Big East Conference Expansion Ideas and Discussion

[Natty]

Natty, I would stick to bashing a poster instead of an institution.

Respect.

I have no problem with Marquette. In fact I have a great respect for their history and fan base (I'll also add one of my favorite dudes in sports, Larry Sanders of the Milwaukee Bucks, formerly of the VCU Rams, makes me like Milwaukee sports in general....PS. Larry Sanders can be a knuckle head sometimes, but I swear to you he is one of the nicest dudes you'll ever meet).

Anyway, my bad on dissing the Golden Eagles. I just get a little sensitive when people call my program a third-tier scrub team, etc. (Hairpin trigger)

[ivet]

Expecting UConn to dump football and join us is like the nice guy who's pretty good looking and has a lot going for him but lacks the 'flash' of the fooball player, waiting around for the cheerleader to wake up and stop being treated like shit by the QB of the team and come running to him.

It probably isn't going to happen, and do you want a chick that can't figure that out anyway?

If you told me 4 years ago that College athletes would now get paid to play (on top of getting a free education) I would have told you to take off your tin foil hat. If you told me that institutions would dump their old rivals all in the name of TV contracts, I might have shaken my head. Basically what I'm saying is that the college athletics landscape is unpredictable nowadays. It's become to lucrative for schools not to do what is in their best interest. Honor, Loyalty, Tradition? ppfftt throw that out the door.

Being a state school, it will be easier for UConn to sell the fact that they no longer have interest in putting money in their football program. Both their basketball programs generate revenue while some reports had their football program either only make a million or just break even.

[CTYankee10]

Natty, your team is a 3rd tier scrub team.

As for expansion options, for me, growing the Northeast in original Big East country goes something like this:

Dream Scenario:
Add 2 of:
UConn
Notre Dame
BC

Realistic Scenario:
Preference to add (in order):
VCU
SLU/Richmond
Anyone else

Probable Scenario:
We stay at ten

[Gopher+RamFan]

I can only hope that the Power 5 uses their power to run their group the way they want and separate themselves from the gang of 5/6. In addition to the new playoff system, the way of independent will be out the door. Notre Dame will be forced to move their football to the ACC and BYU will most likely be taken in by either the Pac or the Big 12 (currently 10 teams). Gonzaga will be SOL due to their location and Fox already has the west coast covered with their Pac-12 deal. You are correct that St. Mary's draw is not significant enough so there really isn't a need to include them even though they are a Catholic school.

So what that does that leave the Big East? I can only hope that UConn comes to the realization that investing in their football program is not a good return on investment especially seeing that they are not likely going to be invited to the either the ACC or B1G. The fact that their true passion really is in BBall, it would be nice to see them drop their football program to the level of Georgetown and 'Nova (FCS). Although they are public, the core schools are quiet familiar with them and the fact that they were one of the original members. I am willing to forgive what they tried to do during Conference realignment a few years back. Their presence will strengthen us on the basketball side as well as provide another team on the East Coast (New England) to offset SLU (should they get invited).

I have no problem with VCU, though I would prefer UConn. I would love to have Shaka Smart take over the DePaul program, I think he would turn around that program rather quickly. He use to work under Oliver Purnell.[/quote] I would also like to see Shaka at DePaul. Since he is from Wisconsin and his wife is from Ohio, I wonder if being close to family would finally pry him away from Virginia.[/quote]

Although I don't think Shaka will stay at VCU forever, I would be hard pressed to see him at DePaul. He was already a target for the Illinois job, and Minnesota probably made a run at him, since they hired Norwood Teague (VCU's former AD, who hired Shaka initially). I don't know Shaka, and neither does anyone on this board. But he has shown proximity to Wisconsin,and money (ILL/MN/NCState/Maryland/UCLA) won't be able to pry him from his comfortable spot, by itself. The opening he might take, would be a combination of the above, and one of the top programs. His coach leaving his school when he was a player, might have made a profound effect on his life. His feelings might force him to stay a while, maybe he wants to make a program. Or maybe he will eventually take a blue blood job.

[Natty]

I don't know Shaka, and neither does anyone on this board.

Not entirely true.

[bmorex]

I understand that adding Gonzaga and BYU would really stretch the conference out, but I think they'd also be terrific additions that fit both culturally and academically while adding new TV markets and creating a coast-to-coast, national conference. BYU, if only for its high enrollment, should be high on the expansion list.

There are Zero direct nonstop flights from Spokane WA to JFK. None. No nonstop flights to Omaha, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, DC or Chicago either.The Men's BB team charters everywhere, but that is it. The rest of Gonzaga's athletic teams would be doomed to 6 to 8 hour flights EACH WAY, three or four times a year. No way a University President would ever place students at such a disadvantage.

The CLOSEST WCC school to Gonzaga is Portland. Five hours away. Is that a fact that only the men's hoops team charters? I find that hard to believe considering the distances that Gonzaga has to cover in the WCC.

The West Coast/western states are much more vast and far less compact than the cities in the Northeast.

[Gopher+RamFan]

I don't know Shaka, and neither does anyone on this board.

Not entirely true.

Well then, Im jealous. I know he wants VCU in the Big East. I also drunkenly high-fived him after a game in 2010. That's probably the last time I saw him walk around Richmond without a following, or a crowd staring at him.

[HoosierPal]

There are Zero direct nonstop flights from Spokane WA to JFK. None. No nonstop flights to Omaha, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, DC or Chicago either.The Men's BB team charters everywhere, but that is it. The rest of Gonzaga's athletic teams would be doomed to 6 to 8 hour flights EACH WAY, three or four times a year. No way a University President would ever place students at such a disadvantage.

The CLOSEST WCC school to Gonzaga is Portland. Five hours away. Is that a fact that only the men's hoops team charters? I find that hard to believe considering the distances that Gonzaga has to cover in the WCC.

The West Coast/western states are much more vast and far less compact than the cities in the Northeast.

They typically would have the non-revenue sports fly commercial flights. On rare occasions they could also bus. For example, a Tennis game vs Washington State in Pullman might be via bus or van.

[Noonzy]

Why even consider BC or UConn. BC bailed early and they suck and the Boston market is pro. UConn has no intention of giving up football and are begging for an invite from the B1G or the ACC. Need some new schools if that does even happen. Remember the institutional fit thing the presidents are insisting. The presidents do not want state schools-period.

[Burrito]

Stay at 10. But if they do expand at some point, go with SLU and VCU.