More Realignment on the Way?

[marquette]

I don't know if there is a plan to add anyone for the foreseeable future, but complacency will kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Fox took a gamble on the Big East, betting that the league would do for their new cable sports channel what it did for ESPN 35 years ago. So far it hasn't played out that way. If the Big East wants to get another lucrative contract after this one runs out, it better figure out a way to attract more viewers. An obvious solution would be to bring in some schools with bigger enrollments and/or a bigger names. VCU and UMass would be examples of basketball schools with bigger enrollments while Gonzaga would be a school with a bigger name.

I've done a bit of a 180 on this over the last year. Personally, if we expand I'd like to see us at 14 eventually. Won't happen until the current contract is up, but it would be prudent to add some schools as contract negotiation leverage. Maybe we pick up a couple more privates in the next 5 years, then in the next contract negotiation Fox demands we take a couple large Eastern schools to fill out MSG/attract more tv viewers. Why not?

[NJRedman]

all of the arguments for ND to the ACC as a permanent member (and the even more uninformed conjecture to the big ten) make me chuckle.

it's not happening

it's not being considered

Guess it's time to close up the thread then. Hey! I've got an idea! As long as we are outlawing speculation and hypothetical discourse, let's just shut down the whole internet!

He didn't say you can't talk about it, but that it's just not gonna happen and I agree.

[NJRedman]

I don't know if there is a plan to add anyone for the foreseeable future, but complacency will kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Fox took a gamble on the Big East, betting that the league would do for their new cable sports channel what it did for ESPN 35 years ago. So far it hasn't played out that way. If the Big East wants to get another lucrative contract after this one runs out, it better figure out a way to attract more viewers. An obvious solution would be to bring in some schools with bigger enrollments and/or a bigger names. VCU and UMass would be examples of basketball schools with bigger enrollments while Gonzaga would be a school with a bigger name.

I've done a bit of a 180 on this over the last year. Personally, if we expand I'd like to see us at 14 eventually. Won't happen until the current contract is up, but it would be prudent to add some schools as contract negotiation leverage. Maybe we pick up a couple more privates in the next 5 years, then in the next contract negotiation Fox demands we take a couple large Eastern schools to fill out MSG/attract more tv viewers. Why not?

This is what we were talking about in that A-10 thread. We need a strong A-10 for us to do that. If the A-10 is banging out 4-5 bids a year and we snag 4 of those teams thats a win for us. If these three (VCU, Dayton, Wichita) make the tourny almost every year over the next 4-5 years then we can take a down SLU.

The real question is what do we do if URI becomes a dominate program in that conference? Does Providence black ball them? If Hurly can turn them into what X was in that conference can we ignore them?

Also I think the presidents want to see what UConns end game will be. Will they be shut out of any hope of joining a F5 conference and slink back hat in hand? Thats why I think if we expand in the next few years it will be to 12 and leave the option open of going to 14 with UConn if things break right. Then if by some miracle they get a F5 invite we can still always go to 14 from our feeder conferences.

[DudeAnon]

Biggest conclusion of this thread. Conference expansion threads garner more posts than anything else, by far.

[MUPanther]

How is the ACC Network going to be hosted by NBC when they have a pretty much exclusive contract with ESPN?

The ACC Network is owned by Raycom Sports.

[NJRedman]

How is the ACC Network going to be hosted by NBC when they have a pretty much exclusive contract with ESPN?

The ACC Network is owned by Raycom Sports.

No, ESPN subleases content to Raycom. I highly doubt that they can resell that content to NBC without ESPN's approval.

[stever20]

How is the ACC Network going to be hosted by NBC when they have a pretty much exclusive contract with ESPN?

The ACC Network is owned by Raycom Sports.

No, ESPN subleases content to Raycom. I highly doubt that they can resell that content to NBC without ESPN's approval.

Unless ESPN doesn't feel the ACC network is all that viable so they want someone else to take the risk? Plus getting an extra 1-2 road Notre Dame Football games helps out so much.

[GoldenWarrior11]

For the first time in decades, the Big East is safe from losing members to other conferences. That's a wonderful feeling to have moving forward.

[TheBall]

Seems like sort of a non-story. Don't see how this really moves the needle.

Maybe it opens the door for one more team, which I would guess would be uconn (bc can't really blackball them forever, can they?)

[Piratefan]

Unless the BE could add Uconn( all sports ex football) and or Gonzaga (basketball only) where the new members grant media rights, there is zero rationale to expand. It appears that 60% of the league will get bids this year so why dilute the brand? This is an awesome league as is.