Creighton

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Could Creighton be our next rivalry? With both of us being viewed as favorites to win the league this year and the potential for up to 4 games against each other this year alone I could easily see a little rivalry brewing. Also considering we are their closest to them distance wise I have a feeling they could be a team that could be viewed as a rival going forward.

[Markedman]

You never know how it will play out but my thinking is MU/ Georgetown will be the biggest rivalry in the conference going forward. Georgetown/Nova and MU/Xavier are also natural rivalries that should become even better.

If Depaul would get good again they would obviosuly be a natural fit as well................

[TedBaxter]

Marquette has played Creighton 76 times in the past, so there is a solid history between the schools and Marquette has played Xavier 60 times.

[TheSultan]

Rivalries are generally a function of competitiveness (are the teams both good), history (how many times have they played), and proximity (how close are the schools to one another.)

Creighton and MU have a history...and could *possibly* both be competitive moving forward...so they could definitely develop into rivals. But if Creighton falls off after McDermott leaves, then likely not.

[Jimmy Lemke]

Creighton's President is/was on Marquette's Board of Trustees. I remember listening to an interview he did with the Omaha ESPN Radio affiliate where he talked at length about realignment, and how he came from St. Joe's in Philly and is on the BOT at Marquette, and that he made it clear to both schools that he'd like Creighton to get in one of their conferences.

We saw where they ended up.

Creighton owns Omaha, they're far more popular as a basketball program there than Nebraska, which I suppose isn't saying much.

If you guys are looking for an archrival, someone who you mutually despise above all others, I think Creighton is the one. DePaul just hasn't gotten it done against you guys on a consistent basis to keep your fans interested, and Xavier and Butler had been eyeing each other up for years before Butler joined the A10.

Once DePaul gets their home situated - I like the idea of an on-campus 8-12k arena for them - they should jump back on your radar. But right now their arena situation haunts them competitively. We've played there each of the last three years, and they don't put any more people in the seats for those games than we do. I honestly believed that three years ago you could have replaced DePaul with UWM in the Big East and only Marquette would have noticed. Obviously that's not true, but the point is that they're pretty low.

Creighton, on the other hand, is consistently one of the top 10 teams in the country in attendance, they are the running-away high major in a town that only has a low-major (Nebraska-Omaha) besides them, and like it was pointed out, Marquette is their closest conference game. Add in their cut of Big East TV money and they probably will minimize their lull years from here on out.

That's a recipe for a rivalry if I've ever seen one.

[pbiflyer]

Buck Raynor's Nephew transferred from Creighton to Marquette back in the 80s.

[unclejohn]

I think there are some good candidates out there. DePaul is always going to be fun because of proximity and tradition, and I do expect them back. Creighton, Xavier, and Marquette all have the Jesuit thing going, and have played each other off and on for decades. I recall watching Marquette and Creighton in an NIT game back when they tried to come up with attractive match-ups and interesting games. Georgetown and Marquette have both the Jesuit thing and the fact that they are the top two teams from the old Big East. We even have some history with St. John's. Rivalries with Nova, Seton Hall and Providence have not really caught on so far, but they may well yet.

[MulliganMusings]

One to keep an eye on is Butler. Our last two games have been very tight (Rotnei Clarke buzzer beater in Maui and the nail biter win in the NCAA tourney). That said I think there's a lot of potential for both Creighton and X to be bigger conference rivals than Georgetown for a couple of reasons, 1. Geographic proximity and 2. History (as already pointed out we've played both schools a far greater number of times than we've played Georgetown). One other item, it takes two to form a rivalry and I frankly think Georgetown looks upon its older Big East brethren, specifically St. Johns and Villanova, as their primary conference rivals.

[CaribouJim]

One to keep an eye on is Butler. Our last two games have been very tight (Rotnei Clarke buzzer beater in Maui and the nail biter win in the NCAA tourney). That said I think there's a lot of potential for both Creighton and X to be bigger conference rivals than Georgetown for a couple of reasons, 1. Geographic proximity and 2. History (as already pointed out we've played both schools a far greater number of times than we've played Georgetown). One other item, it takes two to form a rivalry and I frankly think Georgetown looks upon its older Big East brethren, specifically St. Johns and Villanova, as their primary conference rivals.

I'll take Georgetown regardless how they feel about us. I'm hoping/expecting that the MU/GT face-offs will end up being the signature games of the conference and as a result, they end up feeling the same way about MU.

[Goose85]

Good point Mulligan - it does take two to consider something a rivalry.

I often think league games are just that, league games and not as much rival games in hoops, especially when you don't have schools in the same state.

We had great games with Louisville and others in the Big East, but I don't really see any opponent for MU where both schools circled the game when the schedule came out as the most important game to win. Does UW really have a rival in the Big 10 for hoops?

Close games with Butler is a good start to building a rival type game, or at least a series with some exciting history to build on which our league will need.

The potential to play 4 or even 5 games this year against Creighton could really help provide some meaningful recent history for MU and Creighton. That would give fans familiarity and a reason to have a feeling toward another school which could be very good for the league, especially if they are good close games.

One game in Wooden Tourney, two league games, one in conference tourney and we could easily play Creighton 4 times. The 5th would have to be NCAA which would be unlikely.

Bulter games last year v. MU and multiple games with Creighton this year should help the new league establish some relative history to build on going forward. You hate to have a league game where the announcers start the game saying St. John's and Creighton are battling for the league lead, and this will be their first meeing in over 20 years. More fun to start a game with highlights and stories from prior games played.