388 replies to this topic

[Oriole85]

Thought maybe they'd have Rutgers and Louisville travel to SD State as well as Boise. Just as a little parting gift.

Does the ACC have anything in store for Maryland?

[BSLMikeLowe]

Does the ACC have anything in store for Maryland?

We'll find out. The ACC schedule will probably be released early next year. At least it won't include any trips west of the Mississippi.

[Chris B]

http://espn.go.com/m... ... nce-source

Ugh. No no no. First off, I just don't think this is realistic. I don't think a league (comprised primarily in the Eastern time zone) will get enough money to make it worth it for 21 teams to come together. I just don't see the TV contract being that big to divide it so many times.

Second, why would the BE Catholics do this? Why would they choose to join a league with dregs like LaSalle, Duquesne, and Fordham when they can just as easily keep the BE brand (or form a new league) and add the upper echelon of the A10 like Xavier, Butler, Richmond, and SLU?

[Oriole85]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/8736716/atlantic-10-open-adding-big-east-basketball-schools-creating-21-team-conference-source

Ugh. No no no. First off, I just don't think this is realistic. I don't think a league (comprised primarily in the Eastern time zone) will get enough money to make it worth it for 21 teams to come together. I just don't see the TV contract being that big to divide it so many times.

Second, why would the BE Catholics do this? Why would they choose to join a league with dregs like LaSalle, Duquesne, and Fordham when they can just as easily keep the BE brand (or form a new league) and add the upper echelon of the A10 like Xavier, Butler, Richmond, and SLU?

21 teams is too many. The WAC was ahead of it's time in the mid-90s with the super-conference concept, it failed because there were too many different interests. It will be interesting to see how any of these potential 16-team plus conference will do in year 7.

[BSLMikeLowe]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/8736716/atlantic-10-open-adding-big-east-basketball-schools-creating-21-team-conference-source

Second, why would the BE Catholics do this? Why would they choose to join a league with dregs like LaSalle, Duquesne, and Fordham when they can just as easily keep the BE brand (or form a new league) and add the upper echelon of the A10 like Xavier, Butler, Richmond, and SLU?

To keep the Big East brand, they would somehow have to convince the football schools to leave....and as much as the football schools, particularly UConn and Cincy, would probably like to get out, they aren't going to do so voluntarily without a safe spot to land. If the Catholic schools leave themselves, then there's the exit issues (money) to deal with.

This will all come down to the TV offers they get. If the money isn't going to be good enough to make it worthwhile for Boise, SDSU, Houston and SMU to leave where they are now, then they may very well decide to stay put. That could force the league to give up football, then Temple, UConn, Cincy and USF would get absorbed into the other 4 also-ran conferences, and the Catholic schools would be able to seek expansion and shape the conference as they best see fit. Odd as it may sound, it could very well be in the Catholic schools' best interest that the current TV negotiations fail to produce a good offer.

[Chris B]

From what I've gathered on various message board (*so take that for what it's worth), you would need a 2/3 majority in order to dissolve the football side of the conference.

For: Providence, Gtown, Nova, Seton Hall, St. Johns, Depaul, Marquette
Against: UConn, USF, UC, (Temple)

If Temple doesn't have votes, it's 70% FOR, which would mean they could dissolve. But, assuming those 4 all vote against and if Temple does have a vote, it's only 63%, which would not allow the basketball schools to disband football.

It really all depends on who you trust, in regards to if Temple has full voting powers or only football voting powers. But their AD said this morning that the Owls got BE full-voting rights this past July. (Doesn't make sense to me since they are still in the A10 for non-football sports, but whatever.)

So let's say Temple has the vote, so the BE Catholics don't have majority yet. If UConn/Cincy are added to the ACC between now and July 1, 2013 (when the BE Catholics would again lose the majority since SMU, UH, UCF join), then I think they will look to dissolve football.

UConn may be the tipping point.

[DJ MC]

From what I've gathered on various message board (*so take that for what it's worth), you would need a 2/3 majority in order to dissolve the football side of the conference.

For: Providence, Gtown, Nova, Seton Hall, St. Johns, Depaul, Marquette
Against: UConn, USF, UC, (Temple)

If Temple doesn't have votes, it's 70% FOR, which would mean they could dissolve. But, assuming those 4 all vote against and if Temple does have a vote, it's only 63%, which would not allow the basketball schools to disband football.

It really all depends on who you trust, in regards to if Temple has full voting powers or only football voting powers. But their AD said this morning that the Owls got BE full-voting rights this past July. (Doesn't make sense to me since they are still in the A10 for non-football sports, but whatever.)

So let's say Temple has the vote, so the BE Catholics don't have majority yet. If UConn/Cincy are added to the ACC between now and July 1, 2013 (when the BE Catholics would again lose the majority since SMU, UH, UCF join), then I think they will look to dissolve football.

UConn may be the tipping point.

I was under the impression that Temple doesn't get full rights until they fully join the conference. So right now it is a 2/3 majority.

[Chris B]

I was under the impression that Temple doesn't get full rights until they fully join the conference. So right now it is a 2/3 majority.

I think everyone thought like you did, but this morning, Temple's AD said otherwise.

EDIT: Here's the tweet from Philly Enquirer sports writer.

Mike Jensen ‏@jensenoffcampus
Temple AD Bill Bradshaw told me contract with Big East states that Temple became full voting member on July 1, 2012

.

[BSLMikeLowe]

I think everyone thought like you did, but this morning, Temple's AD said otherwise.

EDIT: Here's the tweet from Philly Enquirer sports writer.
.

That seems unusual. However, I can see where maybe the Big East did that as an enticement/compensation for whatever it cost Temple to leave the MAC in time for this season....since the Big East needed Temple to keep its automatic BCS bid after WVU's hasty exit.

[Chris B]

That seems unusual. However, I can see where maybe the Big East did that as an enticement/compensation for whatever it cost Temple to leave the MAC in time for this season....since the Big East needed Temple to keep its automatic BCS bid after WVU's hasty exit.

Yeah, I don't really get it. But ESPN's Dana O'Neil wrote about it in one of her articles today. I doubt she's use an untrusted source in an article, so I ran with it.

[DJ MC]

That seems unusual. However, I can see where maybe the Big East did that as an enticement/compensation for whatever it cost Temple to leave the MAC in time for this season....since the Big East needed Temple to keep its automatic BCS bid after WVU's hasty exit.

They also probably wanted to keep this exact gambit off of the table.

[Oriole85]

ESPN: Why the Big 12 won't expand

http://espn.go.com/b...-12-wont-expand

[Chris B]

ESPN: Why the Big 12 won't expand

http://espn.go.com/b...-12-wont-expand

I call BS. Once the Big Ten acts again and adds a few ACC teams, the Big 12 will pick up the scraps.

[Oriole85]

I call BS. Once the Big Ten acts again and adds a few ACC teams, the Big 12 will pick up the scraps.

Classic, never say never. I still can't see the Pac-12 expanding unless the Big 12 dissolves. BYU could be a fit, but I can't see Boise for reasons other than football.

[BSLMikeLowe]

I call BS. Once the Big Ten acts again and adds a few ACC teams, the Big 12 will pick up the scraps.

Like I said earlier in the thread, I do think the Big XII will prefer to sit tight for a bit and see how things play out with the new postseason format. Then they will evaluate expansion and act if it works for them. The benefit they have is that the two ACC schools that would be most appealing for them (Florida State and Clemson) are almost certainly unlikely to be candidates for the Big Ten or SEC, so they can wait if they choose.

Of course, it certainly is possible that the Big XII could get an itchy trigger finger if the Big Ten and SEC expand again within the next year or so. If we've learned anything about the realignment derby, it is that we should expect the unexpected.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Classic, never say never. I still can't see the Pac-12 expanding unless the Big 12 dissolves. BYU could be a fit, but I can't see Boise for reasons other than football.

Yep, any expansion that does not include Texas makes no sense for the Pac-12.

[Chris B]

http://espn.go.com/b... ... g-big-east

1. While the Big East's seven non-FBS basketball schools are deciding what course of action to take next, there is one school that would love to be a part of any new conference or conglomerate: Gonzaga. Sources say the Zags would love to part with the West Coast Conference and be a member of a national, branded basketball conference. The theory is that if Boise State and San Diego State can be in the Big East for football, then why couldn’t Gonzaga in a basketball version? Of course, the easy response is that football is played once a week and there is usually a maximum of four or five league road games. Still, the Zags are looking out for themselves and would like to be positioned with fellow national Catholic-based schools instead of regional ones in the WCC. Gonzaga might not have a choice, but is starting to be a bit more proactive if an opportunity arises.

I posed this on an A10 board (realignment is a discussion everywhere), but I'll ask it here as well and see what people tihnk:

There are football-only members in the Big East. Could there be basketball-only members of a conference?

If so, I would definitely consider Gonzaga. They can park their Olympic sports in a West-Coast conference while their basketball team plays in a national conference with the BE Catholics and the top echelon of A10 schools.

I would think the TV networks would bid on that group, especially if you can get maybe one more talented West Coast basketball school to do the same. You could be airing that conference's games for a better part of an entire day.

With that said, it all depends on if "basketball-only" is possible.

[BSLMikeLowe]

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/69795/3-point-shot-gonzaga-eying-big-east



I posed this on an A10 board (realignment is a discussion everywhere), but I'll ask it here as well and see what people tihnk:

There are football-only members in the Big East. Could there be basketball-only members of a conference?

If so, I would definitely consider Gonzaga. They can park their Olympic sports in a West-Coast conference while their basketball team plays in a national conference with the BE Catholics and the top echelon of A10 schools.

I would think the TV networks would bid on that group, especially if you can get maybe one more talented West Coast basketball school to do the same. You could be airing that conference's games for a better part of an entire day.

With that said, it all depends on if "basketball-only" is possible.

It would make more sense if they brought in more western schools, like St. Mary's and BYU.

[Chris B]

It would make more sense if they brought in more western schools, like St. Mary's and BYU.

Just because I am bored, how about this conference:

East
Providence
Georgetown
Villanova
Seton Hall
St. John's

Mid-West
DePaul
Marquette
Xavier
Butler
St. Louis

West
Gonzaga
BYU
St. Mary's
Loyola Marymount
San Diego

Each team could play their division twice and everyone else once for an 18 game conference schedule.

The East and Midwest divisions would form an Olympic-sports conference. The West division would form an Olympic-sports conference for private schools on the west coast by adding a few more California schools.

[Oriole85]

Yep, any expansion that does not include Texas makes no sense for the Pac-12.

IIRC, one of the sticking points when Texas(and other schools) flirted with the Pac-12 last year was The Longhorn Network.

The big thing to me about the Pac-12 is the lack of overlap in the BCS conferences, they pretty much have everything west of Texas