McNamara: no Big East expansion; A10 to Dunk?

[FormulaX]

The A-10 tourney would do great in Providence. Should be able to sell out. Bill-- nice shout out to the Foxy...
I first got in the doors there on my 21st birthday years ago... but haven't been there in a long time...

I think other big items in the article were that (1) the Big East is in the process of putting together a scheduling arrangement with the Pac-12, and feeding off that, (2) the Big East and Fox believe that the better strategy and higher-priority at this point is to improve OOC scheduling in November and December.

Think the problem with any scheduling arrangement is that the Pac 12 home games would not be automatcially on FS1. ESPN would get it's share of Pac 12 games with their contract with them. You can bet if there's a Georgetown/UCLA game for instance ESPN is going to want that. Same with say Villanova/Arizona.

You make it sound like you know this for fact, but you don't know actually. FS1 has a contract with the PAC12 and many games are on the Pac12 network as well. Espn will be a small player in this just like the B1G/BE but even smaller. Fox knows what they are doing.

"Fox knows what they are doing"
Yes, they do! First they help build a NBE. Now, they have it playing B10 and Pac12 teams. CBB is a small piece in their master plan. It's probably a 10 yr plan to get 30% of ESPN numbers. Just like Gumbydammit said. all I care about is seeing my team on HD and hopefully on a national broadcast for recruits to see..

[gosports1]

the thing that is tough with a Pac 12 challenge besides the tv is the time for the road games. If we're lucky we get 9pm et starts(maybe a 8pm road start at Utah or Arizona).

Our schedules could start looking very difficult OOC- much more so than it used to be. I mean, P12, B10 challenges, 3 exempt games. Right there 5 tough OOC games. Plus then at least 1-2 other tough games. Could see more teams entering conference play like Marquette at like 8-5 if not even 7-6. Going to make things where if they are only 9-9 in conference play, they're looking at a 16-15 or 17-14 record, and that generally isn't going to be even close to sniffing a NCAA bid, even with the tough SOS.

or maybe marquette could enter league play at 10-3 with 2 of those wins against B1G and P12 foes instead of a lesser opponent. Having a scheduling agreement with P12 and B1G is much better for the BE than not having one

[Bill Marsh]

Sorry, I don't buy the expansion talk. The deal with the Big12 makes perfect sense especially since both conferences only has two schools. It wasn't long ago Xavier's AD said we are most likely definitely expanding within the next 5 years, and now another AD says it really isn't even on the table yet. I don't really put a lot of stock into what athletic directors say; now if presidents or Fox made the statement, then it would have a little more substance.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I still say expansion happens within the next three years. The BE is doing the right thing by waiting; who knows what will happen with the P5 and as far as the Pac12, I'm not sure they make the cut as a "power conference" unless they expand. With football calling the shots, I don't see how the Big 12 fits in with the other conferences with 14 or maybe going on 16 schools. I'm still convinced it will be the 4X16 that was discussed earlier and the Big 12 will be absorbed into the Pac12 or maybe the BIG. Of course everything is all speculation, and when 2020 rolls around, we all maybe wrong.

Everything is settled for 2014-2015 and maybe 2015-2016, but after that realignment may be strong again depending on how the football deals shake out.

Notwithstanding anything Greg Christopher has publicly stated, which of his own admission was mostly information that had already been bantered about out there, there is no reason to believe that the Big East isn't sincere in its desire to hold at 10 schools for now. The 10 schools are growing comfortably together. The round robin league format is a plus. Importantly, Fox is just fine with the Big East at 10 teams, and it otherwise is going about the business of building itself out. And there presently are no compelling existing expansion candidates as measured against the Big East's desire for national brands.

That brings me to your bolded statement. IF the football elite move to the 4 x 16 format, some existing teams - UCONN, UC, Memphis, Temple, perhaps even BC - will be boxed out from the big money football opportunity. The Big East isn't expanding right now because it doesn't have to expand and because it perceives the possibility of entertaining interesting expansion candidates down the road. So, I don't know when it happens, but I agree with you that the trigger point remains focused on actions having to do with football.

Dash,

Let me say first that I'm in favor of sticking with the10 team format. Conferences bigger than that are just too big and begin to become 2 conferences under one umbrella when they split into 2 divisions or become just a loose confederation the way the previous incarnation of the Big East had become.

I don't know what Fox is thinking, and unless you have inside information, I can't agree that we can make the statement that "Fox is just fine with10." I think that Christopher's statement got so much attention because there had been so many reports when the partnership with Fox was first announced, that they were interested in 12 and that an eventual move from 10 to 12 was widely anticipated.

I agree wholeheartedly with your comment that there are no compelling candidates out there and with your 2nd paragraph regarding the fallout from 4x16 or whatever version of it may yet appear. Fox may well yet be interested in 12, but timing may be the primary issue. Rather than jumping on mid majors, who may not add much to ratings, they may be more comfortable in delaying the decision for a bigger eventual pay day. I think your 2nd paragraph is right on target.

[robinreed]

The BE will not expand and does not need to expand. We need more viewers not more members. I am aware that some believe that more members equates to more viewers however I question that logic. Of course Fox will allow us to extend membership to 12, 14, 16 etc. so long as we do not expect extra funds. Therefore each additional member will reduce the school payout.

Viewership per game will make or break the BE not attendance or number of members. So long as we are able to stay off FS2 we will be good. The Big 10 arrangement and the Pac 12 arrangement (if and when it actually occurs) will be exceptional additions to our conference schedule. No other non Power 5 conference will have such a lineup. Others call all non Power 5 leagues "mid major" but the BE will be the undisputed king of the so called mid major leagues.

Expansion is not necessary.

[paulxu]

Of course Fox will allow us to extend membership to 12, 14, 16 etc. so long as we do not expect extra funds. Therefore each additional member will reduce the school payout.

I think Fox's original deal allowed $ for going up to 12 members, so if 2 more were added all schools would still get the same as they do now.

[GoldenWarrior11]

The biggest question regarding expansion, and has been since day one, who increases viewership for the conference, while also fitting in institutionally with a clear focus on basketball? Right now, there is no clear cut addition.

Saint Louis brings in the major media market and Jesuit institution, but lacks the basketball history and prestige.
VCU brings in the successful (as of late) basketball, but lacks the similar institution of league. This MAY cause them to start football down the road.
Gonzaga brings in the rich basketball history and institution but is located in the worst spot for the league.
Dayton is an institutional fit, and has the history of basketball (not to mention passionate fan-base), but the league may not want to double-up in Ohio (or draw away from it's East-coast core).

The solution is wait and see. Maybe Richmond puts in some of its $2 billion endowment into basketball. Maybe Saint Louis continues its streak of success. Maybe Gonzaga decides to relocate it's campus into the heart of New York. Time will tell...

[Bill Marsh]

The BE will not expand and does not need to expand. We need more viewers not more members. I am aware that some believe that more members equates to more viewers however I question that logic. Of course Fox will allow us to extend membership to 12, 14, 16 etc. so long as we do not expect extra funds. Therefore each additional member will reduce the school payout.

Viewership per game will make or break the BE not attendance or number of members. So long as we are able to stay off FS2 we will be good. The Big 10 arrangement and the Pac 12 arrangement (if and when it actually occurs) will be exceptional additions to our conference schedule. No other non Power 5 conference will have such a lineup. Others call all non Power 5 leagues "mid major" but the BE will be the undisputed king of the so called mid major leagues.

Expansion is not necessary.

More members = more games = more inventory for Fox, more programming. That's why it's important to them. I agree that the Big East needs more viewers, but that's at least partially a factor of FS1 still being in its infancy.

More members = increased attendance at the Big East Tournament, the conference's showcase event. The old Big East never sold out the tournament until it expanded to 16. The new Big East actually did quite well when this year's attendance is compared with the pre-expansion numbers of 20 years ago.

Just as a college basketball purist, I prefer to stay at the current 10 members.

[BillikensWin]

Pretty good discussion over the "other" part of this article.

I don't think A10 fans would support a tournament in Providence, even though it's a nice arena and all. As for the first part, that's pretty obvious too.

[Bill Marsh]

Pretty good discussion over the "other" part of this article.

I don't think A10 fans would support a tournament in Providence, even though it's a nice arena and all. As for the first part, that's pretty obvious too.

A lot will depend on URI and UMass and what kind of seasons they have. The two of them combined for 11,000 in home attendance last year. While that's not great, it's a core group from which to draw since URI is just down the road and UMass is only about an hour and a half away.

If those two have good seasons and their fans turn out, the A10 could do a lot better than the disaster in Barclays or the tournaments in AC where attendance was only about 6000 or so.