ace93

I don't see any of that money so I was talking purely on a fan's perspective.

BmoreX

Yeah, solely as a fan, I hate this move. I get that it makes sense financially and for the future, but the University of Maryland has basically kicked its rivalries and 50+ years of history to the side to join a new conference.

A10BBall

Several misconceptions for whatever bias people have:

-- There will NEVER EVER be a Catholic conference for basketball schools. Notre Dame knows this (think why they did the ACC deal), so should you.

-- The Big East will not break up between football and basketball. Why? Because the basketball only entity would only not make anything on a TV deal. You can make the argument it would be less than the A-10 because of the fewer markets. In addition to the fact, that ESPN's sugar baby, UCONN, is going to the ACC; results in no more favors the Big East. Rutgers, UCONN and University of Louisville are all going.

-- Also, the Atlantic 10 will be well positioned of schools if an A-10 school with football like UMASS wants to move up in football. Creighton would represent a nice basketball upgrade and would come in a heartbeat. Drexel would come in a second also further upgrading the conference. I would also think George Mason would do the same with the new TV deal in place.

twisted3829

i see the A10 getting back to 16 at one point and maybe trying to get temple back and maybe add creighton

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TUOwl06

As a Temple fan I'm interested to see how this plays out. I was one of the few TU alums who was content with the A10/MAC arrangement for the time being. Once the BE lost WVU, Syracuse and Pittsburgh it was doomed in football.

TreachX

The Big East would have to completely implode for Temple to return to the A-10. And I mean the conference would actually have to disband. As it stands, there really is no reason for it to do so.

Is it at a level below the power conferences? Yes. But it still will bring its schools more money than a basketball only conference would.

As for why Maryland fans are upset, it is because they have grown used to games against UNC, Duke, and Georgia Tech every year. Those are the teams they know and love, not to mention close enough to potentially travel to.

jpschmack

The big speculation now is how the ACC & Big East responds.

Odds are UConn will take Maryland's slot as the 14th football school.
The question becomes, does the ACC offer Georgetown a spot as team #16 to recover the DC market?
If they're going to do that, why wouldn't they take Villanova and St. John's as well, for 18 teams, 14/4. Their buddy ESPN, who's been steering this, would pretty much love if the ACC folded 90% of the "Big East Basketball" brand into their conference, that's only ONE TV deal to sign instead of what amounted to three (ACC; BEBB, BEFB).

And if that happens, what does the Big East do? Replenish their hybrid by raiding C-USA/MWC and the Atlantic 10?
Or put Seton Hall, Providence, Marquette and a DePaul on notice that they won't add more non-football schools?
Would those four join the A-10, or try to get 6-8 A-10 members to split off and form a new conference?

DoubleJayAlum

I don't know that this is correct, unfortunately.

While I have been lobbying for it for awhile, I'd say it is far less certain that everybody involved on the administration end is on board. Travel costs for the Olympic sports would be a real issue. I'd suspect there would have to be divisions (east and west) for it to be feasible economically.

Personally, I am in love with the idea and think Creighton has a lot to offer (current top 25 programs in three sports: men's basketball, volleyball and men's soccer; in addition, we also participated in the NCAA tournament/postseason last year in Women's hoops and baseball).

Academically, our reputation is stellar, with US News ranking us as the number one school in the midwest for about 8 years in a row.

I do think that if we were ever to make the jump, the time is now. It has been widely reported that our current President was formerly the president at St Joe's. In addition, but not as well known, Duquesne's current president was formerly our head dean of academic affairs (and his wife was a well respected district court judge in Omaha). As a result, we probably understand the A10 culture better than anybody else you could add.

We are very strong financially and have some of the best athletic facilities: women's sports arena is only two years old and state of the art; soccer stadium is comparable with the best in the country; basketball games are played at a filled (16,000 +) NBA caliber arena; a new athletic training facility just opened and we break ground on a new basketball training facility in the spring. Our baseball team also plays its home games at the home of the College World Series.

If the travel portion can be worked out, we're ready in about every other conceivable way.

DoubleJayAlum

Sorry - double post.

jjjacks17

Still have to wonder how this all shakes out for St. Bonaventure in the end... Idk if I see the Bonnies ever playing in a conference that travels all the way to Creighton for games. I think the same could be said for URI, Fordham, and Duquesne.

ace93

For basketball it won't be an issue for Fordham. For other sports, I suspect it would be an issue or question mark for more schools than just the ones you mentioned.

TUOwl06

I think Fordham is getting ever so closer to returning to the PL. Even their hardiest of alumni seem to be slowly realizing they simply can't compete in the A10. Their new AD came from Colgate so he knows the ins and outs of the league. Their administration as a whole seems to love the academic boost the PL gives them in football as well.

A10BBall

Your President has spoken publicly about their interest. Yes the upgrade in money and exposure with this new TV deal would be worth enough (by a wide margin).

College Hoops

I think from an A-10 bb perspective the key going forward is what happens with Georgetown, Nova and St. Johns. It would not surprise me to see the ACC go after all three along with UCONN. The conference knows FSU and Clemson want to go and be associated with a more fb oriented conference. Georgia Tech and Va Tech are not far behind. Bringing those three schools in would assure them of being a top rated bb conference and could very well dissuade UNC & UVA from leaving. If they go to the ACC, the A-10 doesn't really need Providence nor Seton Hall unless URI and/or Fordham decide they would be better off elsewhere. For past sins real or imagined, some would not want Marquette nor DePaul, but they expand the footprint and bring in two good tv markets. if the three catholic schools stay with the BE, I think Xavier SLU UD or any A-10 school would have to be wary about joining a very unstable conference.

Personally, I would like to see the bb only schools in the A-10, BE along schools like Creighton, Bradley etc. band together to form a superconference. There is strength in numbers and it would help in come tv contract negotiations and fending off the Big 4 or 5 conferences that are left come tourney time.

twisted3829

URI is not going anywhere, if they wanted to move down, they would have gone to NEC for all sports instead of for football then cancelling it

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