Departing Big East Schools Owe Dollars

[ge1974]

No way these schools sit for 27 months.

Lets see, ND, Rutgers and Louisville owe the Big East at least $10 million each (perhaps double that to get out early). PITT and Syracuse negotiated their buyouts and will pay once they leave on July 1, 2013 ($7 or $8 million a piece to leave a year early?). Not sure whether or not TCU owes the Big East any money. West Virginia already paid $20 million to get out. IF UCONN and/or Cincy were to leave , that is another $10 million each (at least). So, if the basketball only schools stay put with USF and Temple and negotiate the buyouts to occur prior to the new members joining (UCF, Memphis, SMU and Houston) there could be a windfall to the nine schools of at least $75 million or so. That's a ton of cash.

This is one reason to stay in the Big East; plus the branding of the name. Once they get their cash, then disband and start anew with the Big East Conference or Big Apple Conference.

[Mucrisco]

Also, add all that money that the conference gets for making the tourney, Sweet 16 etc.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

So if ECU and Tulane join when some schools leave they also get a chunk of the payout? I agree MU needs to stay to collect their check, but they should definitely have a plan in place for as soon as that check is cashed.

[Litehouse]

I believe ND only pays $5M as a non-football playing member.

[Goose85]

Either way you want to keep the Big East name and the money the conference gets from departures.

Once a school leaves they are leaving behind the incoming revenue stream in addition to the buyout, which to leave early is $15 to $20 mil. NCAA tournament money is not paid out at the end of the tourney. The credits are paid out over time. ND, Louisville, WVU, Pitt, Syracuse all have advanced in the tourney and all the money they earned, and will earn this year (except for WVU) will be paid to members of the Big East.

Big East is still a better basketball conference than anything else we will get into, even without Pitt, Syr, Rutgers, ND and Louisville.

Memphis - Gonzaga - Xavier all seem to do well in conferences far worse that what is in the Big East (Temple, Villanova, Georgetown, UConn, Cincy, St. John's, Providence, Seton Hall, USF). Now add in Memphis and Houston and we have a far better hoop conference that anything we will go to.

Everyone mentions the bottom end with Houston, SMU, Tulane, etc. I'm more excited at the potential of Houston, Tulane, etc than A-10 conference games with Rhode Island, Duquense, Fordham, George Washington, LaSalle, St. Bonaventure, St. Joe's, Dayton, UMass and Richmond.

When your best opponents are Butler, VCU, St. Louis and Xavier - I'd rather stay with UConn, Temple, Memphis, Cincy, USF, Houston, etc.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

That's fine and dandy to just sit and collect that money, but then why add more teams? If they keep adding teams they are fattening the pockets of others and splitting those revenues... Also the teams leaving arent leaving behind cash as they will earn those same credits in the ACC.

[Goose85]

That's fine and dandy to just sit and collect that money, but then why add more teams? If they keep adding teams they are fattening the pockets of others and splitting those revenues... Also the teams leaving arent leaving behind cash as they will earn those same credits in the ACC.

They will earn new credits, but the Big East will continue to collect on previous credits they had earned.
I too don't see the need to keep adding schools right now.

[Litehouse]

The longer this goes on, the less value I see in retaining the Big East name, as it's beginning to take on a negative connotation. However, I'm sure Providence, Georgetown, Villanova, Seton Hall, and St. Johns would feel more strongly about keeping it.

[ydouask23]

The Big East isnt the Big East anymore. There is no brand without the names we have lost. Time to be proactive and get out...

[Halo]

And go where ydousk? Think it out. Want to goto the Horizon? The BE name has a very strong brand name.