Yes, but that could result in making the BE more basketball-centric by poaching a couple of schools from the A10.
+1. The most important thing to watch is the possibility of a BCS football playoff. If a football playoff gets put in, we won't see schools like Boise state joining an East Coast conference for a chance at the automatic qualifier.
Over Mason and fUR for a basketball only conference? I gotta believe yes. In re: Butler there are the Horizon's exit fees, the A10's entrance fees, and then if they want to leave the A10, another exit fee (reported variously at $1mil-$2mil with 1 year notice) and then the Big East entrance fee (reported variously at $2mil-$5mil). Obviously some of these things can be waived/renegotiated/litigated, but that's a lot to mull over.
I enjoy all the "Yay VCU can now go to the BE instead" talk but if we'd come back to reality for a second we'd realize this news kind of sucks.
That just depends on the vision of Dr. Rao and the new AD. Obviously with the rapidly changing landscape opportunities will open up.
I'm just saying we're really expecting tons out of our interim AD and our president if we think we can pull off a move to the Big East or New Big East. Would a new Big East really want VCU? I knew we've drastically improved over the years and we're the taste of the nation as of late but I still can't see Big East schools wanting us.
Whoa! I'm not suggesting anything at the moment. Just that things are going to be opening up that might be to our benefit.
Agree, to the extent that it complicates things and diminishes the likelihood of us getting quick resolution re: whether we're staying or going. OTOH, from a 10,000 foot perspective, it could be the start of the best thing that's ever happened to college basketball (and by extension VCU) in the tug of war with college football.
I don't think anyone is actually suggesting we go to the Big East. My basketball super conference thing was even just a fun -- but not even close to realistic -- hypothetical.
The problem is we know if the BE goes for basketball they will go for the A10. We are not in the A10 right now. Now if we were already in the A10 and having the success we have had as of late we'd be in a great position. Right now we're in conference that's falling apart and potentially seeing our future conference get ravaged to hell. In lament terms we could be royally screwed here if things going down the wrong way.
Wringing your hands and gnashing your teeth won't make any difference. Let's see what shakes out. It could very well be to our benefit.
The basketball schools (St. Johns, Villanova, Providence, DePaul, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Marquette) haven't actually been setting the world on fire the last decade or so.
if I had to guess, I'd say that this grumbling/power play is less about wanting more separation between football and basketball, and more about the basketball schools trying to be treated less like revenue step-children (an attempt to leverage a larger share of the football money)
