Re: If the Big East splits ......?

[MainMan]

 Otis:
This thread has gone in a few directions without answering your original question which was whether or not the non-FCS schools could stand by themselves as a power conference. If it's just the Big East schools the answer is no because their just aren't enough eyeballs to get a substantial tv contract. Perhaps if Xavier (for Cincinnati) Duqesne (for Pittsburgh) and schools that cover the Southeast would have to be considered. I also wonder if a national conference of like minded schools that would include say Gonzaga (for the Pacific Northwest) and Loyola Marymount (for the greater LA area) would be viable. Something tells me that Lavin and staff would like the eyeballs in California.
I suspect that my last scenario in particular might sound unrealistic, but if I were an AD at a school like St. John's I would not like being at the mercy of football programs especially when my program is one of many that have competed at the highest level in basketball for many many years without FCS football.
Sadly, one of the reasons I think the idea of a stand-alone basketball league is unrealistic is because history says that the creation of the Big East was as much the result of the force Dave Gavitt's personality as anything else. Who's the person who can bring like minded schools together and show how it's in the best interest of those schools to have a conference of their own?? It's clear that this re-alignment is football driven but I think a secondary cause is the desire of the football schools to crowd the basketball schools out of Men's Basketball Tournament bids and money.

 

A few things:

1. What substantial TV markets do we lose with Syracuse and Pitt gone? And what substantial TV markets would we lose with UConn and Rutgers gone? Each of those programs (save Rutgers) has been a bball force with a national reputation and would be missed. But losing their TV market is not the hit you make it out to be when you still have NYC, Philly and DC at a minimum.

2. Sure Gavitt was a force. But how about Tranghese as a force?
Not only does he believe a bball-only BE conference can work, he seemed to hint in the Francesa interview that he would want something to do with it.

3. As for a national league, I can't see Gonzaga wanting any part of that. They're already a power albeit in a smaller conference. Why would they break that up?

4. Duquense (sic?) and Loyola are so small time, they shouldn't be brought into the conversation. 

 

[frank61]

When you stop and think about the old Big East, there was something about it that made it dominant. It was a stopper
It was indeed, yet it had very very littile to do with their football prowess. Actually they were always the sad sacks of college football. Yet if you peel away the teams that are going to other places so they can have a better chance to pursue their football dreams, something happens to the remaining schools to take away their dominance, I think if we go toward as Basketballl only league, the first thing we should do is think bigger. We have to draw more eyeballs. The ten listed before is a good start SJU,PC,SH,G'town,ND*, Marq,DePaul Villan, addings Dayton, and Xavier. Just does not seem to have enough whack. I think we would still have to add some more firepower, to get people excited. 
* If they stay independent in football. I think we have to create a league that makes a statement.I think it can be done, I think it should be done.