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

[Bill Marsh]

any expansion would eliminate the round robin format,

No, it would not. The MAAC currently plays a double round robin schedule with 11 members.

If Notre Dame unexpectedly became available tomorrow, the Big East would sign them up in a heart beat and would probably maintain a double round robin schedule.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't an odd number of teams cause scheduling issues for conference games? At least one team would always need to be on a bye for the days the games are produced (specifically, the NYE Marathon we currently employ). It would also eliminate 2 OOC games. The only other conference that I know of that has an odd number of teams is the Horizon League, but they just have 9 teams (16 total conference games).

And I know you were just using them as an ideal example, but Notre Dame just won the ACC Tournament. They have an ideal scheduling alliance with a P5 conference. They aren't going anywhere for a long time.

[NJRedman]

I say go to 14 with WSU, VCU, Dayton and Gonzaga. That'll get everyone's attention.

[pki1998]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't an odd number of teams cause scheduling issues for conference games? At least one team would always need to be on a bye for the days the games are produced (specifically, the NYE Marathon we currently employ). It would also eliminate 2 OOC games. The only other conference that I know of that has an odd number of teams is the Horizon League, but they just have 9 teams (16 total conference games).

And I know you were just using them as an ideal example, but Notre Dame just won the ACC Tournament. They have an ideal scheduling alliance with a P5 conference. They aren't going anywhere for a long time.

The Big Ten was an 11 team conference for 20 years. The ACC was a 9 team conference for a long time, now they are a 15 team league. I'm pretty sure if the Big East went to 11 teams, we could find some OCC games in the Conference Season against ACC schools, Especially ND, Pitt, Syracuse and Boston College. Assuming 2 conference games a week, that would mean your team would have a bye week (Only one conference game in the week) once every 6 weeks. That is hardly a deal breaker. Plus teams already play OCC games during the conference season. This year I know that XU played UC, Villanova played one of the Big Five teams (maybe Penn), and St. Johns played Duke after the conference season had started. If there was a quality team available on the east coast (sorry don't see the Big East having more teams in Midwest than East Coast, unless ND somehow was available), there is no reason why we couldn't add them.

[augkash]

I say go to 14 with WSU, VCU, Dayton and Gonzaga. That'll get everyone's attention.

This would be perfect. All them great coaches in one league.

[Bill Marsh]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't an odd number of teams cause scheduling issues for conference games? At least one team would always need to be on a bye for the days the games are produced (specifically, the NYE Marathon we currently employ). It would also eliminate 2 OOC games. The only other conference that I know of that has an odd number of teams is the Horizon League, but they just have 9 teams (16 total conference games).

And I know you were just using them as an ideal example, but Notre Dame just won the ACC Tournament. They have an ideal scheduling alliance with a P5 conference. They aren't going anywhere for a long time.

Okay, I'll correct you. Glad you asked.

An odd number of teams does NOT cause scheduling issues for conference games in basketball because teams play 2-3 games per week and virtually any day of the week is available for the schedule - unless you're BYU.

An odd number of teams does create serious scheduling problems in football, but that's because football plays games only once a week and is limited in what days are available for scheduling. Despite those problems, the Big Ten played with 11 members in all sports for 20 years after Penn State joined.

Yes, I was just using Notre Dame as an example. My point was that if the right team were available, the conference would go to 11 teams in a New York minute. An odd number would not be an obstacle. Obviously if it can be done then, it can be done for any 11.

As for conferences that play basketball with an odd number, there are a dozen such leagues. I know that the MAAC for one plays a full double round robin schedule of 20 games with 11 teams. Here's the full list with the number of teams for each conference:

9 - America East
9 - Big West
9 - Horizon
9 - Summit
11 - American
11 - Big South
11 - MAAC
11 - Mountain West
11 - Sun Belt
13 - MEAC
13 - Southland
15 - ACC

[GoldenWarrior11]

Well then, I stand corrected.

[Bill Marsh]

I say go to 14 with WSU, VCU, Dayton and Gonzaga. That'll get everyone's attention.

It sure would!

[Bluejay]

I say go to 14 with WSU, VCU, Dayton and Gonzaga. That'll get everyone's attention.

The problem with that is that at least two of those head coaches are likely to be at other programs in the next 2 years.

[gavitspeaks]

I say go to 14 with WSU, VCU, Dayton and Gonzaga. That'll get everyone's attention.

The problem with that is that at least two of those head coaches are likely to be at other programs in the next 2 years.

Conferences don't expand because a coach will be there or not be there in the next two years. That type of reasoning is reserved for fans. Marshall or Shaka or Miller being gone has nothing to do with it.