Big East Conference Expansion Ideas and Discussion

[gosports1]

Wow that's so frustrating and shows how incompetent the Big East leadership is. We sure as hell could use a school like gonzaga. Imagine adding gonzaga and vcu. It won't happen because our leadership is garbage, but we'd become a force. Nobody would compare us to a10 again.

How is it incompetent by not asking a west coast school to join the BE? The schools invited all make more sense than Gonzaga. If Gonzaga was located in Minneapolis, Boston, Pittsburgh or upstate New York that would b a different story

[xsteve1]

I'd be all for adding Gonzaga for hoops only. One trip out west each year s nothing. It would be tough on Gonzaga but a 3-4 hour plane trip isn't bad.

[Bill Marsh]

Apparently, Gonzaga's AD was waiting for an invite last year:

2. As we head into the The Summer of Conference Realignment, Part 2: One Year Later, it’s becoming clearer that GU isn’t going anywhere.
But Roth says it’s not his fault. When the Big East Conference reformed in July 2013, he had GU Athletics ready to move to the new Big East along with the other “Catholic Seven” schools. He recognized that GU would be a perfect fit in every way with the other private, Catholic, similar-size, liberal arts schools from that conference.
One single problem threw a wrench in the gears: geography. As much as a program can request to join a conference, it eventually has to be invited by the conference, Roth said. Unfortunately for GU, the Big East programs were not willing to fly their sports teams five or six hours to Spokane dozens of times every year, even if Roth was.
Roth says he likes to say that the only way GU would be accepted into the Big East is if teleportation is invented.
Anytime teleportation enters a discussion of conference realignment, things aren’t looking good.
And with a lack of a football team and no foreseeable way GU could re-establish its football program, don’t expect the Pac-12 to come calling, either.
For now, GU looks to be stuck in the ho-hum WCC. While it won’t do us any favors in terms of men’s or women’s basketball, at least the Zags won’t be constantly flying to the Northeast for every away game. That might qualify as low-level silver lining.

http://m.gonzagabulletin.com/mobile/arts_and_entertainment/article_d7f046c0-c5df-11e3-be30-001a4bcf6878.html

Wow! That's a shocking revelation. The school that has a problem with geography is Gonzaga, not the rest of the league. If Gonzaga is willing to take on the travel, it's pure insanity for the Big East not to add them.

[muskienick]

Wow! That's a shocking revelation. The school that has a problem with geography is Gonzaga, not the rest of the league. If Gonzaga is willing to take on the travel, it's pure insanity for the Big East not to add them.

But, Bill, the trouble is that 10 other programs must make annual trips to Gonzaga also. And, as I have been reminded on this board, a school can't simply join another conference for basketball (like it can for football). It must join the new Conference in all the sports it sponsors that the joined Conference sponsors in League play. As I understand it, that means the volleyball, baseball, soccer, etc. teams must travel to Spokane as well. I can understand why not all 10 current AD's were jumping for joy at that prospect! (The $4 million of TV money would be gone in no time paying for transportation, lodging, meals, etc.)

[HoosierPal]

Wow! That's a shocking revelation. The school that has a problem with geography is Gonzaga, not the rest of the league. If Gonzaga is willing to take on the travel, it's pure insanity for the Big East not to add them.

But, Bill, the trouble is that 10 other programs must make annual trips to Gonzaga also. And, as I have been reminded on this board, a school can't simply join another conference for basketball (like it can for football). It must join the new Conference in all the sports it sponsors that the joined Conference sponsors in League play. As I understand it, that means the volleyball, baseball, soccer, etc. teams must travel to Spokane as well. I can understand why not all 10 current AD's were jumping for joy at that prospect! (The $4 million of TV money would be gone in no time paying for transportation, lodging, meals, etc.)

You are correct Muskienick. And none of these Olympic sports teams will be riding charters. Spokane is not an easy place to get to flying commercial.

[aughnanure]

Wow! That's a shocking revelation. The school that has a problem with geography is Gonzaga, not the rest of the league. If Gonzaga is willing to take on the travel, it's pure insanity for the Big East not to add them.

But, Bill, the trouble is that 10 other programs must make annual trips to Gonzaga also. And, as I have been reminded on this board, a school can't simply join another conference for basketball (like it can for football). It must join the new Conference in all the sports it sponsors that the joined Conference sponsors in League play. As I understand it, that means the volleyball, baseball, soccer, etc. teams must travel to Spokane as well. I can understand why not all 10 current AD's were jumping for joy at that prospect! (The $4 million of TV money would be gone in no time paying for transportation, lodging, meals, etc.)

You are correct Muskienick. And none of these Olympic sports teams will be riding charters. Spokane is not an easy place to get to flying commercial.

Still, it's just ONE flight a year. Not like our volleyball and soccer teams don't already travel far to California, Texas, and Florida. Hell, track, CC, Tennis, etc play in tournaments so it's not even a factor for them.

Please please grab SLU and Gonzaga.

[adoraz11]

What is it now, 17 straight tournament appearances????? I know in st. John's case the teams fly to California anyways for out of conference. Just eliminate that game now that gonzaga is on the schedule. Problem solved.

If I wasn't a sju fan and a casual observer I'd practically want to see this league fail due to pure stupidity. Gonzaga is better than nearly every team in this league. You don't pass up on a powerhouse to save a few bucks.

[Jet915]

If Gonzaga is ok with the travel, I think they should be added. It's such a bigger hassle for them than it would be for the other 10 teams. Even for the other sports like baseball, they aren't even playing home and homes so you would only be taking your baseball team to spokane every other year. You can be smart with the scheduling and have the Gonzaga teams travel to the east coast once a year doing a 3 team swing. I'd love it if the Big East went big and added Gonzaga, SLU, BYU and Dayton. East coast schools would not want that though.

[aughnanure]

If Gonzaga is ok with the travel, I think they should be added. It's such a bigger hassle for them than it would be for the other 10 teams. Even for the other sports like baseball, they aren't even playing home and homes so you would only be taking your baseball team to spokane every other year. You can be smart with the scheduling and have the Gonzaga teams travel to the east coast once a year doing a 3 team swing. I'd love it if the Big East went big and added Gonzaga, SLU, BYU and Dayton. East coast schools would not want that though.

BYU is a dangerous add. They could pop-off to Big XII anytime, or go back to the MWC if the independent thins isn't working out, so you'd have to have a good back up to replace them. I also hate the idea of 14 teams. SLU and Gonzaga and stop.

[senditinjerome]

This indicates that the member schools have a lot of discretion regarding expansion and it's not just Fox calling the shots.