Val bursts into your office, WE HAVE TO CHOOSE TODAY!

[anXUfan]

I would really hate to see us expand just for the sake of expanding. That's what this feels like. When there is a no-brainer option we'll know it.

[gtmoBlue]

SLU is far from automatic. They have to show the last few years wasn't a fluke on the court.

Just like DePaul they bring more to the table then just on the court results. It's not about on the court but what money they bring to the table when they are down. SLU brings a nice new TV market with them and they fit like a glove with 9 of the current members.

...and just like DePaul they are an afterthought in the STL tv pecking order, after all the Pro sports, Illinois, and Mizzou.
SLU is an institutions fit, nothing more.

Why is Davidson, BYU, and other omitted from this list?

[robinreed]

While I believe VCU, Wichita, SLU, Gonzaga and perhaps some others would be an asset to the BE it is very unlikely that FSN would increase our payout total if we expanded to 12 or 14. Our viewership is poor and there is no reason to indicate that most of the suggested additions would increase it nationally. The 50 mm payout to 10 teams would most probably become a 50 mm payout to 14 teams. This is a significant reduction per team. Can we agree no expansion would be considered unless the same payout per team was maintained? Otherwise the only reason for expansion would be to take a Uconn, Duke or other established power with a solid national following.

[anXUfan]

While I believe VCU, Wichita, SLU, Gonzaga and perhaps some others would be an asset to the BE it is very unlikely that FSN would increase our payout total if we expanded to 12 or 14. Our viewership is poor and there is no reason to indicate that most of the suggested additions would increase it nationally. The 50 mm payout to 10 teams would most probably become a 50 mm payout to 14 teams. This is a significant reduction per team. Can we agree no expansion would be considered unless the same payout per team was maintained? Otherwise the only reason for expansion would be to take a Uconn, Duke or other established power with a solid national following.

The basis for your question is flawed. Of course there would be no reason to expand if it reduced payouts.

I hate expansion threads, especially when everything is so good as is. If it ain't broke...

[Xudash]

While I believe VCU, Wichita, SLU, Gonzaga and perhaps some others would be an asset to the BE it is very unlikely that FSN would increase our payout total if we expanded to 12 or 14. Our viewership is poor and there is no reason to indicate that most of the suggested additions would increase it nationally. The 50 mm payout to 10 teams would most probably become a 50 mm payout to 14 teams. This is a significant reduction per team. Can we agree no expansion would be considered unless the same payout per team was maintained? Otherwise the only reason for expansion would be to take a Uconn, Duke or other established power with a solid national following.

The basis for your question is flawed. Of course there would be no reason to expand if it reduced payouts.

I hate expansion threads, especially when everything is so good as is. If it ain't broke...

Totally agree.

Two things:

1. Not that this thread and its voting would ever have a chance of being statistically valid - it stands at 63 votes right now - but how many of those votes come from fans of schools that aren't in the Big East now, but may want in?

2. A lot of viewing data for college basketball were available to the Fox suits before they put the Big East contract together. To the extent they studied BE history, which I presume they did, they saw all to clearly that it took a while for the Big East and ESPN to ramp up. I doubt very strongly that they have an expectation for a similar growth curve for this version of the Big East, because the landscape has changed in general and because of the composition of the current conference - relatively smaller private schools with lower alumni bases. Nonetheless, Fox always seems to have been and presently remains a long-term thinker when it comes to developing new assets. We're in Year Two of this thing. And we're poised to have a successful year in terms of bids at that. Who knows what it will look like if we get a couple schools going with good runs in the Tournament.

Leave it at 10 and build the brand that way. If a good program or two come along, and I really mean GOOD, then see what that might look like to the conference. I like the title of the thread and generally enjoy the discussion that goes with it, but Val isn't going to be bursting into anyone's office under those conditions any time soon.

[NJRedman]

SLU is far from automatic. They have to show the last few years wasn't a fluke on the court.

Just like DePaul they bring more to the table then just on the court results. It's not about on the court but what money they bring to the table when they are down. SLU brings a nice new TV market with them and they fit like a glove with 9 of the current members.

...and just like DePaul they are an afterthought in the STL tv pecking order, after all the Pro sports, Illinois, and Mizzou.
SLU is an institutions fit, nothing more.

Why is Davidson, BYU, and other omitted from this list?

It doesn't matter if it's an afterthought. It's about bringing the most money when you are down. If davidson stinks what do they bring to the table? Also NO GOD DAMN FOOTBALL SCHOOLS!!!! Why is that hard to comprehend around here? We just left that situation and we are NOT going back. No matter what some think BYU is looking for a spot in the FB5 and would leave us in a second if one is ever offered.

Saint Louis is a cultural fit in a large metro market in a neighboring area of our current conference footprint. If it was about who dominated their market over both state schools and pro teams there wouldn't be a member of this conference.

[Bill Marsh]

For those who think that expansion isn't important, that it will only water down the pay outs,and that institutional fit is the. Most important thing, I'll point out a few things:

1. More important than maintaining the current level of pay out per schoo is working toward landingthenextxontract. A small hit is worth it if the conference is more viable at the end of the current contract.

2. Ratings are very low. The conference needs more buzz.

3. Bringing in any of the usual suspects will not create the kind of buzz that improve ratings.

If the presidents don't care about the next TV contract, then it's fine if they bring in a school like St. Louis whose average home attendance is at 6500 this year. However, if they want to bring in schools that will make the conference more viable long term, they will consider other candidates.

Gonzaga is a perfect institutional fit AND they will create more buzz. If they were in the conference this year, we'd have 2 top then teams competing for the conference title. Institutional fit is nice, but success on the court is essential. Neither Fox nor any other network is paying $500 million for institutional fit. If they were, the Ivy League would be commanding big bucks.

Say what you want about football schools and their desire to move to a power conference, if the BE could land one, they should probably grab them. I say that even though I'm not personally crazy about the idea. The primary candidate would be BYU. They normally average about 16,000 for home attendance and they generate widespread interest across the country. They seem to be serious about football independence like Notre Dame, so they'd be a good risk. I doubt that UConn or any of the others would become available, but if that day came, then they would certainly move the needle.

For me, VCU has done enough to be considered a serious candidate with big up side potential. I can understand that others may need to see more. But they shouldn't be dismissed based simply on being a public school. Set up qualifying criteria, and when/if they eventually meet them, bring them on board. Same would apply to Wichita State or any other program that has achieved ongoing success at a high level.

Bottom line is that the conference must improve it's ratings for long term viability, it must sell out the Garden, and it must become a hot property that generates buzz so that fans go out of their way to buy tickets and tune into games.the current situation can't be taken for granted or the big prize won't be there on the next go round when it'stimeto reach for the brass ring.

[gosports1]

SLU is far from automatic. They have to show the last few years wasn't a fluke on the court.

I agree with Frank on this. Question should be which scool would you want to be associated with when they are playing BB at their worst. I think the presidents would pick St Louis u of the group

[NJRedman]

SLU is far from automatic. They have to show the last few years wasn't a fluke on the court.

I agree with Frank on this. Question should be which scool would you want to be associated with when they are playing BB at their worst. I think the presidents would pick St Louis u of the group

People keep forgetting this. If the new school(s) can't cut it ala DePaul then what value do they bring to the league? If the Zags struggle with the travel and the MUCH tougher conference schedule what do they bring to the Big East?

Davidson as an option is a joke though right? I think I had more people in my Theology classes as davidson has in it's whole school. haha

Oh and one more time. NO MORE FOOTBALL SCHOOLS!!!!! Unless they want to discontinue the program or drop down to FCS they are NOT an option for us. Those who didn't experience the Big East from 2003-2013 don't understand what it's like dealing with them and that black cloud of possibly being raided and them making promises they know they wont keep. You can't move forward as a conference with a program with wandering eyes. Would you marry a person who was always looking to dump you for someone else? Of course not, so why would we put ourselves through that again, RIGHT AFTER we got out of that situation?

[gosports1]

no one can acurately predict how school "a" would do in a differnt conference. If Gonzaga was already in the BE would they be still having the season they are? would people still be as enamored with them should their success fade?