Gonzaga says they are interested:

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

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

I don't think it is economically feasible unless they come as a basketball only and not all sports, even then it might be a stretch. That being said I think it's interesting that since the news broke about a non-football league that multiple options have popped up for MU, while none of them are the same as the old Big East they aren't all bad if you can find a way to make them work logistically.

[Mucrisco]

I think these are exciting times for Marquette. Sitting back and watching our league fall apart has gotten us no where. It's good that there is evidence to the fans that the Bball schools are being proactive, because there is a lot of opportunity for us to make something great.

[Mucrisco]

Our AD came from Portland, correct? Is it safe to assume he has a close relationship with the Zag's AD? I wonder if they can work something out.

[TheSultan]

I think these are exciting times for Marquette. Sitting back and watching our league fall apart has gotten us no where. It's good that there is evidence to the fans that the Bball schools are being proactive, because there is a lot of opportunity for us to make something great.

I agree with this....but I don't really like Gonzaga as part of this mix.

[Mucrisco]

Just curious, why don't you like it? Economics?

[MU_Iceman]

I want the best competition available. Period. Gonzaga's one of them, Xavier is one of them, Uconn, Cincy, Memphis, Temple, they are some of them. Anything to avoid having ot be in a conference with Dayton and SLU, I'm all for.

[TheSultan]

Just curious, why don't you like it? Economics?


Yeah. And I don't think they have the national cache that people think they do. But the people making these decisions are smarter than me, so if they go ahead and do this, then I'm not going to be vehemently against it or anything...

[Mucrisco]

Fair enough.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

If you add Zaga then I say you have to go after Creighton too, maybe even Wichita St...

[Mucrisco]

I say you if you add the Zags, you add four from Creighton, UNLV, Wich St., BYU, San Diego St, New Mexico, Zags, or St Mary's. then you go to that four team division idea. 16 teams, four divisions, play home and home with your division, and once vs the rest.

[MU_Iceman]

Yeah. And I don't think they have the national cache that people think they do. But the people making these decisions are smarter than me, so if they go ahead and do this, then I'm not going to be vehemently against it or anything...

Well, do you think STL and/or Dayton have a better cache than Gonzaga?? I'd much rather have the expense of going to Gonzaga every other year(for BB), then to be in a conference with SLU and/or Dayton. At least the Zags make the tourney every single year. That's what I want...consistent steady tournament teams. SLU and Dayton are NOT that.

[MUAlphaBangura]

Ultimately, we should want programs that are committed to excellence in basketball. I'll leave those that know better than I to choose which schools fit that category.

[Nukem2]

Well, do you think STL and/or Dayton have a better cache than Gonzaga?? I'd much rather have the expense of going to Gonzaga every other year(for BB), then to be in a conference with SLU and/or Dayton. At least the Zags make the tourney every single year. That's what I want...consistent steady tournament teams. SLU and Dayton are NOT that.For one thing, not every one is going to make the tourney. So there has to be some disparity in teams...? Who are the bottom feeders going to be....? If a conference can be worked out that includes SLU and Dayton and makes fiscal sense, so be it. They are not Tulane...!

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

BYU is a school I would target if we do look westward. They can leave their football independent and they have good BBall. Not sure I want a national conference, but I wouldn't mind looking at Creighton, I just think Zaga is too much of a logistical nightmare.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

For one thing, not every one is going to make the tourney. So there has to be some disparity in teams...? Who are the bottom feeders going to be....? If a conference can be worked out that includes SLU and Dayton and makes fiscal sense, so be it. They are not Tulane...!

We always have DePaul to be our bottom feeder :)

[Mucrisco]

This would be my ideal group. Seven Catholics. Memphis, Temple, Butler, Xavier, Dayton(sorry Iceman. Use VCU or Richmond if you want.). I think UConn and Cincy are gone. If only one is gone, slash Dayton. Then take Zags, and three of Creighton, UNLV, San Diego St, BYU, St Mary's or New Mexico. Four, four team divisions. Play home and ho e with your division. Then single game vs rest.

Butler
Marquette
DePaul
Memphis

Xavier
Dayton
Temple
Nova

Providence
St John's
Seton Hall
Gtown

Zags
West Coast
West Coast
West Coast

[WindyCityGoldenEagle]

This would be my ideal group. Seven Catholics. Memphis, Temple, Butler, Xavier, Dayton(sorry Iceman. Use VCU or Richmond if you want.). I think UConn and Cincy are gone. If only one is gone, slash Dayton. Then take Zags, and three of Creighton, UNLV, San Diego St, BYU, St Mary's or New Mexico. Four, four team divisions. Play home and ho e with your division. Then single game vs rest.

Butler
Marquette
DePaul
Memphis

Xavier
Dayton
Temple
Nova

Providence
St John's
Seton Hall
Gtown

Zags
West Coast
West Coast
West Coast

I love it Crisco but what would Memphis and Temple do with their fball teams? Move them into CUSA?

[BLT]

But the people making these decisions are smarter than me, so if they go ahead and do this, then I'm not going to be vehemently against it or anything...

Not so sure...your opinion and perspective on this is more thought out and insightful than most of these panic decisions by university presidents.

Agree on the Zags...while a trusted Jesuit partner in a conference...the geographic footprint is not there....would need more from the West. Denver, San Diego, St. Mary's, Santa Clara, USF, Pacific?

[Gato78]

I think the first criteria for conference membership going forward is the financial committment of the universities under consideration as well as their alumni. For instance, when viewed with this in mind, comparing the programs at Marquette and UWM, there are presumably the same number of "eyeballs" but nowhere near the same comittment of the university and the alums. This is why Dayton should be considered as well as a few others to the exclison of many of the other A-10 schools. They may not have the eyeballs but they are comitted to having a top notch program. I have always had this approach--even when MU was in the dumper with Dukiet. The MU fan base would always ensure MU's relevance and I think the same holds true today and should be one of the primary measures of schools with whom we want to associate. I have always hoped DePaul would figure this out but they never have and need to be slapped around to come to grips with their current lack of relevance. DePaul brings a lot of "eyeballs" but so what? No one cares.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

The best thing about this is that for once, the conference reshuffling talk is being driven by basketball and not football. For the past decade, it's been all about football, all about those schools making money grabs, all about the excitement and see changes being made by the B1G, SEC, and other football conferences. For once, finally, we have a modicum of control. The conversation is about us, and it's positive.

I think the key to this is getting a solid 10-12 team basketball base. I think the C7 coupled with Butler, Xavier, and VCU is the starting point. It gives us a solid voting bloc as long as we never go above 16 schools. From there, we can allow the current football playing schools in if they want. I think UConn, Cincy, Temple, and Memphis all get offers. At that point, we consider at most 2 other offers. St. Louis, Gonzaga, BYU, Dayton, Creighton, UMass, whomever fits what we want to do best. If at some point the football schools bail, so be it. We still have a solid basketball base and voting power. We can replace them with whomever we want from the top mid-major conferences.

[Mucrisco]

I love it Crisco but what would Memphis and Temple do with their fball teams? Move them into CUSA?

I would think so. Or put them in the MAC. If given the choice between playing all their sports in CUSA, as opposed to only football, I would think they would choose the latter.

[wiscwarrior]

The best thing about this is that for once, the conference reshuffling talk is being driven by basketball and not football. For the past decade, it's been all about football, all about those schools making money grabs, all about the excitement and see changes being made by the B1G, SEC, and other football conferences. For once, finally, we have a modicum of control. The conversation is about us, and it's positive.

I think the key to this is getting a solid 10-12 team basketball base. I think the C7 coupled with Butler, Xavier, and VCU is the starting point. It gives us a solid voting bloc as long as we never go above 16 schools. From there, we can allow the current football playing schools in if they want. I think UConn, Cincy, Temple, and Memphis all get offers. At that point, we consider at most 2 other offers. St. Louis, Gonzaga, BYU, Dayton, Creighton, UMass, whomever fits what we want to do best. If at some point the football schools bail, so be it. We still have a solid basketball base and voting power. We can replace them with whomever we want from the top mid-major conferences.

This makes sense to me. Stay connected with Uconn, Cincy Temple and Memphis as long as possible, but build the conference around great basketball. This is a good basketball conference and can survive future football defections should they occur. Any of the football schools leaving will not destabilize the conference in the future and we're still the Big East.

[DCwarrior]

This would be my ideal group. Seven Catholics. Memphis, Temple, Butler, Xavier, Dayton(sorry Iceman. Use VCU or Richmond if you want.). I think UConn and Cincy are gone. If only one is gone, slash Dayton. Then take Zags, and three of Creighton, UNLV, San Diego St, BYU, St Mary's or New Mexico. Four, four team divisions. Play home and ho e with your division. Then single game vs rest.

Butler
Marquette
DePaul
Memphis

Xavier
Dayton
Temple
Nova

Providence
St John's
Seton Hall
Gtown

Zags
West Coast
West Coast
West Coast

I'd substitute St. Louis for Dayton to get a much bigger TV market, but the rest looks good (I think G'Town and Nova would be in the same division though). As for the West Coast (assuming this is for BB only and not all sports), I'd include San Diego St., Creighton and BYU. However, I think when the Pac 12 expands to 16, they're going to grab both San Diego St. and BYU along with UNLV and Fresno St.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

For one thing, not every one is going to make the tourney. So there has to be some disparity in teams...? Who are the bottom feeders going to be....? If a conference can be worked out that includes SLU and Dayton and makes fiscal sense, so be it. They are not Tulane...!

I get this mindset, but who cares? Let the games on the court dictate that. If we have a league where 10/12 teams are NCAA quality, isn't that a good thing? If we beat each other up a bit, even if we only end up with 7-8 bids, that's still damn impressive. And if the league is really that good, look back at 1991. Didn't the Big East get 7/9 or 7/10 teams into the Big Dance?

We need a quality product to sell, and if 70-80% of our games are good enough to draw national attention, that's a product worth selling, as opposed to only having Marquette/Georgetown to sell 2-3 times per year.

[Mucrisco]

BrewCity77,
Well, I tried what you suggested and offered some opinion on that other site that shall not be named. I think I've filled my quota for now.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

BrewCity77,
Well, I tried what you suggested and offered some opinion on that other site that shall not be named. I think I've filled my quota for now.

Just avoid Ners and you should be fine :D

[TheSultan]

This makes sense to me. Stay connected with Uconn, Cincy Temple and Memphis as long as possible, but build the conference around great basketball. This is a good basketball conference and can survive future football defections should they occur. Any of the football schools leaving will not destabilize the conference in the future and we're still the Big East.


Why would UConn, Cincy, etc. want to be in a conference with basketball schools driving the bus? As it stands, there will be a conference of the following schools. Temple, Memphis, Houston, USF, UCF, UConn, Cincy, SMU, and Tulane. Assuming they move ECU to full membership, that's a 10 team conference. Why would they park their other sports in another conference???

[Mucrisco]

Honest question:

How important is football to Temple and Memphis? Maybe they park football in that conference, then play the rest of their sports in the Big East. Also, how much TV money would that conference attract? They could have the best of both worlds by getting tv money in that conference, and hoops money in the Big East.

[TheSultan]

To me, if I am running a school that is playing football, you have to be all-in. That is your primary money earner. So you stick with your football partners.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Honest question:

How important is football to Temple and Memphis? Maybe they park football in that conference, then play the rest of their sports in the Big East. Also, how much TV money would that conference attract? They could have the best of both worlds by getting tv money in that conference, and hoops money in the Big East.

While Temple has reached a couple recent bowl games, I don't think it's very important. They've been to 4 bowl games in their history. The last time they were in the Big East they simply couldn't compete and were booted because of it. And in the past 3 years, they've had 2 coaches depart to bigger jobs. There is absolutely no way anyone will look at adding them for their football quality. The ACC may take them if they have to, but they're pretty bad. I think playing in the MAC or C-USA is far more their speed.

Memphis had a few good years, going to 5 bowl games in 6 years from 03-08. Since then they've fallen fast, and I'm pretty sure the FedEx dollars are going more to the basketball side than football. They're a mid-tier C-USA team at best and will probably be a Big East bottom feeder even with the questionable additions. I can only see the ACC taking them as a desperation move. It'd have to get pretty bad before that happened.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Why would UConn, Cincy, etc. want to be in a conference with basketball schools driving the bus? As it stands, there will be a conference of the following schools. Temple, Memphis, Houston, USF, UCF, UConn, Cincy, SMU, and Tulane. Assuming they move ECU to full membership, that's a 10 team conference. Why would they park their other sports in another conference???

Well, as a football conference, that's a pretty bad conference. As a basketball conference, it's even worse. And why send your non-money makers to Louisiana, Texas, and Florida for over 50% of their road dates if you can simply play better competition closer to home and have your football program in the MAC or C-USA?

I realize it's not ideal, but until the ACC comes calling (which may never happen) I have to think being a member of a basketball-centric Big East for all non-football sports is better in terms of competition and travel while also remaining higher profile than it would be to leash yourselves to the likes of Tulane and ECU in all sports. If at some point you get that ACC invite, you take all your sports and go, but until that day comes, that conference just looks like a ton of bad piled on top of more bad.

EDIT: Further, wasn't the appeal of the future of Big East football largely based on the arrival of San Diego State and Boise State, both of whom have decent football programs? With the league likely to dissolve and the two best football programs (Rutgers and Louisville) gone, how much appeal is there for either of them to join up if the dissolution lets them out of that commitment? Will they be happy to be teams 11 and 12 in that list you had above? If not, that league has nothing of any real value, unless you count frequent flier miles.

[wiscwarrior]

Why would UConn, Cincy, etc. want to be in a conference with basketball schools driving the bus? As it stands, there will be a conference of the following schools. Temple, Memphis, Houston, USF, UCF, UConn, Cincy, SMU, and Tulane. Assuming they move ECU to full membership, that's a 10 team conference. [/B]Why would they park their other sports in another conference???[/B][/B][/B]

Only because they would have no choice if the Big East no longer sponsored football and their basketball programs (which are their best programs) would be faced with playing in lesser conferences (MAC, CUSA, etc.) Yes, if the ACC comes calling they will go. However there still may be some football schools with good basketball programs that are still left at the table. If we want to be a premiere basketball conference,we need all the premiere basketball programs we can get. What's wrong with offering them a seat at our table.

[TheSultan]

[/B][/B][/B]

Only because they would have no choice if the Big East no longer sponsored football and their basketball programs (which are their best programs) would be faced with playing in lesser conferences (MAC, CUSA, etc.) Yes, if the ACC comes calling they will go. However there still may be some football schools with good basketball programs that are still left at the table. If we want to be a premiere basketball conference,we need all the premiere basketball programs we can get. What's wrong with offering them a seat at our table.

I think the obvious solution is for them to band together.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

I think the obvious solution is for them to band together.

Are there really enough of them to band together? And I'm not just talking quantity, I'm talking quality. You can add an ECU or Tulane, but how much will it suck dealing with those sub-200 RPI drags from your own conference? If they went with a 10-team league with what was listed above, that's 3 teams that were sub-200 RPI last year (Tulane, SMU, Houston) and another sub-150 (ECU).

We've talked all week about how we don't want to trade in playing teams like Louisville and Syracuse for teams like Fordham or George Washington. Do you really think UConn and Cincy are anxious to do just that all in the name of keeping all their sports in one league that would be marked for death before the first game, especially with that kind of travel schedule?

[TheSultan]

Brew, I really mean band together as a football conference. Out of those schools, most primarily are interested in football. The only real exception is UConn...and maybe Cincy...but that's the main reason the basketball schools are bailing.