That Didn't Take Long

It's just year 2 of the "new" Big East and already some fans from one of our former members are talking about how much they miss the Big East, & also how good our league really is.

http://syracusefan.com/threads/i-miss-the-big-east-basketball.87410/
Click to expand...

BC lost it's basketball soul by leaving the Big East. We loved to hate the college version of the intense New York-Boston rivalries.

UCONN fans could follow their team on a tank of gas to battles with St. John's, Syracuse, Villanova, Providence or Georgetown,

Pitt was a hated foe in the Big East for us, and established a tough, gritty basketball identity in the Big East.

Notre Dame, Louisville, Va tech, WVU to me were never really Big East programs.

But the other schools listed seem like basketball phantoms when separated from the Big East rivalries that enhanced their programs.
 
It's just year 2 of the "new" Big East and already some fans from one of our former members are talking about how much they miss the Big East, & also how good our league really is.

http://syracusefan.com/threads/i-miss-the-big-east-basketball.87410/
Click to expand...

BC lost it's basketball soul by leaving the Big East. We loved to hate the college version of the intense New York-Boston rivalries.

UCONN fans could follow their team on a tank of gas to battles with St. John's, Syracuse, Villanova, Providence or Georgetown,

Pitt was a hated foe in the Big East for us, and established a tough, gritty basketball identity in the Big East.

Notre Dame, Louisville, Va tech, WVU to me were never really Big East programs.

But the other schools listed seem like basketball phantoms when separated from the Big East rivalries that enhanced their programs.
Click to expand...

I think that the long term success of the ACC bball programs is not a given since the four premier programs in the league are over 60 ( Rat Face, Williams, Boeheim, Pitino). I won't put UVA into the elite level yet although they've been very good the last two years. Larrinaga is also in his 60s. These guys will all eventually retire and I don't know if the four top ACC schools I'll be able to replace their current coaches. And I'm not saying the programs will suck but how do we know that they will be perennial Top 10 teams like the Top 4?

To me more question marks than answers there and it's so obvious that even the "simple" Syracuse fans from Central NY are able to realize the negatives of playing "rivalry" games w/ BC, having a conf Tourney at the Greensboro Colliseum instead of MSG, the unfavorable geographic location of Syracuse, etc.

To be honest though, I wouldn't even want them back at this point. They are the ones who really killed the OLd BE. Pitt I can live with. WV I can live with. Louisville I can live with. The Cuse will forever be "Benedict Arnold" in my eyes and I wish sustained failures and misery to their program for years and years to come.

As I've said numerous tims the one school I would welcome back is UConn although I don't think that will happen due to their affiliation with what they think is "big time" football when the reality is their football program is a bigger joke than their bball was BC (Before Calhoun).
 
It's just year 2 of the "new" Big East and already some fans from one of our former members are talking about how much they miss the Big East, & also how good our league really is.

http://syracusefan.com/threads/i-miss-the-big-east-basketball.87410/
Click to expand...

BC lost it's basketball soul by leaving the Big East. We loved to hate the college version of the intense New York-Boston rivalries.

UCONN fans could follow their team on a tank of gas to battles with St. John's, Syracuse, Villanova, Providence or Georgetown,

Pitt was a hated foe in the Big East for us, and established a tough, gritty basketball identity in the Big East.

Notre Dame, Louisville, Va tech, WVU to me were never really Big East programs.

But the other schools listed seem like basketball phantoms when separated from the Big East rivalries that enhanced their programs.
Click to expand...

I think that the long term success of the ACC bball programs is not a given since the four premier programs in the league are over 60 ( Rat Face, Williams, Boeheim, Pitino). I won't put UVA into the elite level yet although they've been very good the last two years. Larrinaga is also in his 60s. These guys will all eventually retire and I don't know if the four top ACC schools I'll be able to replace their current coaches. And I'm not saying the programs will suck but how do we know that they will be perennial Top 10 teams like the Top 4?

To me more question marks than answers there and it's so obvious that even the "simple" Syracuse fans from Central NY are able to realize the negatives of playing "rivalry" games w/ BC, having a conf Tourney at the Greensboro Colliseum instead of MSG, the unfavorable geographic location of Syracuse, etc.

To be honest though, I wouldn't even want them back at this point. They are the ones who really killed the OLd BE. Pitt I can live with. WV I can live with. Louisville I can live with. The Cuse will forever be "Benedict Arnold" in my eyes and I wish sustained failures and misery to their program for years and years to come.

As I've said numerous tims the one school I would welcome back is UConn although I don't think that will happen due to their affiliation with what they think is "big time" football when the reality is their football program is a bigger joke than their bball was BC (Before Calhoun).
Click to expand...

Avon, I can't believe I am writing this, but I agree with just about everything you said. Where we differ is that I feel the same way about UCONN as you do about the Cuse. I don't want UCONN back in the BE. Ever.
 
It's just year 2 of the "new" Big East and already some fans from one of our former members are talking about how much they miss the Big East, & also how good our league really is.

http://syracusefan.com/threads/i-miss-the-big-east-basketball.87410/
Click to expand...

BC lost it's basketball soul by leaving the Big East. We loved to hate the college version of the intense New York-Boston rivalries.

UCONN fans could follow their team on a tank of gas to battles with St. John's, Syracuse, Villanova, Providence or Georgetown,

Pitt was a hated foe in the Big East for us, and established a tough, gritty basketball identity in the Big East.

Notre Dame, Louisville, Va tech, WVU to me were never really Big East programs.

But the other schools listed seem like basketball phantoms when separated from the Big East rivalries that enhanced their programs.
Click to expand...

I think that the long term success of the ACC bball programs is not a given since the four premier programs in the league are over 60 ( Rat Face, Williams, Boeheim, Pitino). I won't put UVA into the elite level yet although they've been very good the last two years. Larrinaga is also in his 60s. These guys will all eventually retire and I don't know if the four top ACC schools I'll be able to replace their current coaches. And I'm not saying the programs will suck but how do we know that they will be perennial Top 10 teams like the Top 4?

To me more question marks than answers there and it's so obvious that even the "simple" Syracuse fans from Central NY are able to realize the negatives of playing "rivalry" games w/ BC, having a conf Tourney at the Greensboro Colliseum instead of MSG, the unfavorable geographic location of Syracuse, etc.

To be honest though, I wouldn't even want them back at this point. They are the ones who really killed the OLd BE. Pitt I can live with. WV I can live with. Louisville I can live with. The Cuse will forever be "Benedict Arnold" in my eyes and I wish sustained failures and misery to their program for years and years to come.

As I've said numerous tims the one school I would welcome back is UConn although I don't think that will happen due to their affiliation with what they think is "big time" football when the reality is their football program is a bigger joke than their bball was BC (Before Calhoun).
Click to expand...

I had been thinking the same recently about the age of these HOF coaches and how hard they will be to replace. It's also very telling how UConn fans seem to want Kevin Ollie out the door already. It will never be the same. That being said, I'm really proud of what the current Big East has become. I was nervous that we'd lose quality, but the competition has been amazing.
 
i understand Su fans struggling with their ACC AFFILIATION. it is what happens when no nothing College Presidents make stupid decisions.

i TOO, LAMENT SYRACUSE AND UCONNS defections but, not so much WVA, PITT,CINN,L'VILLE, MIAMI AND VA TECH.

BC, for such a smart school is dumb as shit, leaving the BE.. They had identity here, never going to sniff it in the ACC.

ND, was a loss because they are ND...

I think Boeheim still loses sleep over his school's decision and, he clearly misses MSG and the BE Tourney. Calhoun got out just in time. He would have hated the ACC.
 
It's just year 2 of the "new" Big East and already some fans from one of our former members are talking about how much they miss the Big East, & also how good our league really is.

http://syracusefan.com/threads/i-miss-the-big-east-basketball.87410/
Click to expand...

BC lost it's basketball soul by leaving the Big East. We loved to hate the college version of the intense New York-Boston rivalries.

UCONN fans could follow their team on a tank of gas to battles with St. John's, Syracuse, Villanova, Providence or Georgetown,

Pitt was a hated foe in the Big East for us, and established a tough, gritty basketball identity in the Big East.

Notre Dame, Louisville, Va tech, WVU to me were never really Big East programs.

But the other schools listed seem like basketball phantoms when separated from the Big East rivalries that enhanced their programs.
Click to expand...

I think that the long term success of the ACC bball programs is not a given since the four premier programs in the league are over 60 ( Rat Face, Williams, Boeheim, Pitino). I won't put UVA into the elite level yet although they've been very good the last two years. Larrinaga is also in his 60s. These guys will all eventually retire and I don't know if the four top ACC schools I'll be able to replace their current coaches. And I'm not saying the programs will suck but how do we know that they will be perennial Top 10 teams like the Top 4?

To me more question marks than answers there and it's so obvious that even the "simple" Syracuse fans from Central NY are able to realize the negatives of playing "rivalry" games w/ BC, having a conf Tourney at the Greensboro Colliseum instead of MSG, the unfavorable geographic location of Syracuse, etc.

To be honest though, I wouldn't even want them back at this point. They are the ones who really killed the OLd BE. Pitt I can live with. WV I can live with. Louisville I can live with. The Cuse will forever be "Benedict Arnold" in my eyes and I wish sustained failures and misery to their program for years and years to come.

As I've said numerous tims the one school I would welcome back is UConn although I don't think that will happen due to their affiliation with what they think is "big time" football when the reality is their football program is a bigger joke than their bball was BC (Before Calhoun).
Click to expand...

I had been thinking the same recently about the age of these HOF coaches and how hard they will be to replace. It's also very telling how UConn fans seem to want Kevin Ollie out the door already. It will never be the same. That being said, I'm really proud of what the current Big East has become. I was nervous that we'd lose quality, but the competition has been amazing.
Click to expand...
we're not the only schizo fan base. It's humorous, Ollie wins a national championship and they want to get rid of him.
 
Interesting. The bottom line was football and greed killed the Old Big East. Schools like the Cuse and UCONN have visions of football money dancing in their heads. They almost certainly make more $$$. However, what will the long term effect be on their hoops program? Do they care? I guess that is for those schools to answer. I know I am biased but think about this. When was the last time you heard or cared about a Boston College basketball game? Sure, UCONN won the National Championship game last season but was that the final run? I mean what conference are they in? Who the heck do they play? Will big recruits want to play in that conference? I haven't seen a UCONN game since??? Games of the defending National Champs? You can't tell me that an SJU/UCONN game wouldn't have been a sell out at MSG with all the farmers making the annual pilgrimage to the Mecca. I have seen the Cuse since we beat them. They were smart to keep the SJU and Gtown thing alive.

Sorry for the rambling thoughts. Bottom line is I am happy where we are, where we belong... in the Big East. We have a nice competitive conference with like minded schools who want to compete in basketball. The other schools are where they wanted to be. Good riddance.
 
While I can certainly get behind hating Syracuse let's remember that Boeheim was being dragged into the ACC kicking and screaming until his admin likely told him to stop rocking the boat.
 
the good thing is that the big east doesn't need to expand. We are the only quality league top to bottom. no need to fix what ain't broken.
 
the good thing is that the big east doesn't need to expand. We are the only quality league top to bottom. no need to fix what ain't broken.
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If Fox wants it and pays for it I can see only 2 teams being added that would boost the league's basketball profile:VCU and Dayton. If it were divided into two divisions the East would consist of Providence St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova, Georgetown and VCU. Playing Creighton and DePaul just once in regular season would be great.
 
The only problem with our conference situation is that eventually the Power 5 conferences are going to leave the ncaa.
It's just a matter of when.
 
The only problem with our conference situation is that eventually the Power 5 conferences are going to leave the ncaa.
It's just a matter of when.
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Even if true they'd let a few basketball conferences play. Otherwise they'd need to reduce the tournament to 32 teams.
 
The only problem with our conference situation is that eventually the Power 5 conferences are going to leave the ncaa.
It's just a matter of when.
Click to expand...

There will only be ONE NCAA Championship and that will go on long after we are pushing up daisies.
The Power 5 in the world of college basketball could die a swift death if the NBA ever changes the age eligibility and the top high school players and marquee names declare out of high school. There is even discussion in the Big about making freshmen ineligible. The Power 5 wanted football independence and they basically have that now.
 
The only problem with our conference situation is that eventually the Power 5 conferences are going to leave the ncaa.
It's just a matter of when.
Click to expand...

Even if true they'd let a few basketball conferences play. Otherwise they'd need to reduce the tournament to 32 teams.
Click to expand...

That's what they want. If you're the big 10 or ACC why would you want to split your tv money with A10 or wcc teams?
Just like the football playoff, access for outside teams will either be eliminated or severely restricted.


But for now I love our conference setup. Playing everyone twice is so refreshing compared to the ridiculous schedules we had in the old big east.

Unlike some though, I miss wvu. I've said this before but they were the most underappreciated of all the former big east teams. And their fans came to the garden in big numbers during tournament time.
After UCONN they were arguably the leagues most successful program over the last 10yrs.
Cuse had a nc, but were not as consistent.
 
The only problem with our conference situation is that eventually the Power 5 conferences are going to leave the ncaa.
It's just a matter of when.
Click to expand...

Even if true they'd let a few basketball conferences play. Otherwise they'd need to reduce the tournament to 32 teams.
Click to expand...

That's what they want. If you're the big 10 or ACC why would you want to split your tv money with A10 or wcc teams?
Just like the football playoff, access for outside teams will either be eliminated or severely restricted.


But for now I love our conference setup. Playing everyone twice is so refreshing compared to the ridiculous schedules we had in the old big east.

Unlike some though, I miss wvu. I've said this before but they were the most underappreciated of all the former big east teams. And their fans came to the garden in big numbers during tournament time.
After UCONN they were arguably the leagues most successful program over the last 10yrs.
Cuse had a nc, but were not as consistent.
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The issue here is football vs. basketball has always been very different. With football it's always been about big one on one matches. Now they have a 4 team tournament, which can be raised to about 8.

The business of March Madness is massive. I don't think they'd touch it. BUT, if they did a few conferences including Big East would be a part of it. Otherwise they'd have just about 65 teams. You need about 90-100 teams in the field at a minimum without cutting the first round from 64/68 to 32.

College sports are changing. Something bad may happen. Maybe the Power 5 starts offering scholarships we can't match. But they won't attempt a playoff system without UConn, Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette, Gonzaga, Memphis, Cincy, BYU, VCU, etc. You do that and the rest of the teams (which would be about 200) continue with the NCAA tournament and still be relevant. Invite those programs I just listed and the NCAA tournament would completely fall apart, and thus the Power 5 tournament wouldn't have any competition.
 
At what point do the football schools stop letting money rule everything? That first week of the tournament is I think the greatest time in all of sports, and it's not even close. How can you let yourself ruin it in the pursuit of money that you already have tons of?
 
At what point do the football schools stop letting money rule everything??
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Never.

I entirely agree with Desco (and have posted the same thing several times). The Power 5 want to share as little revenue as possible with non-Power 5 schools, and they also do not want to have to be bothered playing by the NCAAs rules. i have figured for a few years that when they got to five 16-team conferences they would just secede, make their own rules, and keep all the money.

It's possible that the current partial secession for football may stick for a while, and it's possible that they will feel it is in their enlightened self interest (read, they make the most money in the long run) by preserving the existing NCAA tournament for basketball while going their own way in football. They may make more money out of sharing the NCAA basketball contract than by creating another tournament just for themselves.

But make no mistake, it is and will always be all about the money.
 
Let's be completely real. The bottom line in big time college sports for every program that participates, including St. John's, IS money.

Why else would TV networks control scheduling? I was speaking yesterday with someone very close to the program yesterday who was speaking about travel difficulties this winter, and declared, "These kids are never in class." Consider that for a Wednesday game in Omaha at 9 pm, we are travelling on Tuesday and Thursday.

We can get angry as we want for the football schools seceding from the Big East, but of course it makes perfect sense for those schools to generate the most revenue possible, especially in a sport where operating costs are the highest. Even as I lament that some of these northeastern schools have lost their sports identity regionally, the schools have filled their coffers with cash, and fans still fill their arenas. To administrators who care about - what else, money - there is no problem. The only problem is for true fans who really enjoyed the regional rivalries, the competitiveness of it all. But then, when did the fan really count, especially when the number 1 objective, money, was being fulfilled?

I like the current Big East at 10 teams. I'm not like some of you in terms of rabid following of college basketball. I never bothered to follow the rosters of Big East schools that we weren't playing twice in a season unless they were nationally prominent and interesting. In this format I immensely enjoy playing every conference team twice, where you really get to see and know the opposition by playing them twice. The home and home format creates more competitiveness, more parity, because as we know, it's difficult to win away in college basketball. That leads to a more interesting and fair conference schedule.

18 conference games is perfect, and playing each team twice is perfect. Our league has very quickly shored up the bottom teams, giving almost every team the possibility of winning on its home floor. The Fox money is good, attendance for us is okay and will improve when we more consistently reside in the top 1/3 of the league, and the games are fun.
 
It absolutely is all about money, which is why they'd invite some basketball schools or conferences. Forget even about the 64 vs. 32 team argument (which, BTW having 64 teams gives you twice as many games overall when you do the math). No way they don't invite Nova, Uconn, GTown, Gonzaga, etc and let the NCAA tournament continue. If they want to kill it completely, they'd need those schools.
 
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