Whoa... Could this be true?!?

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

http://m.si.com/627787/whats-next-for-catholic-7-big-east/

Pete Thamel says 12 teams and 3 million per school isn't unrealistic for a TV deal... Whoa Nellie...

[Mark Miller]

I like the 12 teams involved. Might go for VCU over Saint Louis for the 12th spot, but am excited to add Xavier, Butler, Creighton and Saint Louis. Heck of a basketball league.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

I prefer St. Louis over VCU only because it balances things out more between the Midwest and East.. LOVE Creighton being involved, and the $3 million idea would be huge... I'm ready for this to start next year!

[WindyCityGoldenEagle]

Hate his comments about certain teams like VCU possibly not being a good fit due to lack of religion at the school----I REALLY REALLY hope the key decision makers for this new conference do not have this as even a minor factor in their decision equation.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

I could see this accelerating with Boise State pulling out of the new Big East. It only makes that conference less appealing to many of the teams slated to join, and as it looks like they'll be putting together a league from scratch, it could make it easier for us to pull out now. Especially because while the current Big East has a 2013 football television deal, there is no deal in place for the 2013-14 basketball season. What is the advantage to sticking around, and who will even be interested in bidding on a league knowing that two of the most marketable basketball programs (MU and GT) would be gone after the first year of the deal?

[Mucrisco]

Anticipating all of the too far to travel comments, if it could be the C7, Butler, Xavier, Creighton, Dayton, and the Zags, I would be ecstatic. I include Dayton because one of my best friends from high school went there and we always talk about the potential this conference would have. I realize people would rather have SLU or VCU.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

It seems the Zaga idea has lost some steam, at first a lot of folks were discussing it, but now that things have began to get more serious they aren't mentioned as prominently anymore. I guess for me I don't care as much about team #12, I care more about timing, TV deals and stuff like that... I want to get this thing going!

I will say this, I have a rule that I won't do any road trips over 8 hours away, so I'm excited about Dayton, Xavier, and Creighton and St. Louis being added because it gives me new places to add to the list :)

[Mucrisco]

If this could happen for next season, that would be another reason why I'd be ecstatic. I'd miss our last game with Louisville, but let's get this going, now!

[Phantom Warrior]

Just because there has not been a great deal of public discussion regarding Gonzaga means nothing. The real issue is what is going on behind the scenes.

When Pitt and Syracuse left, it shocked everyone. No one outside of the ACC and the two schools knew. The rest of the league was blindsided. The same with Maryland bolting for the Big 10. Even ND joining the ACC pretty much came out of the blue.

I'm not giving up hope on Gonzaga being added.

By the way, still waiting for some public announcement vis a vis Xavier and Butler. Those reports of an announcement this past week by various in-the-know journalists haven't exactly panned out.

I don't think the press knows any more than most of us do. Just a whole lot of speculation because they have to write something and pretend like they know.

[kneelb4zerg]

Just because there has not been a great deal of public discussion regarding Gonzaga means nothing. The real issue is what is going on behind the scenes.

When Pitt and Syracuse left, it shocked everyone. No one outside of the ACC and the two schools knew. The rest of the league was blindsided. The same with Maryland bolting for the Big 10. Even ND joining the ACC pretty much came out of the blue.

I'm not giving up hope on Gonzaga being added.

By the way, still waiting for some public announcement vis a vis Xavier and Butler. Those reports of an announcement this past week by various in-the-know journalists haven't exactly panned out.

I don't think the press knows any more than most of us do. Just a whole lot of speculation because they have to write something and pretend like they know.


I don't need an announcement to tell me X and Butler will be in this league.

[Mucrisco]

Gus Johnson is on Fox now, isn't he?

[Phantom Warrior]

I don't either; it wasn't my point. My point was related to that old saying, "Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear," or in this case, read.

[TheSultan]

Gus Johnson is on Fox now, isn't he?

BTN primarily...

[Mucrisco]

This is still my ideal.

Go 16, Four divisions, home and home in your division, one vs rest of conference.

Butler
Marquette
DePaul
Dayton

St. Joe's
Georgetown
Nova
VCU

Providence
St John's
Seton Hall
Xavier

Zags
SLU
Creighton
St. Mary's

St Joe's is the only school that doesn't excite me. If we could somehow replace St Joe's with Temple or Memphis...

[WindyCityGoldenEagle]

This is still my ideal.

Go 16, Four divisions, home and home in your division, one vs rest of conference.

Butler
Marquette
DePaul
Dayton

St. Joe's
Georgetown
Nova
VCU

Providence
St John's
Seton Hall
Xavier

Zags
SLU
Creighton
St. Mary's

St Joe's is the only school that doesn't excite me. If we could somehow replace St Joe's with Temple or Memphis...

I'd possibly be game for that. At the end of the day though that's a lot of accomodation to get the zags in the conference and not make them feel like an outlier. Branding woud be critical given the lack of geographical semblance.

[Mucrisco]

I think that's an 8-10 bid league. Call it the best basketball conference in the country again. Some programs would have to step it up though since we don't have the premier teams like a Cuse, Louisville, or UConn's that consistently make Final Fours or Championships. Maybe Gtown could claim that? Xavier, Butler, MU, Zags, Nova could fill that role.

[TedBaxter]

Keep it at either 10 or 12 teams and in 2 time zones.

[MUMac]

Keep it at either 10 or 12 teams and in 2 time zones.

+1 This is my position completely. Looking at basketball and the non-revenue sports together.

[TedBaxter]

You probably won't read this on the Badger boards. When the Big Ten went to 12 teams by adding Nebraska, there was probably some angst since it wasn't the norm for that conference to add newcomers. Can you imagine what they were thinking when Maryland and Rutgers were tabbed to join the conference, especially from the basketball side? Tough to compete for conference championships when there are 10 of 11 teams and when you go to 14 it's real hard on a yearly basis.

12 teams is the tipping point for me. If you go more than 12 you have to start trying to think who's actually in the conference and while I liked the Big East for Marquette, there was always the thought that there were too many teams and too many who didn't fit with each other. That's why I like the 10 team conference first and will accept 12 teams only if Creighton is one of those teams and they keep it geographically within two time zones.

[Markedman]

The reason I like 10-12 is more practical. Once you add teams you really can't get rid of them. If you go to 14-16 now and football keeps doing it's thing there may be a time when Lousiville/Uconn/Syracuse/ND want back in assuming the AC implodes.


It may not happen but I'd want to keep my options open at least for a few years.

[Mucrisco]

This is what I posted on Dodd's board. I understand the 10-12 team conference mentality. My opinion is just different:
I completely understand this point of view. I guess I'm just different. Besides Marquette, I've become a fan of the style of play that teams play, not the name on the front of their jersey. For me, it's far more entertaining, seeing different styles clashing, than it is two big name teams playing each other. With the sixteen team conference that I have set up, I think all those teams are going to bring it, and will be the most attractive hoops conference. Some teams will have off years, but they will rebound. Look at UConn. Sure, some teams might always be last, but that happens in every conference. Look at Penn St or Nebraska. I think Marquette, playing so many different teams with so many different styles is not only entertaining to me, but will best prepare them for anyone, come March.

[MU/Panther]

Gus Johnson is on Fox now, isn't he?He is the lead voice for Fox college football. Fox owns 49% of BTN.

[MU/Panther]

This is still my ideal.

Go 16, Four divisions, home and home in your division, one vs rest of conference.

Butler
Marquette
DePaul
Dayton

St. Joe's
Georgetown
Nova
VCU

Providence
St John's
Seton Hall
Xavier

Zags
SLU
Creighton
St. Mary's

St Joe's is the only school that doesn't excite me. If we could somehow replace St Joe's with Temple or Memphis...

Why is the world do you want St. Mary's? This league is for all sports. Travel will be a nightmare.

[Mucrisco]

I've been to St Mary's when I travelled with the women's team. I figure they'd be a good traveling partner with the Zags. If you make one trip out there, you might as well knock off two games, like we use to do with the women, since our road trips were from Thursday to Sunday with two games. When we visited there, it was a beautiful school, in a great location, and their basketball team has had success recently. With a higher profile conference, no reason why their other sports can't do the same.

[Mucrisco]

Also, the travel doesn't concern me as far as Marquette is concerned. When I travelled with the women, we use to make thurs-sun trips to Southern Miss and Tulane, then a wed-sun trip to Charlotte and Tampa the following week. The team does travel with a tutor who proctors tests etc, so no one fell that far behind. The women's team was smart! As a group, they are as successful, if not more successful than any group at Marquette. It would be tougher for the Zags, but if they want in, I say let them. Maybe St Mary's would ease their travel and could keep a rival for them. Still, it looks like none of this will happen anyway.

[MU/Panther]

Good points Mucrisco!

How would St. John's or Seton Hall feel about this? That is far travel, which is my worry.

[CaribouJim]

The reason I like 10-12 is more practical. Once you add teams you really can't get rid of them. If you go to 14-16 now and football keeps doing it's thing there may be a time when Lousiville/Uconn/Syracuse/ND want back in assuming the AC implodes.


It may not happen but I'd want to keep my options open at least for a few years.

I'm leaning towards no more than 12 with a 16 game conference season and use those two "extra" NC games to schedule aggressively(one home/one away), much like Gonzaga does, to keep the conference RPI up. We are losing some real strong teams from the BE that will right off the bat lower our RPI so we have to make it up a bit somehow.

I guess you could go with 2 six team divisions (2 games against each division opponent and one against each of the other division teams), but not really necessary - would give you more flexibility from year to year on those mirror games - MU would likely be in the other division from GT, SJU, Nova - I would like to still have home and home with these guys on fairly regular basis.

I'm assuming the TV Network that they end with would want an 18 game conference though. Will be interesting to see how the dust settles on all this.

[MU_Iceman]

I remember last year I think hearing an interview with Broeker and he said already then knowing what the Big East was going to be like(some defections had already occurred) that their out of conference schedules were going to have to get tougher.