Conference Reallignment: the Basketball edition

[TripleCrown9]

Re: Conference Reallignment: the Basketball edition

Oh my bad. I thought they were joining in 2013.

[SlimKibbles]

Re: Conference Reallignment: the Basketball edition

Whatever happens I think Xavier is going to be in good shape...unless the BE7 poach other A-10 schools over X. Same goes for Butler, SLU, and any of the other top schools in the A-10. The interesting thing is if the BE7 were to add Xavier and Butler for example, those two schools have somewhat of a better track-record in the post season over the last 10 years than the majority of the group they'd be joining.

The funny thing about all of this too is this exact scenario has been talked about and speculated on a number of times over the years on a Xavier forum I'm a member of. Obviously it was wishful thinking at those times but I think most are rather stunned that this might actually happen. I remember my dad telling me 5-10 years ago about his wish to see an all-Catholic league with some of those Big East schools, SLU, Butler, X, Dayton, Creighton, and Gonzaga maybe all involved. Joining up with the likes of Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's, and Marquette (again) would certainly raise the profile of X's program. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will happen. Sorry, UConn.

[dickey1331]

Butlers not even a catholic school.


Do you really care where I sent this from?

[cdawg44]

Re: Conference Reallignment: the Basketball edition

Butlers not even a catholic school.


Do you really care where I sent this from?

And what does that have to do with the price of tea in China? Neither was Syracuse or Pitt when the Big East was founded in 1979. The majority of schools in the new basketball Big East will be Catholic but it won't be THE prerequisite when it picks schools to join. Butler and whoever else gets picked will have to be basketball schools first yesterday, today and tommorrow. These schools learned from 1991 by allowing football schools (Va Tech, Miami, West Virginia) to be a part of the conference and that's why I don't believe UCONN or Cinncy's basketball teams won't have a place at the table.

[dickey1331]

And what does that have to do with the price of tea in China? Neither was Syracuse or Pitt when the Big East was founded in 1979. The majority of schools in the new basketball Big East will be Catholic but it won't be THE prerequisite when it picks schools to join. Butler and whoever else gets picked will have to be basketball schools first yesterday, today and tommorrow. These schools learned from 1991 by allowing football schools (Va Tech, Miami, West Virginia) to be a part of the conference and that's why I don't believe UCONN or Cinncy's basketball teams won't have a place at the table.

Well yeah but some have been saying an all Catholic league and including Butler as a team they would try and get.


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[phenom1990]

Re: Conference Reallignment: the Basketball edition

Wonder who the BBall schools would go for?

Xavier, Butler, St. Josephs, La Salle, St. Bonnaventure, Creighton?

No chance in hell they go after La Salle or Bonnies.

I believe 1st priority (in order): Xavier, Butler, Dayton, St. Louis then Creighton. 2nd priority: St. Joe's, VCU, George Mason.
3rd priority: UConn, Temple, Cincinnati, Gonzaga.

If UConn, Temple and Cincinnati are willing to go to the MAC or C-USA for football, I believe they jump above the teams on the 2nd priority but I don't know if that is something any of those programs want to do for football.

[SlimKibbles]

Re: Conference Reallignment: the Basketball edition

Butlers not even a catholic school.


Do you really care where I sent this from?

You're right, they aren't. I honestly had forgotten all about that. What they do fit is the profile of a private institution with a focus on academics. That is one thing that VCU, for example, despite its recent success, will unfortunately have going against it if this group is looking to fill a spot in a new conference.

[TDenverFan]

Re: Conference Reallignment: the Basketball edition

No chance in hell they go after La Salle or Bonnies.

I believe 1st priority (in order): Xavier, Butler, Dayton, St. Louis then Creighton. 2nd priority: St. Joe's, VCU, George Mason.
3rd priority: UConn, Temple, Cincinnati, Gonzaga.

If UConn, Temple and Cincinnati are willing to go to the MAC or C-USA for football, I believe they jump above the teams on the 2nd priority but I don't know if that is something any of those programs want to do for football.

Why not St. Bonnie? They're a Catholic school, IIRC. Maybe not a powerhouse, but they were the A-10 winners last year.

La Salle isn't much of a powerhouse either, but they're not awful. They're also Catholic.

[SlimKibbles]

I like St. Bona but they've typically hung out in the bottom of the league standings. Mark Schmidt has done a great job there though and having Nicholson around helped that but I don't think they'd get poached.

La Salle is similar too only maybe worse. Last couple of years have been an improvement but other than a season or two here and there they haven't been any good since Lionel Simmons graduated in 1990. Really St. Joe's has better qualifications for this expected new league and they won't be picked. Villanova won't want another Philly team in the league although they didn't block Temple being added to the BE. Who knows.

[phenom1990]

Re: Conference Reallignment: the Basketball edition

Why not St. Bonnie? They're a Catholic school, IIRC. Maybe not a powerhouse, but they were the A-10 winners last year.

La Salle isn't much of a powerhouse either, but they're not awful. They're also Catholic.

Neither of those teams are up to the level of the other programs being considered in terms of facility, recent history, etc. La Salle has barely been able to compete in the A-10 because it is really difficult for them to improve their facilities. Their arena may be a nice high school gym.

[mb625]

Re: Conference Reallignment: the Basketball edition

So we're looking at a Big East made up of: Houston, SMU, Memphis, UCF, Tulane, UConn, Cincy, and USF for basketball with Boise, SDSU, ECU and Navy joining for football, also another unnamed league with the Big East 7 that could potentially raid the A10 and may possibly go across the country for more schools that are like-minded both academically and athletically. Maybe the BE sticks around? What I'm looking at there is a nice program at Memphis, a strong traditional program in UConn and some decent programs in SMU and UCF. I'm not entirely convinced that the league dissolves completely, as I don't know how enthusiastic UConn, Cincy and USF would be to join a CUSA or a MAC, and it's becoming clearer that none of the major conferences want them, so maybe that's enough to keep the Big East from falling apart completely.

[Candyman5]

Re: Conference Reallignment: the Basketball edition

So what happens to syracuse in all this?

[dickey1331]

So what happens to syracuse in all this?

They are joining the ACC


Do you really care where I sent this from?

[cdawg44]

Re: Conference Reallignment: the Basketball edition

So we're looking at a Big East made up of: Houston, SMU, Memphis, UCF, Tulane, UConn, Cincy, and USF for basketball with Boise, SDSU, ECU and Navy joining for football, also another unnamed league with the Big East 7 that could potentially raid the A10 and may possibly go across the country for more schools that are like-minded both academically and athletically. Maybe the BE sticks around? What I'm looking at there is a nice program at Memphis, a strong traditional program in UConn and some decent programs in SMU and UCF. I'm not entirely convinced that the league dissolves completely, as I don't know how enthusiastic UConn, Cincy and USF would be to join a CUSA or a MAC, and it's becoming clearer that none of the major conferences want them, so maybe that's enough to keep the Big East from falling apart completely.

Don't forget Temple too. Its actually not a bad B-ball league if Cincy, UCONN, Memphis and Temple stick around. UCF is up and coming as well and can be competive too. Tulane and U of H are really the only bad programs right now and Houston can get back to some of their glory days if they work at it. They need to add one more all sports member to have 10 bball schools and 14 football schools. Maybe add ECU as all sports member now since that won't be an issue or beat the Catholic schools and get Xavier first would be the real coup. I don't Xavier would want to be the only non-football school but you never know. Maybe consider UNC-Charlotte who is moving to FBS in football or Georgia State and now you have 14 football schools and 10 basketball schools. It's not as good the new league the Catholic schools will have if they add Xavier, Butler, Dayton and SLU but its still a damn good conference on par with Pac-12 basketball.

Still think the football isn't great but respectable. This will work for both sides IMHO. The tv money apart will be much less for both, but there were just too many competing interests for this to work long term. The foundations of both new leagues will be much, much more stable long term.

The Catholic schools get the right to host their tourny at MSG and won't pay an exit fee while the rest keep Louisville and Rutgers and some of Syracuse and Pitt's exit fees. However, the name the Big East might be a fight both sides may end up having.

[SlimKibbles]

Re: Conference Reallignment: the Basketball edition

Don't forget Temple too. Its actually not a bad B-ball league if Cincy, UCONN, Memphis and Temple stick around. UCF is up and coming as well and can be competive too. Tulane and U of H are really the only bad programs right now and Houston can get back to some of their glory days if they work at it. They need to add one more all sports member to have 10 bball schools and 14 football schools. Maybe add ECU as all sports member now since that won't be an issue or beat the Catholic schools and get Xavier first would be the real coup. I don't Xavier would want to be the only non-football school but you never know. Maybe consider UNC-Charlotte who is moving to FBS in football or Georgia State and now you have 14 football schools and 10 basketball schools. It's not as good the new league the Catholic schools will have if they add Xavier, Butler, Dayton and SLU but its still a damn good conference on par with Pac-12 basketball.

Still think the football isn't great but respectable. This will work for both sides IMHO. The tv money apart will be much less for both, but there were just too many competing interests for this to work long term. The foundations of both new leagues will be much, much more stable long term.

The Catholic schools get the right to host their tourny at MSG and won't pay an exit fee while the rest keep Louisville and Rutgers and some of Syracuse and Pitt's exit fees. However, the name the Big East might be a fight both sides may end up having.

Xavier is not going to join a league full of mostly FBS football public schools, especially one that includes Cincinnati. I'm pretty certain about that. Now Dayton and St. Louis could do that since they did it once in the past (left MCC/Horizon for Great Midwest/C-USA). But I kind of doubt they will again. Basketball is the cash cow at X. Butler has dumped money into their program to make hoops their cash cow. Both schools want to join up with a league with like-minded schools. That is why X joined the A-10 in 1995-96. Basketball was the main focus for member schools. If a league with some more prestigious schools (BE7) comes calling that are like-minded in regards to basketball, I think X will join up. I can't see them, Butler, or any of the top A-10 schools where basketball is the focus, putting themselves into a position that St. John's, Georgetown, Villanova, etc., are currently in with the BE by joining a new league that included Cincy, UConn, USF, Memphis, etc. Doesn't make sense.