duncanlamb
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When expansion is mentioned I think of this.
The big east should have "tryouts"
The big east should have "tryouts"
UCONN has a football program. The school and state made investments. They accepted they were destined to be irrelevant and football fantasies were hurting basketball. They now play independent.I'm sure the Big East would be interested them, but the Big East doesn't offer football, and so it's not a fit.
Hoping Big East goes big with stl, dayton, wichita state, and VCU. What an amazing conference that would be!!!
While the BE is primarily Catholic and private, the real reason they exist in their current form is because they want non-FBS football schools only. UConn was given an exemption for this because of their history with the BE, their massive basketball success the last few decades, and the fact that it’s clear their football program is going nowhere. Still, UConn is the only school in the conference that they EVER have to worry about losing.I wonder if the Big East is willing to expand outside of its private school profile (UConn is a special case). Public schools with larger alumni bases give you more eyeballs. With how things are shifting, they may panic into a bigger expansion than they would otherwise. With notable programs like Memphis and Temple who are getting destroyed by realignment, would the big east be interested in them if they parked their football teams somewhere, maybe independent? Unless the b12 or ACC throw them a rope, they are done. At some point they will accept that.
I don’t disagree with any of that.While the BE is primarily Catholic and private, the real reason they exist in their current form is because they want non-FBS football schools only. UConn was given an exemption for this because of their history with the BE, their massive basketball success the last few decades, and the fact that it’s clear their football program is going nowhere. Still, UConn is the only school in the conference that they EVER have to worry about losing.
I think that non-FBS football (or no football at all) with good basketball programs will be much more important to them than private/Catholic affiliations. They’ll also look at adding new TV markets, the quality of athletic facilities and how good the non-revenue athletics are as well as the cost of travel for those non-revenue sports. IMO, that makes St. Louis, Wichita St, Dayton, VCU, and maybe Richmond or Davidson the best options.
VCU’s big pluses are:
1. New TV market with a large fan base that travels well.
2. Solid basketball program with a good bit of success over the last 10-15 years.
3. Possibly the strongest overall athletic department of the choices.
4. Building an athletic village that will be P5 competitive.
5. New 17,000 seat arena being built in town that could be used for some games.
6. We really want to be there and would provide stability because we would never leave their conference.
7. VCU would have the highest endowment of any school in the Big East ($170 million more than Georgetown and about 2.5 times as much as the next school).
8. VCU would join Georgetown as the only tier 1 research universities in the conference.
I still don’t think it will ever happen though. I just don’t feel that we’ll be that lucky and I’m certain that many schools in that conference look down on us pretty strongly.
Both VCU and Dayton check all of the boxes and would both likely finish in the top half of the conference most years. Fortunately and unfortunately for us the Big East seems to value their exclusivity.
Yeah, I know UCONN has football, but their program is terrible. If you think Memphis, which is hoping for a B12 invite the next go-around, is going to join the Big East and have their football program go independent, I've got a bridge to sell you.UCONN has a football program. The school and state made investments. They accepted they were destined to be irrelevant and football fantasies were hurting basketball. They now play independent.
While I agree, it seems that ESPN has been really driving this particular round of expansion. There’s evidence that they played a big role in making the TX/OU to the SEC move happen. I believe the Big 12 is even suing over it. The feeling is that ESPN is trying to destroy the Big 12 and CUSA because they’re two of the largest conferences that they don’t have deals with right now.Ok, I have to say something because I see this crap spewed all across the interwebs and regurgitated like it’s fact and I don’t want to see that happen in this group.
Media companies don’t tell conferences who needs to be in their conference or who they want in their conference.
I work in LA for the largest media and entertainment company in the world. We don’t do that and neither does FOX. We pay for what we are offered. If conferences were to say “what if we were to add such and such” to give us more programming options, that’s a different story. We would evaluate the proposal and suggest how much more we’d be willing to pay for the additional programming. THAT’S IT. We don’t tell conferences what to do or who we want, that’s not our business. We aren’t privy to all the inter-workings of conference management otherwise we’d be asking for conference makeups unlike anyone has ever seen.
Man, don’t leave us in suspense like that!Ok, I have to say something because I see this crap spewed all across the interwebs and regurgitated like it’s fact and I don’t want to see that happen in this group.
Media companies don’t tell conferences who needs to be in their conference or who they want in their conference.
I work in LA for the largest media and entertainment company in the world. We don’t do that and neither does FOX. We pay for what we are offered. If conferences were to say “what if we were to add such and such” to give us more programming options, that’s a different story. We would evaluate the proposal and suggest how much more we’d be willing to pay for the additional programming. THAT’S IT. We don’t tell conferences what to do or who we want, that’s not our business. We aren’t privy to all the inter-workings of conference management otherwise we’d be asking for conference makeups unlike anyone has ever seen.
Not to be picky, but I think you mean intra-conference discussions. I think media companies do dictate some inter-conference matchups like exempt tournaments.Ok, I have to say something because I see this crap spewed all across the interwebs and regurgitated like it’s fact and I don’t want to see that happen in this group.
Media companies don’t tell conferences who needs to be in their conference or who they want in their conference.
I work in LA for the largest media and entertainment company in the world. We don’t do that and neither does FOX. We pay for what we are offered. If conferences were to say “what if we were to add such and such” to give us more programming options, that’s a different story. We would evaluate the proposal and suggest how much more we’d be willing to pay for the additional programming. THAT’S IT. We don’t tell conferences what to do or who we want, that’s not our business. We aren’t privy to all the inter-workings of conference management otherwise we’d be asking for conference makeups unlike anyone has ever seen.
I appreciate an inside perspective. From the outside it doesn't seem like a "How high do you want us to jump?" situation, but the impression is definitely that realignment is driven by money, which flows through media deals, which makes it seem as though media companies have at least some influence in how open conferences are to adding new members. I don't think they dictate policy, but it seems as though if your company or Fox makes it known that a more advantageous deal might be available with different conference members then that puts a different spin on whether expansion might be in the offing. Maybe I should be looking it the other way though - there's always at least two sides in any negotiation.Ok, I have to say something because I see this crap spewed all across the interwebs and regurgitated like it’s fact and I don’t want to see that happen in this group.
Media companies don’t tell conferences who needs to be in their conference or who they want in their conference.
I work in LA for the largest media and entertainment company in the world. We don’t do that and neither does FOX. We pay for what we are offered. If conferences were to say “what if we were to add such and such” to give us more programming options, that’s a different story. We would evaluate the proposal and suggest how much more we’d be willing to pay for the additional programming. THAT’S IT. We don’t tell conferences what to do or who we want, that’s not our business. We aren’t privy to all the inter-workings of conference management otherwise we’d be asking for conference makeups unlike anyone has ever seen.
ESPN, like the mighty dinosaurs, is having its last roar at the comet as it streaks across the sky, before they become extinct.While I agree, it seems that ESPN has been really driving this particular round of expansion. There’s evidence that they played a big role in making the TX/OU to the SEC move happen. I believe the Big 12 is even suing over it. The feeling is that ESPN is trying to destroy the Big 12 and CUSA because they’re two of the largest conferences that they don’t have deals with right now.
I was thinking Temple being more likely. But I think Temple to the a10 is more likely in the coming years. Temple’s only realistic opportunity would be for the big10 the invite UVA UNC etc, then get included in the ACC backfillYeah, I know UCONN has football, but their program is terrible. If you think Memphis, which is hoping for a B12 invite the next go-around, is going to join the Big East and have their football program go independent, I've got a bridge to sell you.