphis, and Cincy's case for letting them back in"

With respect to candidates, I really like the Zags, obviously. I don't know enough to comment on whether the logistics are too big a hurdle.

Richmond, in my opinion, has enormous potential. Similarly, Detroit also has great potential--big TV market, NBA/NHL arena, and new recruiting grounds. However, I think Richmond has a pretty decent shot at actually realizing its potential. Detroit, I'm not nearly as confident in.

So by speculating like we are, I'm assuming we're all on the same page here--Xavier's AD is basically saying that "the list is CURRENTLY SLU, Dayton, Richmond, and VCU, but a lot can happen in five years so who knows"

While we're speculating, what about the prospect of letting WVU back into the BE for all sports except football. Let them work out a deal with the BigXII for football, let us have their basketball? I can see advantages and disadvantages.

If you're waiting to hear proposals for reinstatement from the departed programs of the Big East, listen hard because all you'll be hearing are crickets. There are no such proposals.

As for Richmond, they are a small school of 3000 students. They simply do not have the critical mass to be a power basketball program. I have no idea why the Big Eastnwould be interested in them if the BE wants to be a power basketball league.

The Xabier AD absolutely did not identify a list of candidates. Listen to the interview again.

[TheHall]

From what I know, SLU's president isn't too high on athletics, which makes me hesitant. However, I love that they have had recent success, big tv market, new recruiting grounds, NHL arena, and great academics.

SLU's President will be stepping down when they get a replacement. That should make for even a better situation.

Now this may become an interesting development...I love the St. Louis region for BE expansion.

[TheHall]

You don't understand what UConn's agenda is. It goes beyond athletics. They want to be taken seriously as one of the premier public research universities in the country. They're very excited about the fact that they just broke into US News top 20 for the first time at #19. They are in the process of building a major biogenesis research facility as part of a billion dollar investment to establish themselves as the "go to" center for this cutting edge 21st century research. They are also partnering with United Technologies, whose corporate HQs are in state, on fuel cell research.

Athletics are just a piece of a larger package to distinguish themselves as a premier national research university. They are not backing off that plan, which means that they are not backing off a commitment to being in an all sports conference which sponsors football and being competitive in both revenue sports.

So why do you think Uconn and Louisville fought it out so hard for that last ACC spot, because they knew there would be another invite soon...yeah right. Looks it's clear you have a vested interest in Uconn (for or against I can't tell) but if you have been following realignment as closely as most C7 fans have then you should know every major program not in the P5 had the same 15 year "plan" as Uconn- get into the P5. Some got in but guess what 3 teams (Uconn, Cincy & USF) got left out (4 if you count Boise). Uconn having the ambitions isn't unique & it doesn't guarantee anything.

Anyway I'm done on this topic (for now). I'm a recruiting guy and SHU is making some noise on trail now. Hope your program is recruiting well too Bill...oh wait I don't know who you root for so let me take that back

[marquette]

From what I know, SLU's president isn't too high on athletics, which makes me hesitant. However, I love that they have had recent success, big tv market, new recruiting grounds, NHL arena, and great academics.

SLU's President will be stepping down when they get a replacement. That should make for even a better situation.

Now this may become an interesting development...I love the St. Louis region for BE expansion.

I was under the impression that SLU stated they would spend whatever was necessary to get into the Big East. Maybe Billesq or another SLU fan can confirm/deny that? If so, that would be a pretty strong statement on the future of their athletics.

[Friarfan2]

Uconn can strive to be the greatest research institution in the work, but at the end of the day it is always going to be no more than a safety school for kids from the state of Connecticut. I know some people here think these mega mart schools are amazing, but there is a reason why people who can pay more money to go to the non-mega mart schools.

[billyjack]

Brother The Hall, I don't want to speak for Bill M, but he's a trusted, respected knowledgeable poster... a UConn fan who has deep knowledge of the Husky program, from Connecticut, who has sent his children and paid boatloads of tuition to Boston College and Providence. He's also followed the Big East since 1979, and college hoops from way before that. Point being, he has his finger on the UConn pulse, seasons tickets holder at Gampel, gets the dope on the Huskies, remembers the Dom Perno days, unlike most UConn fans he doesn't think college hoops began in 1990, etc, etc... this came up on this board earlier this summer... anyway, when he speaks, on UConn especially, it's not just a guess... in fact, I had Bill M on my shortlist to be Big East commissioner before the selection of Val Ackerman... he's probably still pissed that "Kathy John's" closed, probably bumps into Jim Calhoun at the local IGA, and can probably recommend the best diners in Putnam, Pomfret, Moosup, Mansfield, Voluntown, and Willimantic...

[Bill Marsh]

Uconn can strive to be the greatest research institution in the work, but at the end of the day it is always going to be no more than a safety school for kids from the state of Connecticut. I know some people here think these mega mart schools are amazing, but there is a reason why people who can pay more money to go to the non-mega mart schools.

Your comment is irrelevant to the current discussion. It doesn't matter if UConn will ever be an elite institution. What matters for the purposes of this discussion is what motivates the decision makers at UConn. I'm trying to share with you how they think.

The point is that given how the UConn decision makers think, the path they will choose for their athletic programs will be in an all sports conference that sponsors football. Their preference is the ACC or the Big Ten. If that doesn't happen, they will stick with the AAC in hopes that they can grow their program there and that the next TV contract will be more lucrative.

[gmoser1210]

Can I get an over/under on how many different threads in this forum will discuss this topic this month?

[TheHall]

Brother The Hall, I don't want to speak for Bill M, but he's a trusted, respected knowledgeable poster... a UConn fan who has deep knowledge of the Husky program, from Connecticut, who has sent his children and paid boatloads of tuition to Boston College and Providence. He's also followed the Big East since 1979, and college hoops from way before that. Point being, he has his finger on the UConn pulse, seasons tickets holder at Gampel, gets the dope on the Huskies, remembers the Dom Perno days, unlike most UConn fans he doesn't think college hoops began in 1990, etc, etc... this came up on this board earlier this summer... anyway, when he speaks, on UConn especially, it's not just a guess... in fact, I had Bill M on my shortlist to be Big East commissioner before the selection of Val Ackerman... he's probably still pissed that "Kathy John's" closed, probably bumps into Jim Calhoun at the local IGA, and can probably recommend the best diners in Putnam, Pomfret, Moosup, Mansfield, Voluntown, and Willimantic...

Thanks for the heads up. I did get that kind of vibe that Bill had a vested interest on the Uconn subject, but I got no beef. I grew up down the hill from SHU, remember watching Mark Bryant vs. Sean Elliot & Arizona in the tourny,, cried when they cheated us (nuff said), went to RU, road tripped to watch Allen Iverson & Vic Page play RU in DC, was damn near the only SHU fan in the stands in Buffalo when Shaheen Holloway hit that buzzer beater in the NCAAs that they show every tournament, so I get a little bit where Bill is coming from in BE history. I like what Bill is offering, i'm just betting against his scenario for the moment & he's betting against mine. Bill is explaining/defending the ambitions of the Uconn administration, which is fine, but these are the same guys who somehow let Louisville out fox them. As for me, I'm entertained seeing all these institutions trip over one another to get to the $$ so I don't relate at all to their ambitions, but I do love their sports programs & fans...but until 11 & 12 are on SHU's schedule anybody's fair game for speculation.

And you can call me Hall or Rock lol

[Dave]

I would take Kansas now I don't count that as a football school. They pay students to go to the games is there any other school that does that? if the Big 12 falls apart take Kansas why not we would then have one of the elite historical Basketball schools. Kansas would ensure us a top basketball conference status no one could over look us. While I don't see it happening I certainly wouldn't be opposed.

Kansas would be a good add. If we were going to 14, also Indiana, UNC and Duke.

If by some chance those 4 were not interested in the Big East, we could fall back on an invite to UConn.