ace93

I don't disagree with that, but it's a different argument/discussion. We travel as far as Creighton for hoops now, so I don't think that would be ans issue.

Our previous AD new the ins and outs of the league as well given that he lead us into the league back in 1990, so I don't think that Roach brings any new insight to the table in that regard. Not sure who these hardiest of alumni are that you say are realizing we can't compete and don't think that's accurate. I do think that many know that our admin is not doing what's necessary to compete. Slight difference.

I do think our president and some of the admin would like to be in the PL, but I don't think our Board of Trustees wants it. Not sure who will win that battle in the long run.

jjjacks17

But with the A10 continually moving its footprint towards the south and midwest would that change anything? What if UMass does decide to leave for football or Fordham moves to the Patriot League? It seems a strange fit for the remaining teams located in the northeast including St. Joe's and La Salle as well as URI, SBU, and Duquesne.

jpschmack

While I agree, I do think a "new" conference could find its way into formation if ESPN is really pushing the ACC to horde as much of "old school Big East Basketball" as possible. Syracuse, Pitt, UConn, Georgetown, Nova, St. John's and Notre Dame added to the league for 18 basketball teams.

The football Big East schools could pretty much force out Marquette, DePaul, Seton Hall and Providence, and while the A-10 would invite them all; you could see the top half of the A-10 depart to form a league with them. It would be like the "Catholic hoops conference" people have been talking about for years, only with non-catholic schools involved.

jpschmack

I think the top of the non-football food chain needs to have a summit and figure out a means to have a mutually beneficial arrangement.

For example, the A-10, MVC and WCC should get together and create a fourth conference (one more auto-bid) by dividing the A-10 in half (and adding a couple schools with or without Marq/Dep/SHU/Prov).
Agree to play 14 conference games each, with a non-conference scheduling agreement for four more games against each other for TV, a unified scheduling policy to maximize NCAA bids and a joint-TV negotiation with the major networks.

You could put together a 40-team ensemble that covers over 1/3 of the US population with those conferences;
Playing 14 conference games allows you to limit the number of mediocre TV games, double-up on only the good TV games, play cross-conference good TV games without hurting RPIs, and have a ton of non-conference games to get wins over and drive up your RPIs.

DoubleJayAlum

That's is what is driving my interest in the A10 as well.

At some point, every conference is going to have its own version of the Big East problem. Football schools are inevitably going to want to 'move up' to grab some of the overwhelmingly large amounts of FB money - FCS teams want to go to the FBS level, FBS schools want to join power conferences, etc. The lure of big money football is just too hard for them to ignore forever. I expect the Missouri Valley to have that problem at some point as well - some of our members are already planning their move to the MAC or Sunbelt.

I'd like to find a stable basketball conference where few, if any, of the members play scholarship football. Under that arrangement, everyone has the same goals and concerns.

I don't think the A10 should throw away its east coast ties. There is certainly value there. However, I don't see why one couldn't have east coast schools and still have schools in the midwestern time zone. We aren't talking about the days of travel by stagecoach or locomotive. I also think its helps on the TV end to have a wider market. As I said in an earlier post, having central time zone teams allows for weeknight double headers.

Bogg

As a Uconn alumn, I don't like the break-up of the Big East at all, and think this whole realignment nonsense exposes college athletics as a sham, but now that we're front-runners for Maryland's old spot in the ACC I'm excited about the kind of basketball superconference it would be.

A10BBall

The ACC is not going to take basketball only schools exception is ND but they have agreements to play ACC football schools per year.

You are correct they are going to find homes but I don't see why the BE Football schools will not force them out. Even if they wanted to create a new conference why in the world would any of the top 10 go with them. Those schools aren't power schools at all and would be a huge risk. In addition, that new conference isn't nearly going to have the same deal as the A-10's current one. Too many fewer markets.

RF1

URI was gone to the NEC for football until the other eastern FCS football dominos fell (ODU & Ga State leave CAA and Albany and Stony Brook join for football only). The situation at the all sports level is just as fluid. If the A-10 were to drastically change, I could easily see URI re-evaluating its place. Nothing is set in stone these days. What once made sense can just as easily make little sense with a few changes to membership.

jpschmack

I really don't know about that. I think ESPN would really push them for it. It makes financial sense for ESPN. They can make it worth the ACC's while to do so, because without Pitt, Syracuse, UConn, Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's and Notre Dame, what is Big East basketball really worth? It's Louisville-Cincinnati-Marquette-Memphis-Temple.

Instead of giving the ACC $250 mil, the Big East $175 mil and C-USA, A10, etc a combined $50 mil (just ballparking figures for a simple example, that's not exact)...

ESPN could give the ACC $325 milion, offer the Big East a much smaller contract ($75 mil) and if they reject it, give the A-10, CUSA etc a little bit more money to fill in their schedule.

They'd be consolidating inventory.

If the ACC expands their hybrid beyond Notre Dame, you can be sure it's ESPN pulling the strings to eliminate expenditures.

Odds are, they simply call Marquette, DePaul, Seton Hall and Providence and saying "We're gonna dump the Big East from our inventory, but if you join up with Xavier, Dayton, Saint Louis, Butler, VCU and St. Joseph's for a new conference we'll offer you the same money you had before."

It would not be a risk if ESPN is behind it: Those six A-10 schools would be looking at more TV money and less bottom-feeders to share with. Look at the A-10's ESPN schedule. Not counting ESPN sponsored tournaments, all but one A-10 game on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU would include those teams. (that other being Kansas vs Richmond). Everything else would fall under this new conference, the old ACC deal, or the Temple-MAC deal and Temple's leaving us anyway.

It makes financial sense for ESPN to cut costs by consolidating inventory.

And as a Bona grad, I'm terrified.

jjjacks17

This is how I am feeling too being a Bona student. It is yet to be seen how loyal the A10 schools will be to each other and if the higher end schools of the league will just throw the rest of the league under the bus like that. It will also be interesting if that does happen will the A10 schools stick together and look elsewhere for replacements or will they each retreat to smaller leagues like the MAAC, NEC, and CAA? This is the last thing I want to see happen. I'm scared as hell for my Bonnies every time I hear about realignment.

vaNtR

Guys, you'll take us back right?

AdamtheFlyer

Rutgers (and probably UConn) leaving, and now Boise and SDSU may be standing the Big East up.

As I have said all along, the Big East will shrink to a point where the basketball schools realize their best option is dumping the football schools altogether. Northeast football footprint gone, western expansion is likely to stop at SMU. Whatever they get in their current negotiations, they'll probably get less next time, if the football league even exists.

Bringing a quality 10-12 team hoops league in major markets like NYC, Philly, DC, and Chicago would bring good money. It would dwarf what the A10 gets because people actually want to watch their big market teams. And you're splitting it 10 ways, not 14-18. It would be an immediate drop, but over time building a strong and lasting brand will bring more money than constantly looking for worse and worse football programs to carry your jock.

The A10 proved their are really good options for a non-football league. Don't think the Big East basketball schools didn't pay attention.

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Sure, I've been called a xenophobe, but the truth is, I'm not. I honestly just feel that America is the best country and the other countries aren't as good. That used to be called patriotism.

UMass87

As much as the having to play four MAC schools in basketball sucks, TU would be better off in the MAC than in the future Big East.

URIrx

so UMass will jump ship eventually. If that is sooner or later in this realignment game who knows, but it has to happen with their desire to go to BCS football. that leaves 3 spots for a 16 team league, 4 if you truly think fordham will see the light and decide to switch back to the PL. Sounds like the A10 should take Gtown, St. John's, Nova, Marquette. keep all the basketball first power in conference instead of trying to make it into 2. Providence can join the MAAC.

Muddy Waters

Big East

Fool's Gold

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