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I've been told by someone at Marquette who knows what is going on that the 7 Big East schools along with Xavier Butler and Dayton will begin as a 10 team league in 2013. The reason is a desire to remain East Coast focused at first. He said the long term plan is to add Creighton and St Louis within 3 years and likely Gonzaga and St Marys. BYU was also mentioned as a possible addition at some point if the league added West Coast schools.

marq wrote:I've been told by someone at Marquette who knows what is going on that the 7 Big East schools along with Xavier Butler and Dayton will begin as a 10 team league in 2013. The reason is a desire to remain East Coast focused at first. He said the long term plan is to add Creighton and St Louis within 3 years and likely Gonzaga and St Marys. BYU was also mentioned as a possible addition at some point if the league added West Coast schools.

Gulp. I sure hope your source is in error.

The A10 is going to piss and moan about this but every school would jump at the opportunity that 2-3 teams will have. I hope Bernadette has something figured out to keep VCU and SLU happy if XU, Butler, and Dayton leave.

marq wrote:I've been told by someone at Marquette who knows what is going on that the 7 Big East schools along with Xavier Butler and Dayton will begin as a 10 team league in 2013. The reason is a desire to remain East Coast focused at first. He said the long term plan is to add Creighton and St Louis within 3 years and likely Gonzaga and St Marys. BYU was also mentioned as a possible addition at some point if the league added West Coast schools.

I'm assuming it was the same rumor from the writer from Marquette who said he heard it was X, Butler and Dayton about a week ago? Sorry, I'd rather believe the SI article Thamel and his sources since he's been on the ball so far.

Jet915 wrote:

marq wrote:I've been told by someone at Marquette who knows what is going on that the 7 Big East schools along with Xavier Butler and Dayton will begin as a 10 team league in 2013. The reason is a desire to remain East Coast focused at first. He said the long term plan is to add Creighton and St Louis within 3 years and likely Gonzaga and St Marys. BYU was also mentioned as a possible addition at some point if the league added West Coast schools.

I'm assuming it was the same rumor from the writer from Marquette who said he heard it was X, Butler and Dayton about a week ago? Sorry, I'd rather believe the SI article Thamel and his sources since he's been on the ball so far.

I was told this yesterday at a Christmas gathering. We've got a well placed family member by marriage in Milwaukee who knows a lot but shares only a little. I feel pretty confident on this.

It's funny cause on the Marquette board (muhoops.com), some just posted this:

....from a significant booster that Xavier, Creighton, SLU and Butler are most definitely getting invites. Attendance is a slight concern with the new league relative to what we have had in the BE. From what I have heard, MU is not necessarily the leader in all of this mess because the source (OK...Larry WILLIAMS)...didnt have all the answers. There is a slight amount of concern that GU doesnt have two feet in....but they have no where else to go. SJU and GU are working hard to secure long term OOC agreements with Syracuse. Some of the "other" schools dont like that effort.

I'm assuming it's not the same guy you talked to . Guess time will tell, hopefully we'll know sooner than later.

Unless someone's source is a university president I think we can all assume there is a little truth and false in every report on the net including the reporters. That said, reporters going on record with their source's words hold a little more cred with me than someone saying something over a Christmas party punch bowl.

ljay wrote:Unless someone's source is a university president I think we can all assume there is a little truth and false in every report on the net including the reporters. That said, reporters going on record with their source's words hold a little more cred with me than someone saying something over a Christmas party punch bowl.

But around the punch bowl is where people start spilling secrets. Only time will tell. Gonna be a fun ride - get on board!

If Butler, Xavier, and Dayton all leave the A10, I wouldn't be surprised if SLU joined the MVC because Fr. Biondi didn't want to spend so much on travel with Duquesne being the closest A10 opponent.

gmoser1210 wrote:If Butler, Xavier, and Dayton all leave the A10, I wouldn't be surprised if SLU joined the MVC because Fr. Biondi didn't want to spend so much on travel with Duquesne being the closest A10 opponent.

I kind of thought that Fr. Biondi was the biggest force keeping them in the A10 because he wanted east coast exposure. I know that Majerus had spoken out several times about wanting to move SLU to the MVC.