DePaul and the Big East

[ConnHuskBask]

Some may recall that years ago Temple was kicked out of the Big East as an affiliate football member due to not meeting requirements/support the league has set.

I don't think it's such a crazy question to evaluate DePaul - even as a full member - under a similar lense.

This is Depaul's 19th season in the Big East and their membership has been nothing short of an abomination.

18 completed seasons have yielded:

-1 NIT bid
-1 season with a winning conference record
-7 last place finishes
-Have 3 conference wins or less in 11 of 17 seasons
-Total win loss of 66 and 255 (21%)
-0 fan support or buzz

This program will have the same media distribution from the Big East as UConn?

I've been against expansion because I enjoy the round robin.. but it's about time we boot these losers and get Gonzaga, Dayton, or St. Louis...anyone with a pulse.

 

[FlippinCrazy!]

If there was another team out there that made sense, maybe. But St Louis and Dayton would be marginal upgrades at best, certainly not worth kicking someone out for. And Gonzaga would be an even worse geographical fit without DePaul. Regardless it’d never happen, and I don’t think any of the big east school would want to open up that door of possibly being kicked out in the future for underperforming

 

[Lynyrd]

Rather see VCU, at least their fan base would make things interesting

 

[lonsharkin51]

I still think DePaul is a bit of a sleeping giant. The program has some history (albeit a long time ago), and one would think that they could position themselves as Chicago's team and be able to recruit well. It's strange to me that it never seems to happen. They need to suck it up, dump Stubblefield and overpay for a good coach.

 

[Tyler2Rings]

I still think DePaul is a bit of a sleeping giant. The program has some history (albeit a long time ago), and one would think that they could position themselves as Chicago's team and be able to recruit well. It's strange to me that it never seems to happen. They need to suck it up, dump Stubblefield and overpay for a good coach.

They need the right guy. UConn found theirs in 1986. If Calhoun can do what he did here, certainly someone out there can win 20 games at DePaul

 

[PChoops]

Lavall Jordan

 

[Tyler2Rings]

From my perspective, "success" for DePaul would be winning 8 conference games and not sihtting the bed vs Horizon and MAC schools

 

[businesslawyer]

Some may recall that years ago Temple was kicked out of the Big East as an affiliate football member due to not meeting requirements/support the league has set.

As you note, Temple was never a member of the Big East. It had a contract that allowed it to play football in the conference. Just like, when we were in the American, we had Field Hockey still playing in the Big East. Temple's rights were exactly as defined in the contract, and like any affiliate member was subject to termination at any time by following the rules set forth in the contract.

DePaul is a full member of the Big East, just like we are. I don't know if, one day, underperformers are kicked out of major conferences to make the remaining schools richer, but if that trend arises it won't be a basketball only conference that starts it.

 

[NYC_HUSKY22]

It would be nice if Depaul could get it together. A strong inner-city Chicago school would be good for the Big East.

But I can't envision a world in which Depaul gets it together..

 

[Storrs South]

It's the largest catholic university in the country in a major US city. For a league largely based around catholic schools in major US cities, it would run antithetical to the conference identity. Yes DePaul needs to be significantly better but they aren't getting the boot. Should they from purely a competitive point? Probably, but it isn't happening.

 

[freescooter]

I still think DePaul is a bit of a sleeping giant. The program has some history (albeit a long time ago), and one would think that they could position themselves as Chicago's team and be able to recruit well. It's strange to me that it never seems to happen. They need to suck it up, dump Stubblefield and overpay for a good coach.

If you’ve been sleeping for 20 years one might check to see that you’re not actually dead.

 

[McLovin]

There is just way too much potential there, big Catholic U in one of the biggest US cities to not think they can turn it around at some point. Especially now with NIL. They just need the right guy…

 

[auror]

Depaul is a bit of a Rip Van Winkle giant.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

As you note, Temple was never a member of the Big East. It had a contract that allowed it to play football in the conference. Just like, when we were in the American, we had Field Hockey still playing in the Big East. Temple's rights were exactly as defined in the contract, and like any affiliate member was subject to termination at any time by following the rules set forth in the contract.

DePaul is a full member of the Big East, just like we are. I don't know if, one day, underperformers are kicked out of major conferences to make the remaining schools richer, but if that trend arises it won't be a basketball only conference that starts it.

The money likely isn't significant enough for a basketball league to pull this lever as you note. Kicking DePaul out (in theory) would distribute what an additional $1M annually to the member schools taking into account media rights and tourney credits? Not worth the PR damage let alone the ethics of the decision.

I think we'll see the day that teams are booted from the major football leagues and/or given an ultimatum take stay in the league at vasty reduced media rights or leave with a buyout.

Every move in the last two decades with respect to conference realignment has been about money and greed. I can't imagine a world where Ohio State continues to split money evenly with Rutgers or Northwestern. Thus far only new members have gotten squeezed... eventually all but the big boys will.

 

[uconngb]

That team last night was as bad as anyone we've played this year. They serve no purpose in the Big East other than being a perennial punching bag. Whoever said Dayton would only be a slight upgrade is kidding themselves. They need to go.

 

[Waquoit]

Imagine what other teams were saying about UConn in 1985.

 

[Palatine]

Dave Leitao had them gaining steam when he jumped to Virginia. He went to three straight post seasons tournaments NIT and NCAA and he was 20 games over .500 in that span. He soon tanked at Virginia and DePaul regressed. I think that was a real opportunity for both. Alas.

 

[freescooter]

In all seriousness I have long advocated getting DePaul out of the league. I’m not saying kick them out but let’s call it a negotiated withdrawal. They would leave and get a reduced share of league revenues over, say 5 years. I think there is a big difference between DePaul and UConn in the 80s. Some of it is coaching, I suppose but I think there are some obstacles which would even challenge a Jim Calhoun. There was a reason that he always said look for a job at the “University of”. Those are the places that have the resources. Over the past 20-25 years, that has become more and more true. The days of inner city schools dominating the college basketball landscape are over. The Marquettes of the world are the exceptions, not the rule today. One big thing that has happened is that the major conferences, those Universities of Someplace, have begun to actually compete.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Depaul is in Chicago, was successful in the past, and none of the other options are close. Depaul is not going anywhere.

If any school is going to get kicked out of its league, it is Rutgers. Rutgers Athletics is like a burning bag of dogspit that the Big 10 stepped on, and is now attached to its foot, but is still burning dogspit. The entire reason for adding Rutgers, cable boxes in New Jersey and New York, is going to be relevant for about another 2 to 3 years, and then there is no reason for Rutgers to be in the Big 10. Rutgers is taking in a ton of revenue but it still sucks, and it is not like any of the other schools in the Big 10 care about Rutgers.

 

[John]

Depaul is in Chicago, was successful in the past, and none of the other options are close. Depaul is not going anywhere.

If any school is going to get kicked out of its league, it is Rutgers. Rutgers Athletics is like a burning bag of dogspit that the Big 10 stepped on, and is now attached to its foot, but is still burning dogspit. The entire reason for adding Rutgers, cable boxes in New Jersey and New York, is going to be relevant for about another 2 to 3 years, and then there is no reason for Rutgers to be in the Big 10. Rutgers is taking in a ton of revenue but it still sucks, and it is not like any of the other schools in the Big 10 care about Rutgers.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Imagine what other teams were saying about UConn in 1985.

How many years had UConn been in the Big East at that point? 19?

Depaul is in Chicago, was successful in the past, and none of the other options are close. Depaul is not going anywhere.

If any school is going to get kicked out of its league, it is Rutgers. Rutgers Athletics is like a burning bag of dogspit that the Big 10 stepped on, and is now attached to its foot, but is still burning dogspit. The entire reason for adding Rutgers, cable boxes in New Jersey and New York, is going to be relevant for about another 2 to 3 years, and then there is no reason for Rutgers to be in the Big 10. Rutgers is taking in a ton of revenue but it still sucks, and it is not like any of the other schools in the Big 10 care about Rutgers.

Rutgers just beat Miami in a bowl game and has been in NCAA tournament the last few years under Pike, find a new slant.

 

[freescooter]

Imagine what other teams were saying about UConn in 1985.

I actually think that’s a little unfair. UConn had been to the NCAA tournament in 1979, and had teams in the early 1980s that were likely NCAA teams had the tournament operated under the current system. They finished 3 and 4 in the league 20-9 but the Tournament only took 40 teams. Both went to the NIT that was better than it is today. Admittedly after that the bottom fell out but they were not even vaguely as futile as DePaul.

 

[Dutch Boyd]

I still think DePaul is a bit of a sleeping giant. The program has some history (albeit a long time ago), and one would think that they could position themselves as Chicago's team and be able to recruit well. It's strange to me that it never seems to happen. They need to suck it up, dump Stubblefield and overpay for a good coach.

I’d laugh at this comment but I lost that privilege awhile ago. lol

 

[cohenzone]

They need the right guy. UConn found theirs in 1986. If Calhoun can do what he did here, certainly someone out there can win 20 games at DePaul

I agree. UConn’s first several years in the BE were horrible. Plenty of people wanted to dump
UConn including a load of UConn fans. Obviously it’s a bit different because DePaul was already established as a decent program when it joined the BE, but has certainly not had any extended period of relevance. DePaul is the least of league affiliation issues for UConn. But the right coach should be able to work out for DePaul.

 

[superjohn]

Their long time athletic director was a disaster and it was crazy they kept her around so long. They were playing their games in Rosemont all those years when they could've been playing all their games at the United Center...

They should've built their arena in Lincoln Park where the school is but Wintrust is a nice college basketball arena. There's no reason they should still be so bad other than it's a culture of losing and they seem hellbent on hiring boring bad head coaches. They have the resources and it's a basketball town. They're building a new basketball practice facility on campus but they need to knock down buildings and it's not scheduled to be completed until 2026. It's time to fire Stubblefield and to make a competent hire.