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

[gtmoBlue]

With S'cuse on probation and limited recruiting and scholies...and North Click (UNC) next on the NCAA hitlist, a few schools may have the opportunity to rise within the ACC. However, should one school (Duke and Coach K) wish to abandon the sinking ACC for MSG, I think the BE and Val would welcome them with open arms. the South, Deep South, southern fried, South America? No matter - if a "needle mover" team (Gonzaga, Duke) decides to come to the BE, we will take them.

Ya, ya, ya - forget the Duke pipe dream. Never happen, ya, ya, ya. What's that you're smokin' gtmo? ya, ya, ya.
Stranger things have happened over the last 10 years in college sports. Who'd a ever thunk that S'cuse, Pitt, Louisville, and BC would join the ACC?
Nebraska in the B1G? Colorado and Utah in the Pac-12? CUSA in the Big East/AAC? Never say never.

[Gopher+RamFan]

With S'cuse on probation and limited recruiting and scholies...and North Click (UNC) next on the NCAA hitlist, a few schools may have the opportunity to rise within the ACC. However, should one school (Duke and Coach K) wish to abandon the sinking ACC for MSG, I think the BE and Val would welcome them with open arms. the South, Deep South, southern fried, South America? No matter - if a "needle mover" team (Gonzaga, Duke) decides to come to the BE, we will take them.

Ya, ya, ya - forget the Duke pipe dream. Never happen, ya, ya, ya. What's that you're smokin' gtmo? ya, ya, ya.
Stranger things have happened over the last 10 years in college sports. Who'd a ever thunk that S'cuse, Pitt, Louisville, and BC would join the ACC?
Nebraska in the B1G? Colorado and Utah in the Pac-12? CUSA in the Big East/AAC? Never say never.

I'm assuming this is sarcastic, but I'll still say Duke will never join the BE. They'll be in MSG in November though, possibly playing against GU.

[marquette]

With S'cuse on probation and limited recruiting and scholies...and North Click (UNC) next on the NCAA hitlist, a few schools may have the opportunity to rise within the ACC. However, should one school (Duke and Coach K) wish to abandon the sinking ACC for MSG, I think the BE and Val would welcome them with open arms. the South, Deep South, southern fried, South America? No matter - if a "needle mover" team (Gonzaga, Duke) decides to come to the BE, we will take them.

Ya, ya, ya - forget the Duke pipe dream. Never happen, ya, ya, ya. What's that you're smokin' gtmo? ya, ya, ya.
Stranger things have happened over the last 10 years in college sports. Who'd a ever thunk that S'cuse, Pitt, Louisville, and BC would join the ACC?
Nebraska in the B1G? Colorado and Utah in the Pac-12? CUSA in the Big East/AAC? Never say never.

I'm assuming this is sarcastic, but I'll still say Duke will never join the BE. They'll be in MSG in November though, possibly playing against GU.

He brings this up every now and again. It isn't sarcasm, but it is absurd. I think most of us are pretty much tired of responding to it.

[Hancock]

UAB is a State funded school and for that reason alone, it should not be in the Big East. Let the Big East consist of private/religious institutions that don't have football. UAB should join the AAC. This awful conference has several State funded schools who are East of the Mississippi. The AAC should also try to poach VCU. Temple and SMU should leave the AAC, though I can't imagine where they should play. Temple back to the A10? SMU to the Big 12?

[Butlerfan28]

UAB is a State funded school and for that reason alone, it should not be in the Big East. Let the Big East consist of private/religious institutions that don't have football. UAB should join the AAC. This awful conference has several State funded schools who are East of the Mississippi. The AAC should also try to poach VCU. Temple and SMU should leave the AAC, though I can't imagine where they should play. Temple back to the A10? SMU to the Big 12?

Well in my mind it is the Big East that definately needs to add some public schools. Viewership at Fox has not been overwhelming and I think it's because the Big East has an affinity problem. Board members often point to the Big 10 but those are all flagship schools who pull people in based on their affinity with the State. The current Big East more closely resembles the Ivy League and good luck finding any Ivy League TV broadcasts. But the Big East further solidifies their niche by being elite catholic universities. It's a solid niche but it's not a niche for which the general population will have an affinity. In fact, many who competed against Catholic prep schools have a negative affinity with the league.

I have close personal associates who play for Butler but when they leave I suspect my interest in the league will wane. Largely because I lack affinity with the league. I'm not Catholic and while I don't like the elitism of the P5 the Big East is just as elitist in a different way as seen by this board. Now would watching a Wichita State battle an uber-elite Creighton or watching VCU battle an uber-elite Georgetown peak my interest. Sure it would. Now you capture within you league both the Catholic side and the anti-Catholic side who tired of watching Catholic prep schools crush the public schools with recruited rosters.

In reality, it would be a return to what originally defined the Big East. A range of schools united in their love of top flight athletics especially basketball. U Conn, West Virginia, and Cincinatti were not top flight academic institutions but people liked watching them battle Boston College, Pitt and Georgetown. What killed the Big East was the mix of football and not football. What made the Big East was the mix of public and private battling it out on the hardwood. Along the way the soul of the true Big East was captured by elitists. The new Big East may retain its elitism but you can't have your cake and eat it too. Those who don't identify with your narrow niche will be unlikely to tune in like we did in times past.

[Bill Marsh]

Thanks for your POV, Butler Fan. It's something we need to listen to.

[Butlerfan28]

Thanks for your POV, Butler Fan. It's something we need to listen to.

Your welcome. I would like to be a long term fan of the Big East. But for those of us who have watched our teams fall to the DeMatha's, Moellers, De LaSalles, and St. Mary's of the world, Catholic parochial schools are the villains not the hero's. Hard to get excited about watching one villain play another. Which is why I watched few Big East games where Butler wasn't playing.

[R Jay]

UAB is a State funded school and for that reason alone, it should not be in the Big East. Let the Big East consist of private/religious institutions that don't have football. UAB should join the AAC. This awful conference has several State funded schools who are East of the Mississippi. The AAC should also try to poach VCU. Temple and SMU should leave the AAC, though I can't imagine where they should play. Temple back to the A10? SMU to the Big 12?

Well in my mind it is the Big East that definately needs to add some public schools. Viewership at Fox has not been overwhelming and I think it's because the Big East has an affinity problem. Board members often point to the Big 10 but those are all flagship schools who pull people in based on their affinity with the State. The current Big East more closely resembles the Ivy League and good luck finding any Ivy League TV broadcasts. But the Big East further solidifies their niche by being elite catholic universities. It's a solid niche but it's not a niche for which the general population will have an affinity. In fact, many who competed against Catholic prep schools have a negative affinity with the league.

I have close personal associates who play for Butler but when they leave I suspect my interest in the league will wane. Largely because I lack affinity with the league. I'm not Catholic and while I don't like the elitism of the P5 the Big East is just as elitist in a different way as seen by this board. Now would watching a Wichita State battle an uber-elite Creighton or watching VCU battle an uber-elite Georgetown peak my interest. Sure it would. Now you capture within you league both the Catholic side and the anti-Catholic side who tired of watching Catholic prep schools crush the public schools with recruited rosters.

In reality, it would be a return to what originally defined the Big East. A range of schools united in their love of top flight athletics especially basketball. U Conn, West Virginia, and Cincinatti were not top flight academic institutions but people liked watching them battle Boston College, Pitt and Georgetown. What killed the Big East was the mix of football and not football. What made the Big East was the mix of public and private battling it out on the hardwood. Along the way the soul of the true Big East was captured by elitists. The new Big East may retain its elitism but you can't have your cake and eat it too. Those who don't identify with your narrow niche will be unlikely to tune in like we did in times past.

Hello, VCU/Dayton fan. Welcome to the board.

[Gopher+RamFan]

UAB is a State funded school and for that reason alone, it should not be in the Big East. Let the Big East consist of private/religious institutions that don't have football. UAB should join the AAC. This awful conference has several State funded schools who are East of the Mississippi. The AAC should also try to poach VCU. Temple and SMU should leave the AAC, though I can't imagine where they should play. Temple back to the A10? SMU to the Big 12?

Well in my mind it is the Big East that definately needs to add some public schools. Viewership at Fox has not been overwhelming and I think it's because the Big East has an affinity problem. Board members often point to the Big 10 but those are all flagship schools who pull people in based on their affinity with the State. The current Big East more closely resembles the Ivy League and good luck finding any Ivy League TV broadcasts. But the Big East further solidifies their niche by being elite catholic universities. It's a solid niche but it's not a niche for which the general population will have an affinity. In fact, many who competed against Catholic prep schools have a negative affinity with the league.

I have close personal associates who play for Butler but when they leave I suspect my interest in the league will wane. Largely because I lack affinity with the league. I'm not Catholic and while I don't like the elitism of the P5 the Big East is just as elitist in a different way as seen by this board. Now would watching a Wichita State battle an uber-elite Creighton or watching VCU battle an uber-elite Georgetown peak my interest. Sure it would. Now you capture within you league both the Catholic side and the anti-Catholic side who tired of watching Catholic prep schools crush the public schools with recruited rosters.

In reality, it would be a return to what originally defined the Big East. A range of schools united in their love of top flight athletics especially basketball. U Conn, West Virginia, and Cincinatti were not top flight academic institutions but people liked watching them battle Boston College, Pitt and Georgetown. What killed the Big East was the mix of football and not football. What made the Big East was the mix of public and private battling it out on the hardwood. Along the way the soul of the true Big East was captured by elitists. The new Big East may retain its elitism but you can't have your cake and eat it too. Those who don't identify with your narrow niche will be unlikely to tune in like we did in times past.

Hello, VCU/Dayton fan. Welcome to the board.

He's not a Dayton fan (they're private, he's hoping to add publics).

FWIW, I ward the BE because I'm hoping VCU gets added someday. There's no incentive to watch unless I have a connection. I'll watch Duke/UNC, Xavier/Cincy because of the differences in institutions - and they're relatively good in CBB. Watching Georgetown/Seton Hall may be interesting to those on here who grew up with the league, but to me there's no connection whatsoever (I grew up in DC, but in the late '90s, early 2000s).

Having like minded institutions are great for people who grew up in the league, or went to private catholic schools. To attract outsiders, or casual college basketballs fans (like myself - regardless of my VCU connection) you need the "us v. Them" games. I'm 26 and mostly missed the BE glory days, most other fans my age (not within the VCU sphere) could not name BE teams outside of: GU, Butler, Xavier, Nova, Marquette and maybe SJU. This generation is all about what you have done for me lately, so for us we could care less about the 80s and 90s.

Not here to ruffle feathers, and freely admit my fandom. Here to share an outsiders perspective. Carving out a niche in the market is good to establish a base, but it does make it hard to grow. I'm directly in FS1/ESPN's target audience, and most people I know are as well. Take it for what it's worth.

[R Jay]

He's not a Dayton fan (they're private, he's hoping to add publics).

FWIW, I ward the BE because I'm hoping VCU gets added someday. There's no incentive to watch unless I have a connection. I'll watch Duke/UNC, Xavier/Cincy because of the differences in institutions - and they're relatively good in CBB. Watching Georgetown/Seton Hall may be interesting to those on here who grew up with the league, but to me there's no connection whatsoever (I grew up in DC, but in the late '90s, early 2000s).

Having like minded institutions are great for people who grew up in the league, or went to private catholic schools. To attract outsiders, or casual college basketballs fans (like myself - regardless of my VCU connection) you need the "us v. Them" games. I'm 26 and mostly missed the BE glory days, most other fans my age (not within the VCU sphere) could not name BE teams outside of: GU, Butler, Xavier, Nova, Marquette and maybe SJU. This generation is all about what you have done for me lately, so for us we could care less about the 80s and 90s.

Not here to ruffle feathers, and freely admit my fandom. Here to share an outsiders perspective. Carving out a niche in the market is good to establish a base, but it does make it hard to grow. I'm directly in FS1/ESPN's target audience, and most people I know are as well. Take it for what it's worth.

It's hard to take anyone at face value on here these days. After "Bloody Saturday," a lot of VCU/Dayton fans joined masquerading as fans of other BE teams.
I personally have no problem with other fans coming here to talk basketball, but other fans coming and talking expansion, particularly those under the guise of fans of BE teams or those who take shots at the current 10 really rub me the wrong way.
I'll go on record saying that I'm not anti-expansion, I expect us to go to 14 at some point, I just don't think it's necessary right now. I'd like to see us build the current 10 teams for at least 5 years and then add teams who will build our overall fanbase and public image and are within our current footprint.