Geography & Expansion: When Creighton was invited...

[CrawfishBucket]

This talk about geography ruling out Gonzaga puzzles me.



As you can see by the map, the Big East is a far flung conference. When Creighton was invited, the membership made a commitment to long flights for the baseball/volleyball/LAX/etc/ teams. So, what does it matter if the Big East adds another long flight by adding Gonzaga?

Nebraska is not a contiguous state. Washington is not a contiguous state. So, if there are islands already in the conference, maintaining some footprint ideal really is not so ideal, in my opinion.

Gonzaga would arguably be the #1 team in the conference from Day 1. Those kinds of additions just aren't usually accessible to any conference that is looking to expand. I hear people say Gonzaga needs the Big East more than the Big East needs them. I disagree with that assessment. What seed were the Zags this year?

Everyone wants the best conference that can be. I just don't see how the Big East is its absolute best when it can add top talent and chooses not to out of deference for an ideal that has already been broken. Gonzaga really should have been team #8 all along. The Big East would be looking at back to back Champions if they were.

Their addition makes the TV contract more valuable. How many teams currently in the Big East do? I just don't understand how geography can be so costly in an already far flung conference.

[MUPanther]

Why does adding Gonzaga increase the value of the TV contract?

Answer is they won't hurt it, but won't increase it. Look at the numbers, they don't turn the needle.

[NJRedman]

This talk about geography ruling out Gonzaga puzzles me.



As you can see by the map, the Big East is a far flung conference. When Creighton was invited, the membership made a commitment to long flights for the baseball/volleyball/LAX/etc/ teams. So, what does it matter if the Big East adds another long flight by adding Gonzaga?

Nebraska is not a contiguous state. Washington is not a contiguous state. So, if there are islands already in the conference, maintaining some footprint ideal really is not so ideal, in my opinion.

Gonzaga would arguably be the #1 team in the conference from Day 1. Those kinds of additions just aren't usually accessible to any conference that is looking to expand. I hear people say Gonzaga needs the Big East more than the Big East needs them. I disagree with that assessment. What seed were the Zags this year?

Everyone wants the best conference that can be. I just don't see how the Big East is its absolute best when it can add top talent and chooses not to out of deference for an ideal that has already been broken. Gonzaga really should have been team #8 all along. The Big East would be looking at back to back Champions if they were.

Their addition makes the TV contract more valuable. How many teams currently in the Big East do? I just don't understand how geography can be so costly in an already far flung conference.

Expand out that map and you'll see why there is a difference.

It's not about a decision that effects the next 5-10 years but the next 40-50 years. You see that distance between St. John's and Creighton? Now double it and thats St. John's travel for Gonzaga.

[JohnW22]

Time to pull out the good ole United States map and show that Gonzaga is a little farther away than Creighton.

[EMT]

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/03 ... est-years/

[gtmoBlue]

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/03/elite-eight-ratings-tbs-gonzaga-xavier-lowest-years/

So... Are we alluding that when in the Elite Eight - always play Duke, on a Sunday afternoon?

[trephin]

Time to pull out the good ole United States map and show that Gonzaga is a little farther away than Creighton.

Don't forget the increased time zone difference too.

Hey Jays fans

the map made me wonder if the fans feel isolated or burdened by travel? Do you want more trips in the Marquette/DePaul range? That's still something like 4-6 hrs? Does St Louis make a difference? Does Creighton need to be bridged?

as an aside, MO would make NE contiguous if only by a sliver of land.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

This talk about geography ruling out Gonzaga puzzles me.

You're missing the big picture:



Omaha to Spokane: 1,150 miles
Washington D.C. to Spokane: 2,100 miles
Philadelphia to Spokane: 2,150 miles
New York City to Spokane: 2,180 miles
Providence to Spokane: 2,260 miles

[gosports1]

so add St Louis U and Nebraska would be contiguous .
BTW Rhode Island isn't contiguous either

[DeltaV]

Look, I love Gonzaga. I hope they win this weekend. I wish they were closer...but they're on the left coast. If the conference leadership thought they were a viable candidate, they would have been invited. They weren't. And barring the Big East developing a supersonic airliner (hey, if they're in the development business, I'd be happy to help), it isn't going to happen.