What needs to happen next ...

[Mark Miller]

The seven basketball schools in the Big East need to hook up with the top schools from the Atlantic 10 to form a power basketball league. It's really about the only hope left with Rutgers and Louisville all but gone and others soon to follow.

The new league could look like this ...

Eastern Division -- Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's, Providence, Seton Hall, VCU

Western Division -- Marquette, Xavier, Dayton, De Paul, Butler, Saint Louis

No football, power basketball programs, good attendance, potential good TV, MSG for league tourney.

Of course it all goes to pot if any of the above schools opt to join another league such as the ACC or Big 12.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Add Creighton, and Witchita State...

That being said this could become a necessity more than anything because rumors are that FSU and Clemson might bolt to the B12 which would cause a whole big shuffle... If that happened you'd have to imagine UNC, Va. Tech, Miami, and Ga. Tech would just be begging to get the heck out... Heck even the threat of this happening might cause someone to panic and jump...

It has gotten to the point where nobody is trusting anyone, when that happens people panic and crazy stuff happens... Throw in boatloads of money and jobs on the line and you have conference realignment!

[GOMU1104]

What would Creighton and WSU add?

Keep the league at 12 teams will 12 pretty good markets. Anything beyond that...I would fear diminishing returns.

[TheSultan]

https://twitter.com/tsnmike/status/270622765839691776

[IWB]

For the first time since all of this crap started, the Big east needs to be proactive.

Look at it this way.....

The ACC has 12 teams, Maryland is leaving and it is possible that FSU & Clemson go Big 12. That leaves....

NC State, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Duke, Virginia

Boston College, Miami, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Pitt

Ok, now there are also rumors that North Carolina and Georgia Tech could also be headed to the Big 10.

That would leave.....

NC State, Wake Forest, Duke, Virginia

Boston College, Miami, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Pitt

That would leave 9 schools, five of which are former Big East. Why continue to raid conferences? Why not merge ACC & Big East?

[Goose85]

If Florida State and Clemson leave, then the ACC and Big East should consider some sort of alliance like the Pac 12 and Big 10 were trying to do.

Numerous basketball games between conferences. Maybe combine into a sub conference for some sports like baseball, lacrosse, etc.

Unfortunately all of this stuff is going to happen little by little so people can't sit down and figure out what is best. Instead everyone is just reacting to the moves of one or two schools / conferences and then out of panic schools will jump.

Bottom line, if Florida State and Clemson leave, the ACC football is done. A good team or two here and there, but no draw.

What we will see after this round of reshuffling is the champion from the SEC, Big 12, Pac 12 and Big 10 battle for the national title game.

If these dominos start to fall (Florida State / Clemson / Ga Tech leave), ND will never make it to the ACC, and will become a partial member of the Big 10.

[IrwinFletcher]

Lots of people saying that we should be aligned with Gtwon, Villanova, Lousville, dePaul etc. But can't you say the same about UNC and Duke? Would UNC really bolt and leave Duke behind?

I don't know, just asking....

[Goose85]

Lots of people saying that we should be aligned with Gtwon, Villanova, Lousville, dePaul etc. But can't you say the same about UNC and Duke? Would UNC really bolt and leave Duke behind?

I don't know, just asking....

Yep. In this conference realignment every school is on their own and looking out for themselves. Jump while you can before someone beats you too it and you are left holding the bag. If UNC thinks Florida State is going Big 12 and GA Tech is going Big 10, UNC will go Big 10 in a heartbeat. So long Duke. We will see you in a made for TV non conference game.

[ValiantSailor]

Bottom line, if Florida State and Clemson leave, the ACC football is done. A good team or two here and there, but no draw.


Next year, it will be different. Remember when Miami and Va Tech were among the best FB schools...and they were in the Big East!

The only thing that's certain is that football schools have the inside track to major gains in revenue. Non-football schools are on the outside looking in.

VS

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Per a tweet Boise and SDSU are talking to the mountain west again... That could be a good thing for the basketball only schools.

[MUBasketball]

Per a tweet Boise and SDSU are talking to the mountain west again... That could be a good thing for the basketball only schools.

There's no point in them joining the Big East anymore. It hurts their non-football sports, and with the changes to the BCS and the latest Big East purging, the Mountain West is just as good.

[TedBaxter]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/8652493/as-maryland-rutgers-bolt-college-sports-caretakers-fail-again-men-college-basketball

Dana O'Neil on the conference situation.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Think we can convince SMU and Houston to not come?! ;)

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Lots of people saying that we should be aligned with Gtwon, Villanova, Lousville, dePaul etc. But can't you say the same about UNC and Duke? Would UNC really bolt and leave Duke behind?

I don't know, just asking....

Sure, if only because UNC is public and Duke is private. I think UNC might actually have a harder time separating from NC State if lawmakers had a say. Though my guess is Georgia Tech, UNC, Clemson, and Florida State will all leave the ACC, and it wouldn't surprise me to see the SEC make a play as well, possibly with the Virginia Schools or NC State on their radar. I can't imagine the SEC would be happy being shut out of the East Coast market.

A merger between the Big East and ACC will likely become inevitable or both conferences will collapse. Also, I don't think ND will ever join the Big 10 as a partial member. I could see the Big 10 taking either Georgia Tech or UNC and as the rumors swirl telling ND "join us as a full member or be left out in the cold". The ACC was the last place that would take them partial...honestly, it's a move they never should have made.

[TedBaxter]

My biggest concern right now for Marquette is how much of a financial hit the school takes now that the Big East is losing teams and will they be able to continue to fund not only the basketball program, but also all of the other sports. This is serious.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

My biggest concern right now for Marquette is how much of a financial hit the school takes now that the Big East is losing teams and will they be able to continue to fund not only the basketball program, but also all of the other sports. This is serious.

No doubt. I was thinking about that this morning. I look at what the A-10 gets for its television contract and compared to the money we make it's a joke. We could easily end up in a situation where we either have to join a league like the Horizon to cut travel costs or simply have to dump sports. When you look at how far Marquette soccer, volleyball, and other sports have come in recent years, much of that is due to the Big East and the revenue the basketball team generates not through ticket sales but through that television deal.

[dw3dw3dw3]

Correct me if I'm wrong but MU doesn't make that much (< 10-15% of budget) off the TV deal. From below... Football playing members get 3.125 million... You'd have to think basketball only schools are around only 1-2 million per. While power conference football schools are getting much more, they are re-investing into more football stuff. Northwestern just fast-tracked a 220 million dollar new football practice facility, and their basketball team will still suck.

Per an ESPN article on the current and future potential deals
"The amount the Big East receives for its new media deal could be a huge factor in attracting BYU, Air Force or Army, sources said. Media estimates have projected the Big East's deal annually will be worth between $60 million to $130 million. Those figures would translate to between $3 million to $6.5 million for each football-only member and $4 million to $8.7 million for each full member.
BYU, Air Force and Army are being sought as football-only members.
The Big East's current six-year media rights deal is worth $3.125 million for each full member."

One thing is good... Steve Taylor isn't going anywhere. http://twitpic.com/bes0wy

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

I believe MU gets around $1.6M per year from the TV deal. The A-10 gets less than $500K each. Losing over a million in revenue is nothing to scoff at for a school out size.