Big East Expansion / Sporting News

Richmond shouldn't even be a consideration. VCU...no thanks. The new Big East already got burned with a program that saw most of it value because of its coach. I think if they had to do it over they would switch out Butler for St. Louis or Dayton--both programs I would love to add. Few teams have the fan base of Dayton...they draw have a top 25 attendance figure very year long back three decades and they travel as well as anyone.

I'd also consider Memphis and Uconn of they dropped football to FCS or completely, and Gonzaga.
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So you want to kick Butler out of the conference already in your mind and not let the coach even coach a game yet? You can argue he has a more accomplished resume than Stevens did when he got the job. Lets let things play out.
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No, I don't want to kick them out. For better or worse we are stuck with them now. I just think Stevens was the single most important coach to his program in the country. Even getting one season with a future legend like that would have been great for the league. Knowing what we all know now, I think the league would have went with Dayton or St. Louis. I would. You wouldn't?

I see Smart and VCU in the same light. Funny thing is both Butler and VCU had success immediately before Stevens and Smart took over, but those guys raised the image of those programs from mid-majors to majors playing on lesser leagues.
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No I wouldnt have chosen any of those schools over Butler. If you recall Moose was a big proponent of St. Louis actually. Eventually I think we go 12 and they are logical candidate based on market size, Catholic school, no football and gives the midwest group another team.

Butler is going to be just fine to me. They might struggle this year but its unfair since their best player is gone for the year. Lets give the coach some room. Butler hasn't made a mistake hiring a coach in a long time. They deserve the benefit of the doubt.
 
Whether the Big East expands and what schools would be included will in large part be determined by Fox Sports.
 
--------------If the BE has a chance to add UCONN, I don't know how they could turn them down. -Only a plus for the conference.*************************
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Living in CT as I do all I hear from friends & Neighbors who are UConn fans is that they expect to be in the ACC after the next round of expansion. It is not even a concern it is a done deal.
 
--------------If the BE has a chance to add UCONN, I don't know how they could turn them down. -Only a plus for the conference.*************************
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Living in CT as I do all I hear from friends & Neighbors who are UConn fans is that they expect to be in the ACC after the next round of expansion. It is not even a concern it is a done deal.
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1. The ACC already "over-expanded".
2. The ACC no longer needs another "basketball" school with UNC, Duke, Louisville, Syracuse, Pitt, etc.
3. Uconn football has crashed and burned.

If I were a Uconn fan I would be concerned in more ways than one.
 
Richmond shouldn't even be a consideration. VCU...no thanks. The new Big East already got burned with a program that saw most of it value because of its coach. I think if they had to do it over they would switch out Butler for St. Louis or Dayton--both programs I would love to add. Few teams have the fan base of Dayton...they draw have a top 25 attendance figure very year long back three decades and they travel as well as anyone.

I'd also consider Memphis and Uconn of they dropped football to FCS or completely, and Gonzaga.
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i'd seriously consider Memphis, UConn & Temple even if they didnt drop their football to FCS. The new BE would still gain the benifit of having those teams in the all B-ball conference during these very crucial early years. If after a decade or so, one of these teams football dominates the MAC and is picked off by a BCS conf, then the BE just adds St. Louis, Dayton or whatever midmajor is hot then. Nothing lost, but the conference reaps the benefits of what those teams bring during early years when finding footing and establishing itself as a "major" conference despite being basketball only is urgent.
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You can't have Temple because of Villanova.
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Yet before the break-up between the BE and AAC, Temple was brought back into the BE the fold, but this time as a full fledge member, not football only like they were in the 90's before being asked to leave.
 
With all that UConn has invested into building up their football program, I can't see them just abandoning our downgrading it anytime soon.
 
With all that UConn has invested into building up their football program, I can't see them just abandoning our downgrading it anytime soon.
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Agree, they're on the hook to Ct taxpayers now with all their facilities etc. they aren't getting in to the Big ten nor ACC though. Not sure where they get these delusions. Their basketball program isn't going to be better thanit was while under the legendary Jim Calhoun. Their football program would probably lose to Stony Brook. the law of diminishing returns kicks in here for the ACC and other BCS conferences. UConn has nothing to offer them. ACC already has their New England school in Boston College, and Boston College will try to thwart UConn entering the ACC anyway. As Moose would say... Doomed!
 
Richmond shouldn't even be a consideration. VCU...no thanks. The new Big East already got burned with a program that saw most of it value because of its coach. I think if they had to do it over they would switch out Butler for St. Louis or Dayton--both programs I would love to add. Few teams have the fan base of Dayton...they draw have a top 25 attendance figure very year long back three decades and they travel as well as anyone.

I'd also consider Memphis and Uconn of they dropped football to FCS or completely, and Gonzaga.
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i'd seriously consider Memphis, UConn & Temple even if they didnt drop their football to FCS. The new BE would still gain the benifit of having those teams in the all B-ball conference during these very crucial early years. If after a decade or so, one of these teams football dominates the MAC and is picked off by a BCS conf, then the BE just adds St. Louis, Dayton or whatever midmajor is hot then. Nothing lost, but the conference reaps the benefits of what those teams bring during early years when finding footing and establishing itself as a "major" conference despite being basketball only is urgent.
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No, No, and No. No FBS schools period. We've been down that road, the climate and conditions have changes, so no need for this particular Conference to go that route. Back in the early days of the BE, it made sense to add other football schools to keep Cuse, BC and Pitt from leaving which is of course eventually happened. Times have changed since then. I doubt any of those teams are going to downgrade their program from FBS to FCS (UConn has spent to much money over the past decade in order to do the exact opposite, Cincy and Memphis have been FBS forever and at least in Cincy's case, while not a powerhouse, they do have a nice overall winning program). All would be looking to bolt for a better conference first chance they get.

Unless there is a concern (and there shouldn't be) that the Conference is afraid of losing any current members, or the Midwest teams would like some company, I say keep it at 10, round robin. If you do expand, no more than twelve, split into two divisions, home and home in division (10 games) and play everyone else once for a total of 16 games. If you really need 18, play home and home vs. two teams in the other division on a yearly rotating basis.

The program I really would love to add would be Gonzaga, however, because of logistics, I don't see that happening.
 
If I'm Val Ackerman and Fox Sports, St. Louis and VCU are the last two in by far. St. Louis because of the market size and location and VCU because of the quality of the program. I would also consider George Mason.
 
Richmond shouldn't even be a consideration. VCU...no thanks. The new Big East already got burned with a program that saw most of it value because of its coach. I think if they had to do it over they would switch out Butler for St. Louis or Dayton--both programs I would love to add. Few teams have the fan base of Dayton...they draw have a top 25 attendance figure very year long back three decades and they travel as well as anyone.

I'd also consider Memphis and Uconn of they dropped football to FCS or completely, and Gonzaga.
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So you want to kick Butler out of the conference already in your mind and not let the coach even coach a game yet? You can argue he has a more accomplished resume than Stevens did when he got the job. Lets let things play out.
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No, I don't want to kick them out. For better or worse we are stuck with them now. I just think Stevens was the single most important coach to his program in the country. Even getting one season with a future legend like that would have been great for the league. Knowing what we all know now, I think the league would have went with Dayton or St. Louis. I would. You wouldn't?

I see Smart and VCU in the same light. Funny thing is both Butler and VCU had success immediately before Stevens and Smart took over, but those guys raised the image of those programs from mid-majors to majors playing on lesser leagues.
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No I wouldnt have chosen any of those schools over Butler. If you recall Moose was a big proponent of St. Louis actually. Eventually I think we go 12 and they are logical candidate based on market size, Catholic school, no football and gives the midwest group another team.

Butler is going to be just fine to me. They might struggle this year but its unfair since their best player is gone for the year. Lets give the coach some room. Butler hasn't made a mistake hiring a coach in a long time. They deserve the benefit of the doubt.
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I like the third person references lately. Nicely done.
Truth be told, I didn't really think Smart and Miller were going to be as terrific as they ended up being. Miller was just a monster. They both walked in to very lucky situations, but took the batton and ran with it. I love the fact that Butler has the tremendous recent success. The two Final Four visits (and wins) in 2010 and 20011 really bolster the new Big East's resume even if it is just in a talking point or screen shot--that's all most people need to form an opinion these days anyway. The fact that is makes the new conference that much harder to immediately dismiss with a "they haven't hand a final four team in ____years," is a big deal IMO. Marquette's Elite 8 last year (and the prior two Sweet 16 visits) along with Nova's Final Four (2009) and Georgetown's Final Four (2007) make an pretty impressive resume when Butler's two Final Fours and Xavier's two Elite Eight (2004, 2008) are added. Without those it would be on the thin side.

I don't have a problem with the Butler addition, but I do not want VCU. VCU without Smart is not worth a hekuva lot to me. Butler at least has the rich tradition to go with those Final Fours. VCU didn't start playing basketball until 1968 and has very little success until the last decade, only reaching one Sweet 16 once in the program's history (2011). Their arena, while nice, only sits 7,600. Dayton, by comparison, has a much better history (Sweet 16 appearances in four different decades and tremendous NIT success before/during that), they consistently sellout an arena that sits twice as many fans, they travel as well as just about anyone.
 
Dayton is a good program, but how close are they to Xavier?
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An hour north of Cincy, an hour west of Columbus, two hours east of Indianapolis, 2 1/2 hours southeast of Butler, and 4 1/2 hours southeast of Chicago. They travel well and the the more packed venues we can add that sit 13000+ fans, the better it will be for recruiting.
 
Dayton because of Donnie May, a member of the Knicks Championship team.

One of my favorite players growing up.

I have a friend who is a huge Flyers fan and he has all sort of stats about Dayton's rich BB history especially team records they still hold for the various iterations of THE GARDEN!
 
St. Louis, and either Richmond, or Davidson would be my choices for the next two spots. Like-minded schools that would also protect geographic balance.
 
If Dayton joins the Big East, I may have to petition St. John's to have a Midwest Alum package of away games: Xavier, Dayton, Butler take me less time than going to any Jets game while I was living on Long Island, with DePaul being the return trip time to LI after a Monday night loss.

I agree, however, with those who look at television markets as the greatest criteria for expansion in the minds of the decision makers with the BE and Fox. Sadly, that's the simplistic approach that the Big Ten took with Rutgers and Maryland (a flawed plan to try to raise the price of the Big Ten Network to cable/satellite providers but offering little to the value of the conference itself). I love the idea of like minded basketball programs that fill their seats with zealous fans/alum. It makes for a better television product and a terrific contrast between old and new Big East (living in Big Ten country I'm convinced we are in for a tough time with the newbies on the road the first time around, we are just not used to the noise of those gyms and fragile free throw shooters will struggle mightily).

I would love for us to stay at 10 for awhile (and as pointed out earlier, let the market come to us). If we expand, I'd hope Fox consider that Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery screaming over loud gyms in the crunch time of a game is far more likely to get eyeballs than games in half empty arenas in larger television markets just because of the school's proximity to them. I believe that formula worked once before.
 
Would add 2 teams...Uconn is a must.....They have a great following.....and dont depend on whether they have a great coach..would UNLV be interested?
 
UNLV plays football. And aside from that, you'd probably need a 15-team league with three divisions to make that work with regard to travel minimization.
 
UNLV plays football. And aside from that, you'd probably need a 15-team league with three divisions to make that work with regard to travel minimization.
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Plus if you invite anyone from the West its not them. Its a team in the Northwest.
 
UNLV plays football. And aside from that, you'd probably need a 15-team league with three divisions to make that work with regard to travel minimization.
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Plus if you invite anyone from the West its not them. Its a team in the Northwest.
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I thought the conference is called "the Big East"
 
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