BIG EAST - - PHASE II
Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2020 4:47 pmI thought it might be interesting to look ahead for the conference in a separate thread, now that two material events have occured that will most likely have a dramatic impact on it:
1. The addition of UCONN; and
2. The most likely re-awakening of DePaul.
As 2012 was coming to a close, the "Catholic Seven" members of the original Big East Conference (DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, Seton Hall University, St. John's University, and Villanova University) finally said enough was enough when it came to being dragged along by the aspirations of football schools.
These schools split from the BE football playing schools in December 2012 to focus on basketball, and in March 2013 reached a settlement:
1. Acquired the Big East Conference name, logos, and history (a masterstroke);
2. The rights to the men's basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden (a masterstroke).
3. Invited and admitted Butler University, Creighton University, and Xavier University as of its July 1, 2013 launch date.
4. Entered into a 12-year, $500 million television contract with Fox Sports.
5. Entered into a 6-year television contract with CBS and CBS Sports Network (CBSSN).
We all know the story from the summer of 2013 to now. Initially, it was all about listening to fans of big football schools talking about it being a pipe dream about whether or not we would work out - find any success. Small, private schools against the dreadnoughts of the P5? Surely you jest (door's open with that one; free to open fire).
But a funny thing happened as time went by, actually wonderful things happened. We are schools with strong brands and solid basketball histories that happen to be in major media markets and, by definition, with an emphasis on BASKETBALL when it comes to sports. We have the facilities and the money to compete with almost everyone, when you factor in the Fox deal and factor out the fact that we don't carry football teams, marching bands and equivalent Title IX sports.
Four bids out of the gate in 2013-14 and we've never looked back, achieving 50% + NCAAT participation rates since. Four 1 Seeds. And, of course, thanks to our friends in Radnor, 2 NC's. Conference RPI rankings that the P5 now envy. It wasn't that we ended up struggling to hold our own with the P5 and in a manner where we hoped to stay inside the bottom half of the rankings with them. It's that we are damn near sitting at the top of these rankings now and on a consistent basis.
The uncertainties and fears from 2013 have been rather obliterated.
Now look where we are headed. UCONN is now onboard. DePaul finally fixed its AD problem and it appears that it has done so in a very big way. Their recruiting is almost off the charts at this point. Can Lateo be successful from here? If not, that issue will be corrected soon enough. We'll see.
The other big thing that has to be popping soon is the expected reset of the Fox media agreement. Imagine if the rumors of $7 million per school are real; imagine if that becomes reality.
The Big East Conference is about to become a whole lot stronger and a helluva lot harder to navigate. It will continue to derive its strength from its members, its relationship with Fox (anticipated), and its deal with MSG. Again, the media agreement that should be coming along should only add to the party, not diminish or hurt it. Long-term media deals may alter the picture for the better or worse, but we won't be at that point - streaming model as the majority platform - for a while.
Buckle-up gang. It's already been a blast. What happens moving forward in "Phase II"?
1. The addition of UCONN; and
2. The most likely re-awakening of DePaul.
As 2012 was coming to a close, the "Catholic Seven" members of the original Big East Conference (DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, Seton Hall University, St. John's University, and Villanova University) finally said enough was enough when it came to being dragged along by the aspirations of football schools.
These schools split from the BE football playing schools in December 2012 to focus on basketball, and in March 2013 reached a settlement:
1. Acquired the Big East Conference name, logos, and history (a masterstroke);
2. The rights to the men's basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden (a masterstroke).
3. Invited and admitted Butler University, Creighton University, and Xavier University as of its July 1, 2013 launch date.
4. Entered into a 12-year, $500 million television contract with Fox Sports.
5. Entered into a 6-year television contract with CBS and CBS Sports Network (CBSSN).
We all know the story from the summer of 2013 to now. Initially, it was all about listening to fans of big football schools talking about it being a pipe dream about whether or not we would work out - find any success. Small, private schools against the dreadnoughts of the P5? Surely you jest (door's open with that one; free to open fire).
But a funny thing happened as time went by, actually wonderful things happened. We are schools with strong brands and solid basketball histories that happen to be in major media markets and, by definition, with an emphasis on BASKETBALL when it comes to sports. We have the facilities and the money to compete with almost everyone, when you factor in the Fox deal and factor out the fact that we don't carry football teams, marching bands and equivalent Title IX sports.
Four bids out of the gate in 2013-14 and we've never looked back, achieving 50% + NCAAT participation rates since. Four 1 Seeds. And, of course, thanks to our friends in Radnor, 2 NC's. Conference RPI rankings that the P5 now envy. It wasn't that we ended up struggling to hold our own with the P5 and in a manner where we hoped to stay inside the bottom half of the rankings with them. It's that we are damn near sitting at the top of these rankings now and on a consistent basis.
The uncertainties and fears from 2013 have been rather obliterated.
Now look where we are headed. UCONN is now onboard. DePaul finally fixed its AD problem and it appears that it has done so in a very big way. Their recruiting is almost off the charts at this point. Can Lateo be successful from here? If not, that issue will be corrected soon enough. We'll see.
The other big thing that has to be popping soon is the expected reset of the Fox media agreement. Imagine if the rumors of $7 million per school are real; imagine if that becomes reality.
The Big East Conference is about to become a whole lot stronger and a helluva lot harder to navigate. It will continue to derive its strength from its members, its relationship with Fox (anticipated), and its deal with MSG. Again, the media agreement that should be coming along should only add to the party, not diminish or hurt it. Long-term media deals may alter the picture for the better or worse, but we won't be at that point - streaming model as the majority platform - for a while.
Buckle-up gang. It's already been a blast. What happens moving forward in "Phase II"?