Big East Expansion?

[Mercury]

I generally agree, with the one exception that I'm not sure if east/west balance is that important. I've argued in the past SLU may be at the top if it is.

You're saying that VCU has some competition in the East but haven't provided any names, just that they could be in the A10 or other conferences. I think anyone would be hard pressed making a case for SBU, Richmond, or Davidson over VCU in terms of basketball pedigree and marketability.

I agree with this point. I don’t see any reason why a balance will matter. Non-revenue sports can simply be scheduled where all teams don’t have to play until conference tournament time. There are ways to work around small issues like that.

 

[BradRamFan]

Let's face it....Virginia and North Carolina are basketball states. Just look at the history of the ACC -- it's all about basketball. Sure the ACC has attempted to boost football with additions but still basketball rules throughout Virginia and NC (well, ok, some like college football). While we don't have the fanbase of UVA, Tech, UNC, Duke and NCSt, we do have a known positive reputation. People know of VCU. Add us into the BE would of course give us some street cred which would enhance our marketability in a basketball state. People will turn on and watch a P4/5/6 basketball game even if they haven't really watch that particular team before. They do that much, much less for a non-P4/5/6 program. With a 20 year winning record, multiple NCAA visits, and a final 4 appearance, just the addition of a "major conference" cred should really boost marketability in a state that loves it's basketball. If the BE is looking for marketability.......pulling in more basketball friendly fans from a basketball state would be beneficial.
Not to mention it would be good for Virginia to have 3 athletic programs playing in major conferences.

We of course have to keep winning and not falter. This year is still up in the air due to injuries.

 

[ViCtorioUs]

So far conference reallignment looks like this:
To the SEC, Texas and Oklahoma.
To the Big 12, Cincy, Houston, Central Florida and BYU.
To the American Association, North Texas, FAU, UTSA, Rice and UAB.
To the Sun Belt, Sourhern Miss, Marshall, JMU and old cornholio.

As you can see that geographical leviathan of a league ConferenceUSA is gutted and the possibility of extinction is real. Just think old cornholio will no longer need to send its cross country team thousands of miles to a conference dual. Nor will it have to play its mens basketball conference tourney in a football practice facility.

 

[BaNgMyPrOgRaM]

We have to win the Atlantic 10 this year, pure and simple. Stay the flagship! Then the dominoes will drop behind us but that is our goal every year is to stay relevant and in the conversation. Beat Trojans but not to badly cuz I like State!!

 

[Ramlove81]

We have to win the Atlantic 10 this year, pure and simple. Stay the flagship! Then the dominoes will drop behind us but that is our goal every year is to stay relevant and in the conversation. Beat Trojans but not to badly cuz I like State!!

I don't think we have to win the A10, with our injuries we get a little wiggle room. If we are competing evenly with the top of the conference considering our injuries, that says something for our program's depth and resiliency. I hope we can still finish top 4 and get the byes. I think we have a realistic chance to do that. If some young guys come through big and the chemistry comes together, who knows how good this team can be. The talent is still there to make a lot of noise.

 

[VCU Heel]

Our success in one season or even over the course of several years is likely very low on the list of things that would be important to the Big East.

 

[Ramaholic]

Our success in one season or even over the course of several years is likely very low on the list of things that would be important to the Big East.

I lived in the Syracuse area till I came to VCU in 1986. I followed Big East basketball since its inception. The one and only rule the Big East has ever had in selecting teams during expansion is that there are no rules.
Ask South Florida, ND basketball only, Louisville, Cinn, Rugters, WVU how finicky the Big East is when they get expansion fever.

 

[Violet Ram]

Our success in one season or even over the course of several years is likely very low on the list of things that would be important to the Big East.

I think a national championship would raise some eyebrows, but ya.

 

[VCU Heel]

I lived in the Syracuse area till I came to VCU in 1986. I followed Big East basketball since its inception. The one and only rule the Big East has ever had in selecting teams during expansion is that there are no rules.
Ask South Florida, ND basketball only, Louisville, Cinn, Rugters, WVU how finicky the Big East is when they get expansion fever.

The Big East has changed a lot since the 1990’s and early 2000’s. They learned some pretty tough lessons when they were getting raided by the ACC in 2004 and 2005 and the instability that being associated with FBS football programs had on the rest of the conference. Any expansion they do going forward isn’t going to be finicky or lacking of rules like it might have been in the past. They’re going to have a much more focused plan. They’re also in a fairly strong position where the current realignment craziness doesn’t effect them all. Their only concerns will be stability and what will strengthen them in their future TV deal negotiations.

 

[VCU Heel]

I think a national championship would raise some eyebrows, but ya.

A national championship probably would help, though that’s not necessarily a realistic path for us to get there. They took Butler shortly after they made it to 2 straight national championship games and that hasn’t turned out to be the strong addition that they might have hoped.

 

[Ramaholic]

The Big East has changed a lot since the 1990’s and early 2000’s. They learned some pretty tough lessons when they were getting raided by the ACC in 2004 and 2005 and the instability that being associated with FBS football programs had on the rest of the conference. Any expansion they do going forward isn’t going to be finicky or lacking of rules like it might have been in the past. They’re going to have a much more focused plan. They’re also in a fairly strong position where the current realignment craziness doesn’t effect them all. Their only concerns will be stability and what will strengthen them in their future TV deal negotiations.

I think that is the Big East's gameplan now as they just came out of recent reboot a few years ago. The Big East is currently spoiled by choice. Many good programs competing for a few spots. It's a great place to be. But it wont last. It never does.
Watch what happens when 1 or 2 marquis names leave (not now, but eventually) or if we get a third wave of sexual abuse allegations/ cover up by the catholic church and a huge lawsuit cripples one or more of the schools (or the entire catholic church in the US). Right now the Big East is sitting pretty. But that could change by any number of factors beyond there control. Responsible, rational and stable decision making left collegiate athletics (and there conferences) decades ago.

 

[VCU Heel]

I think that is the Big East's gameplan now as they just came out of recent reboot a few years ago. The Big East is currently spoiled by choice. Many good programs competing for a few spots. It's a great place to be. But it wont last. It never does.
Watch what happens when 1 or 2 marquis names leave (not now, but eventually) or if we get a third wave of sexual abuse allegations/ cover up by the catholic church and a huge lawsuit cripples one or more of the schools (or the entire catholic church in the US). Right now the Big East is sitting pretty. But that could change by any number of factors beyond there control. Responsible, rational and stable decision making left collegiate athletics (and there conferences) decades ago.

Who would they be in any danger of losing outside of maybe UConn? There’s no home for any of the remaining 10 teams. Even UConn doesn’t have a good option for a move. The ACC and Big Ten aren’t going yo have them.

 

[Ramaholic]

Who would they be in any danger of losing outside of maybe UConn?

I have no idea. But i watched it before. BC leaving years ago was bizarre as were other moves within the conference. Yes, you are correct that times are different. We do not stand a chance as of today based on your accurate reasoning. But I do not think the Big East is as committed to a geographical, religious or academic pedigree template as they would like us to believe. I think this whole "catholic/ basketball" emphasis thing came up when all the dust settled during the big conference reallignments, that is what the Big East was left with. So they (Big East) framed the narrative as that is what they stand for (Catholic/ basketball/ elite academics) and wanted all along. A few years earlier, the same administrators had no problem admitting anyone or playing football if there was the slightest reason to do so.

 

[VCU Heel]

I don’t think BC leaving them was a big surprise. They have FBS/P5 football aspirations and the ACC was clearly a better longterm solution for that than the Big East, especially with Miami and Virginia Tech having made the move the year before and rumors at the time that UConn could be next.

I have said multiple times on this thread that the private/Catholic thing is probably not as important as people make it out to be. The big questions will be whether they feel the need to expand before they sign their next TV deal in 2025 and how many schools they decide to add if they go that route. Their “P6” status in basketball combined with 10 of the 11 schools having no FBS football puts them in a unique place among conferences. I’m not convinced that they need to add anymore teams at the moment.