Conference realignment discussion - v. 2015

[GoldenWarrior11]

If wishes were fishes, the world would be an ocean.

If Gonzaga was located in the Midwest, they'd be in the Big East.
If Dayton wasn't located near Xavier, they'd be in the Big East.
If Saint Louis had Dayton's basketball success, they'd be in the Big East.
If VCU was a private/Catholic university, they'd be in the Big East.
If UConn didn't have football, they'd be in the Big East.

Xavier, Creighton and Butler ALL brought the institution, market and basketball success when they came into the conference. None were missing part of the criteria. As it stands right now, there is no school that brings all three. Until a school decides to separate from the pack, we will be at 10. Gonzaga is moving from the West Coast. VCU isn't becoming private. UConn isn't dropping football. Dayton/SLU are the only two realistic candidates at the moment. Hopefully, more happens in the next few years where more candidates are available.

[UD FAN]

I would be sympathetic to Dayton getting in, but their fans on here make me dead set against them. They have a full complement on here already and are in full blown hair trigger mode - on someone else's board. I can't imagine what life would be like on here if they were legitimately given the run of the place.

Boggles the mind, it does.

Yea, The University of Dayton is a good fit for the many, many, many reasons detailed (mostly by Bill and other NON UD FLYER FANS in the numerous posts over the past 6 months) --------but the 5-6 annoying folks posting on the holyland forums ruin it for the institution and therefore let's chose not to expand! Some of you guys/gals make me laugh! Talk about "boggling the mind" ! LOL

[Bill Marsh]

I don't have a vote either and obviously everyone here is just speculating but I doubt the B10 expands anytime soon but who knows. Either way, I agree with you about UCONN.

I can't imagine the travel costs for the tennis team to travel from Spokane to the east coast regularly. I think Gonzaga joining the BE is a huge pipe dream.

Gonzaga is able to get very good exposure nationally and great seeds out of their current conference so I don't see why they would even consider it.

The tennis team doesn't have to travel to Spokane. You'd be surprised how few teams actually have to play a conference round robin schedule. Most sports compete in a conference tournament or all-conference meet and the rest of the schedule is up to them. Xavier, for example, has only 6 teams that play a conference round robin schedule. That's all it takes.

Regardless of the number of teams that play full schedules, it's still only one long road trip per year per team. At the most. In a divisional format, it wouldn't even be that for teams in the opposite division.

Then. There's always the option for creative scheduling. For example, atrio from NYC is about the same distance as a trip from Omaha to Spokane. So, if the schedule makers piggy back a trip to Gonzga with a trip to Creighton, the trip from Creighton to Gonzaga is the same amount of travel as the trip they would have been taking home anyway. So, the only thing that's been added is the one way trip home from Spokane. I don't see how that's a deal breaker for anyone.

And it's not like most teams don't have some long road trips on the schedule already. Replace one of those with Gonzaga and replace that OOC trip with one closer to home. Then, at least part of the trip is something the team would have been doing anyway.

The factor the matter is that there are lots of ways to minimize the impact on everyone except Gonzaga and they've said that they're good with it. Is it worth the compromises that would have to be made? It would be to me. I simply can't come. Up with another program that would have that kind of impact and would still be a good fit. So far in this thread, no one else has either.

Gonzaga's reasons for considering it are their reasons, not mine, so I won't speak for them. It was reported at the time that the C7 announced their split from the football schools that Gonzaga was interested and that's been confirmed by other articles since then. So, as best we know, their is a fact regardless of what their motivation is.

I can only guess why they'd e interested, but I assume that it's because they have aspirations for a big time program beyond the level of competition that the WCC can provide. BYU isn't likely to be staying there for the long haul. Without BYU, the WCC is is a western version of the MAAC. WCC schools typically have home attendance figures in the 2,000-3,000 range. A school that averages over 3K is the rare exception and some are under 2K. Gonzaga sells out it's 6,000 on-campus arena for every game and has a long waiting list for tickets. That's pretty amazing in light of the competition. Give them a Big East schedule and they're likely selling out Spokane's 12,000 seat civic arena.

Then there's the "Oh, BTW . . ." reason. Increased revenue, which is what's behind all expansion.

Bill,

That is all fine and dandy but the fact remains that Gonzaga does not play big time football. Conference affiliation for basketball is a lot less important without football being a factor.

Gonzaga has and can continue to compete for a national championship and final fours out of the WCC. You may be correct that they were interested or may still be but I don't see why.

Conference affiliation is a lot less important? Then why was the Big East formed in the first place?

It's all speculation, but a good argument can be made that Gonzaga hasn't gone beyond the Elite 8 because their weak conference schedule doesn't prepare them well for the level of competition they face in the tournament.

The other drawback of competing in a mid major conference is the limited revenue that can be generated in a league like that.

[Bill Marsh]

Bill,

That is all fine and dandy but the fact remains that Gonzaga does not play big time football. Conference affiliation for basketball is a lot less important without football being a factor.

Gonzaga has and can continue to compete for a national championship and final fours out of the WCC. You may be correct that they were interested or may still be but I don't see why.

Funny you say that, Gonzaga has never made the Final Four and only made the second weekend 3 times. What happens after Few leaves? As someone said earlier, its a lot easier to add teams than to remove them.

Actually Gonzaga has made the second weekend 6 times since 1999 and twice they've gone to the Elite 8.

What happens after Few leaves? Can't you say that about any school with a successful coach. Few isn't the coach who built them into a tournament team or who got them to their first Elite 8. So, the program's success isn't all about him.

The issue that has to be addressed with any program is whether they've shown the level of investment and commitment to compete at this level. IMO, Gonzaga has shown that.

I would prefer that the conference stay at 10. The only reason we're talking about this is that expansion has been an open question since the formation of the league. If the BE were to expand, who is a better candidate to maintain or even elevate the stature of the league? Who will help to build interest for TV ratings? And tournament ticket sales. If there were an obvious answer to these questions not located on the Idaho border, Gonzaga wouldn't be in the conversation.

[DudeAnon]

Actually Gonzaga has made the second weekend 4 times since 1999 and twice they've gone to the Elite 8.

What happens after Few leaves? Can't you say that about any school with a successful coach. Few isn't the coach who built them into a tournament team or who got them to their first Elite 8. So, the program's success isn't all about him.

The issue that has to be addressed with any program is whether they've shown the level of investment and commitment to compete at this level. IMO, Gonzaga has shown that.

I would prefer that the conference stay at 10. The only reason we're talking about this is that expansion has been an open question since the formation of the league. If the BE were to expand, who is a better candidate to maintain or even elevate the stature of the league? Who will help to build interest for TV ratings? And tournament ticket sales. If there were an obvious answer to these questions not located on the Idaho border, Gonzaga wouldn't be in the conversation.

So I misread their page. They have made it to the second weekend 5 times with 2 Elite Eights. They have not won a single NCAA tournament game without Mark Few.

[stever20]

Actually Gonzaga has made the second weekend 4 times since 1999 and twice they've gone to the Elite 8.

What happens after Few leaves? Can't you say that about any school with a successful coach. Few isn't the coach who built them into a tournament team or who got them to their first Elite 8. So, the program's success isn't all about him.

The issue that has to be addressed with any program is whether they've shown the level of investment and commitment to compete at this level. IMO, Gonzaga has shown that.

I would prefer that the conference stay at 10. The only reason we're talking about this is that expansion has been an open question since the formation of the league. If the BE were to expand, who is a better candidate to maintain or even elevate the stature of the league? Who will help to build interest for TV ratings? And tournament ticket sales. If there were an obvious answer to these questions not located on the Idaho border, Gonzaga wouldn't be in the conversation.

So I misread their page. They have made it to the second weekend 5 times with 2 Elite Eights. They have not won a single NCAA tournament game without Mark Few.

I'm not for Gonzaga getting in- but that's not true. Their 1st Elite 8 Dan Monson was coach. Also they've made it to the 2nd weekend 6 times(99,00,01,06,09,15).

[sheg]

Here's an argument in favor of SLU: another Central Time Zone team to increase the inventory of 9pm eastern, 8pm central start times to fit nicely with the 7pm start times of EST teams. Not that EST teams can't have 9pm games, of course, but 7 is ideal.

Games at Gonzaga starting at 7pm PST, 10pm EST, would have to be on a different channel if one channel had a 7pm game and a 9pm game. Games starting at 8pm PST would be worthless for ratings for all but the diehard fans.

(Like every other speculation regarding expansion, it assumes expansion actually happens. Obviously if there is no expansion, the whole discussion is moot.)

[Gopher+RamFan]

Actually Gonzaga has made the second weekend 4 times since 1999 and twice they've gone to the Elite 8.

What happens after Few leaves? Can't you say that about any school with a successful coach. Few isn't the coach who built them into a tournament team or who got them to their first Elite 8. So, the program's success isn't all about him.

The issue that has to be addressed with any program is whether they've shown the level of investment and commitment to compete at this level. IMO, Gonzaga has shown that.

I would prefer that the conference stay at 10. The only reason we're talking about this is that expansion has been an open question since the formation of the league. If the BE were to expand, who is a better candidate to maintain or even elevate the stature of the league? Who will help to build interest for TV ratings? And tournament ticket sales. If there were an obvious answer to these questions not located on the Idaho border, Gonzaga wouldn't be in the conversation.

So I misread their page. They have made it to the second weekend 5 times with 2 Elite Eights. They have not won a single NCAA tournament game without Mark Few.

Former Gopher coach Dan Monson led the Zags to the Elite Eight in 1999. Their on the court resume is impressive. What's not impressive is Arizona v. Gonzaga only garnering 770k viewers. I'd be curious to see viewership numbers from other Gonzaga games.

To the Dayton fans: your fanbase's internet presence is one of the most annoying around, as well as Wichita St. Of course that has nothing to do with expansion.

[Gopher+RamFan]

Here's an argument in favor of SLU: another Central Time Zone team to increase the inventory of 9pm eastern, 8pm central start times to fit nicely with the 7pm start times of EST teams. Not that EST teams can't have 9pm games, of course, but 7 is ideal.

Games at Gonzaga starting at 7pm PST, 10pm EST, would have to be on a different channel if one channel had a 7pm game and a 9pm game. Games starting at 8pm PST would be worthless for ratings for all but the diehard fans.

(Like every other speculation regarding expansion, it assumes expansion actually happens. Obviously if there is no expansion, the whole discussion is moot.)

For all the talk of VCU losing SS, at least the schools leadership has shown the ability to make good hires in succession. No one is questioning SLU's hire of Jim Crews that much on this board. As the Majerus years drift farther away, the recent success of SLU seems more of a passing fade. Majerus and his players built a program that at its peak won 1 game in the NCAAs a year. Of course their DMA may save them.

I'll be curious to see who UCONN turns to if Ollie leaves for OKC. That program could trend downwards.

[jaxalum]

I would be sympathetic to Dayton getting in, but their fans on here make me dead set against them. They have a full complement on here already and are in full blown hair trigger mode - on someone else's board. I can't imagine what life would be like on here if they were legitimately given the run of the place.

Boggles the mind, it does.

Yea, The University of Dayton is a good fit for the many, many, many reasons detailed (mostly by Bill and other NON UD FLYER FANS in the numerous posts over the past 6 months) --------but the 5-6 annoying folks posting on the holyland forums ruin it for the institution and therefore let's chose not to expand! Some of you guys/gals make me laugh! Talk about "boggling the mind" ! LOL

Jesus UDFAN, did you walk into that one with a flippant response. And yes, from a conference fans standpoint, it would suck seven different ways from Sunday if your insufferable ilk, god forbid, was invited into this conference. This board would become absolutely unreadable. I can't speak for other X fans, but I can say with some level of certainty that it's not the guys on UDs teams, or Archie, or the administration that's the sore point. I would say there is amicable indifference to real respect there. It's the egregiously knobbish fan base that's the problem. And it's absolutely NOT 4-5 posters. It's the majority. Case and point, posters here who have never been exposed to UD "fandom" find you insufferable to.