Expansion: UAB to reunite with Marquette and DePaul in NBE?

[marquette]

Side note, why is it that the expansion topics always get the most activity?

Expansion is a safe topic. We all get to pick our favorite toys and argue for them as vehemently as we want, with very little risk for long-term hurt feelings. They hypotheticals can be fun to run too.

[GreatDaneAttorney]

If UConn and UMass were considering dropping football as well (though I doubt either would like to much less has any plans to), adding VCU, UAB, UMass, and UConn would seem compelling. But I would not simply add UAB by itself, nor would I consider adding just UAB and VCU.

[robinreed]

Anybody know about Boston College's finances? I'd love for them to drop football and join the BE. Or do you guys not want them back?

BC finances are in great shape.

I've heard from someone in Cincinnati that things are not so great at Xavier. Any truth to that?

Bill,
The only problem that this XU grad has heard about at X is that we seem to be receiving fewer local applicants from the Cincy area. There was an article on this about 3 or 4 months ago in an XU magazine however over all our attendance seems to be holding close to what it has been in the last 3 or so years. The lower Cincy area applicants may be due to increased popularity of Thomas Moore College, a private Catholic school about the size of X in nearby northern Kentucky or to the increase in enrollment at UC as they are over 43,000 now. However I do not believe that the students who want to attend a large state owned school are the same type of people who want to attend a smaller private institution. Of course our cost of attendance is the highest in the Cincinnati area. That may have some bearing. If you find out anything more from your friend in Cincy please let us know as this is a surprise to me.

[BigmanU]

If UConn and UMass were considering dropping football as well (though I doubt either would like to much less has any plans to), adding VCU, UAB, UMass, and UConn would seem compelling. But I would not simply add UAB by itself, nor would I consider adding just UAB and VCU.

Not a direct shot at you but, how would adding UAB help the conference (1 Elite 8). Marquette & DePaul have moved on to better things and sometimes you have to leave your less attractive friends behind. Adding UAB would boost their profile not ours.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Would the league (and 10 private/Catholic schools) be open to adding a public school?

[stever20]

Would the league (and 10 private/Catholic schools) be open to adding a public school?

I think if UConn dropped their football(not that they would), them and VCU would be in the league within days. It would be a complete no brainer.

[adoraz]

I started the first expansion thread last year and after reading the hundreds of posts I'm sticking with my original opinion:

Add Gonzaga and VCU. Next tier would be Dayton and St.Louis. Richmond, UAB, etc? Don't consider it. Yes, I know about the travelling and public school issues but that's still my irrelevant opinion. There's just not many expansion candidates out there. Of course, if a team like UConn ever dropped football they'd be a no brainer.

That said, this year made me feel a little better about not immediately expanding but if I was in charge I'd add two schools for next year. There's power in numbers. Imagine having a school like Gonzaga at the top of this league. They've proven themselves for two decades now.

[Bill Marsh]

Anybody know about Boston College's finances? I'd love for them to drop football and join the BE. Or do you guys not want them back?

BC finances are in great shape.

I've heard from someone in Cincinnati that things are not so great at Xavier. Any truth to that?

Bill,
The only problem that this XU grad has heard about at X is that we seem to be receiving fewer local applicants from the Cincy area. There was an article on this about 3 or 4 months ago in an XU magazine however over all our attendance seems to be holding close to what it has been in the last 3 or so years. The lower Cincy area applicants may be due to increased popularity of Thomas Moore College, a private Catholic school about the size of X in nearby northern Kentucky or to the increase in enrollment at UC as they are over 43,000 now. However I do not believe that the students who want to attend a large state owned school are the same type of people who want to attend a smaller private institution. Of course our cost of attendance is the highest in the Cincinnati area. That may have some bearing. If you find out anything more from your friend in Cincy please let us know as this is a surprise to me.

What I was told is that Xavier has financial problems which are making it difficult for them to keep up with competitive salaries for professors and that the result has been a loss of faculty members. In addition, their MBA program, which was their most competitive graduate program locally, has been losing enrollment. I have no idea if any of this is true. Just what I heard.

In this day and age of outrageously escalating college costs, I don't know how any of these private schools stay in business except for the most elite. I sent all 4 of my kids to Carholic colleges - 2 to PC, 1 to BC, and 1 to Fordham. All are doing well, but I don't know that I could justify doing the same thing at today's costs and with ever improving public options. None of my grandkids are college age yet, so I don't yet know what choices my kids will make. The oldest granddaughter is a HS freshman, so it won't be long now.

[Bill Marsh]

I started the first expansion thread last year and after reading the hundreds of posts I'm sticking with my original opinion:

Add Gonzaga and VCU. Next tier would be Dayton and St.Louis. Richmond, UAB, etc? Don't consider it. Yes, I know about the travelling and public school issues but that's still my irrelevant opinion. There's just not many expansion candidates out there. Of course, if a team like UConn ever dropped football they'd be a no brainer.

That said, this year made me feel a little better about not immediately expanding but if I was in charge I'd add two schools for next year. There's power in numbers. Imagine having a school like Gonzaga at the top of this league. They've proven themselves for two decades now.

I'm with you on that one.

Selling out the Garden for the tournament is a big deal and they didn't do that last year. Adding an East Coast schoo with a big enrollment l on the I-95 corridor would help as would a marquis basketball brand with a rabid fan base like Gonzaga.

[sciencejay]

Not sure if anyone posted this previously, but on Saturday afternoon during the BE VB championship on FS2, they interviewed Val Ackerman between the 2nd and 3rd sets. She unequivocally stated that the BE is not looking to expand right now or in the near future. She said that of course, things may change which may necessitate a different course, but for right now and the foreseeable future, the BE will stand at 10 teams.

And by the way, Creighton's first BE tourney championship goes to the 2014 volleyball team - a top 30 program knocking at the door. Go Jays!