A little perspective on the Big East from a Philly Sports Writer

[HartbeatHusky]

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/pretzel/140464473.html

I think this is a very well written piece and really a good reminder of what the Big East really is at it's core. I grew up as a UConn Basketball fan and Big East fan and really had limited interest in college football until UConn was preparing to upgrade. I know there are many UConn fans with a similar fan experience and feel like it does have to be remembered that the Big East is first and foremost a basketball conference and the core of it are those small catholic schools that we like to kick around so much now that we play big boy football.

UConn Basketball is my favorite team in all of sports and The Big East has been my favorite sports league, by far, over the course of my lifetime and even if we end up in the ACC one day I find it hard to imagine that I will ever be a true fan of the ACC the way that I have been of The Big East.

I want what's best for UConn's athletic programs but I can't help but still be rooting for the Big East. To me it's never been about playing with a bunch of other large state schools, we've never had that. It hasn't even been about playing big time football, although I'm a huge fan now and couldn't imagine losing it. I have faith that UConn is going to be fine. I'm not sure about the Big East but I hope they can find a way to shock the world again.

 

[UConnDan97]

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/pretzel/140464473.html

I think this is a very well written piece and really a good reminder of what the Big East really is at it's core. I grew up as a UConn Basketball fan and Big East fan and really had limited interest in college football until UConn was preparing to upgrade. I know there are many UConn fans with a similar fan experience and feel like it does have to be remembered that the Big East is first and foremost a basketball conference and the core of it are those small catholic schools that we like to kick around so much now that we play big boy football.

UConn Basketball is my favorite team in all of sports and The Big East has been my favorite sports league, by far, over the course of my lifetime and even if we end up in the ACC one day I find it hard to imagine that I will ever be a true fan of the ACC the way that I have been of The Big East.

I want what's best for UConn's athletic programs but I can't help but still be rooting for the Big East. To me it's never been about playing with a bunch of other large state schools, we've never had that. It hasn't even been about playing big time football, although I'm a huge fan now and couldn't imagine losing it. I have faith that UConn is going to be fine. I'm not sure about the Big East but I hope they can find a way to shock the world again.

I saw this article earlier today and enjoyed it too. I know I'm biased, but I think the author is dead-on when he talks about the Big East being the dominant power in basketball, ahead of the ACC and the UCLA's of the world. Good post, HeartbeatHusky....

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Awesome post HeartbeatHusky. I feel the same way with everything you said above.

 

[freescooter]

Problem is that his vision hasn't been the Big East for decades. And UCONN hasn't been what he described for more than a decade either. And beyond that, St Johns, Seton Hall, Providence are really no longer relevent on the national scene, either. Time goes on, and things change and one of the things that changed is college basketball.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I appreciate and share the nostalgia, but it is nostalgia. I still like a Nova-Gtown or Cuse-Gtown game. St. Johns has fallen too far, and PC is already out of the picture. It's nice to see Seton Hall playing well, but apart from a few great years before PJ left, they were always the doormat anyway.

What I'm really looking forward to is a future with great rivalries and a conference I can be similarly proud of. If that's the ACC, I will be excited to continue with Cuse and Pitt and make our rivalry with Duke a more regular event. If the Big 10, I suspect Michigan St. and IU could someday fill that role. It's time to turn the page. I don't see any chance of a lasting hoops rivalry developing with anybody in the NBE. It will never feel like home.

 

[ScottVib]

Seton Hall was never intended to be in the conference initially. They only got their spot after Rutgers declined to stay tied to Penn State. (source: Crouthamel's Big East history)

 

[freescooter]

I appreciate and share the nostalgia, but it is nostalgia. I still like a Nova-Gtown or Cuse-Gtown game. St. Johns has fallen too far, and PC is already out of the picture. It's nice to see Seton Hall playing well, but apart from a few great years before PJ left, they were always the doormat anyway.

What I'm really looking forward to is a future with great rivalries and a conference I can be similarly proud of. If that's the ACC, I will be excited to continue with Cuse and Pitt and make our rivalry with Duke a more regular event. If the Big 10, I suspect Michigan St. and IU could someday fill that role. It's time to turn the page. I don't see any chance of a lasting hoops rivalry developing with anybody in the NBE. It will never feel like home.

that is exactly how I feel about it.

 

[businesslawyer]

I'm somewhere between the two camps. I don't label this year's Big East as "nostalgia." It is, over a period of time (not this year), the best basketball conference in the land and a fun, underrated big time football conference. And, it has accomplished that, especially on the hoops side, with a huge percentage of games being drivable compared to other conferences. Personally, I had no need for anything to change.

On the other hand, the moment Pitt and Syracuse announced they were leaving, what we had is dead. The efforts to get replacements left us with a relatively equivalent football product on the field, and a weakened but still powerful basketball conference (for now), but it lost prestige and it lost geographic coherence and it won't ever be the same.

So I don't like that we have to let it go and move on. I can't see loving an ACC North, as our best alternative, as much as I've loved where we are. But things change and you adjust or die.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

So I don't like that we have to let it go and move on. I can't see loving an ACC North, as our best alternative, as much as I've loved where we are. But things change and you adjust or die.

This. An ACC North would certainly bring back some geographic cohesion if it were to be UConn, Syracuse, BC, Pitt, Rutgers and Maryland or a VT, but it just won't be the same. As great as it was to be in attendance Sat for UConn Cuse, the thought that that game and rivalry may never happen again past 2012-2013 really sucks.

 

[Marty Jackson]

Problem is that his vision hasn't been the Big East for decades. And UCONN hasn't been what he described for more than a decade either. And beyond that, St Johns, Seton Hall, Providence are really no longer relevent on the national scene, either. Time goes on, and things change and one of the things that changed is college basketball.

Providence has a nice thing going with Cooley... Give him a season or two to get his feet wet. St. John's has also put together a couple solid recruiting classes. They'll be back also.

 

[HuskyHawk]

This. An ACC North would certainly bring back some geographic cohesion if it were to be UConn, Syracuse, BC, Pitt, Rutgers and Maryland or a VT, but it just won't be the same. As great as it was to be in attendance Sat for UConn Cuse, the thought that that game and rivalry may never happen again past 2012-2013 really sucks.

Really? I think an ACC North, especially with Notre Dame, would exceed even the old Big East. The ACC has a lot to offer the University and our overall athletics. Soccer would be fantastic. Baseball against the excellent ACC teams would be great. I could really see some rivalries deepening. Already I bet the Syracuse LAX team is excited. I really believe that all great conferences need to be across multiple sports. It's one reason I dislike the NBE, with several schools (including the 5 mentioned in the piece at the top) that don't play every sport.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Really? I think an ACC North, especially with Notre Dame, would exceed even the old Big East. The ACC has a lot to offer the University and our overall athletics. Soccer would be fantastic. Baseball against the excellent ACC teams would be great. I could really see some rivalries deepening. Already I bet the Syracuse LAX team is excited. I really believe that all great conferences need to be across multiple sports. It's one reason I dislike the NBE, with several schools (including the 5 mentioned in the piece at the top) that don't play every sport.

I'd rather be in a conference with Rutgers than ND. I liked playing at ND and hoops with them has been good, but Rutgers is the #1 football rival to me.

I'll miss WVU in all sports and most especially I'll miss playing Gtown, Nova and the rest of the basketball onlies.

Don't get me wrong, the ACC would be a great fit and way better than the alternative - but if I could chose the Big East 2003-now, I'm taking that in a second.

 

[uc1974]

Playing in the ACC tournament in Greensboro, Charlotte or Atlanta would be a bummer for most UConn fans but, you can't have everything you want, I guess. I know SU won't like it, BC is irrelevant and Pitt doesn't travel anyway for anything.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I'd rather be in a conference with Rutgers than ND. I liked playing at ND and hoops with them has been good, but Rutgers is the #1 football rival to me.

I'll miss WVU in all sports and most especially I'll miss playing Gtown, Nova and the rest of the basketball onlies.

Don't get me wrong, the ACC would be a great fit and way better than the alternative - but if I could chose the Big East 2003-now, I'm taking that in a second.

Well I hope we continue to schedule Georgetown, Nova etc., even if we are able to move on.

 

[SAMCRO]

Well I hope we continue to schedule Georgetown, Nova etc., even if we are able to move on.

I hope we get to play them in the B10 - BE challenge in a couple of years.

 

[Jericho]

I think geography plays a huge part in the Big East's success in basketball. Where as football seems to be biggest in states like Florida, Texas, and California, basketball has tended to be biggest in the large cities. Some of those cities, like Chicago, Detroit, and LA are located near big conference schools. But the northeast, with a sizeable urban population, had no big conference before the Big East. So cities like Boston, New York, DC, and Philly funneled directly to Big East schools. Maryland had trouble recruting Baltimore until Gary Williams arrived, so that was squarely in Big East territory too for a while. That's a lot of talent to pull from.

These days other concerns linger on how much the Big East will retain that advantage. First, the ACC has invaded the traditional Big East footprint. Second, there's less need for a recruit to stay close to home. Although it still matters some, the growth of media networks and the ease of travel make seeing your kid play a lot easier than it was 30 years ago. When the Big East began, a NYC kid would likely go to a Big East school due to these factors. If he went to say LSU, a parent might never see the games. Today? That's not really a concern, a parent can watch games online or on whatever sports network pops up. The incentive to stay local is less and the competition is greater. What this means to the Big East basketball wise remains to be seen. Maybe it changes little, but maybe the dominance slowly receeds.

 

[freescooter]

Well I hope we continue to schedule Georgetown, Nova etc., even if we are able to move on.

We would do this why? Once they are gone, they are gone and its unlikely we'll scheudle them unless it happens in some pre-season tourney or the NCAA tourney. We're not scheduling games with Georgetown and Villanova jsut as we'll unlikey to do it with Syracuse after they leave whiel we're still in the Big East. Oh it could happen occassionally, but it won't be a regular thing.

 

[coachcap]

I'd rather be in a conference with Rutgers than ND. I liked playing at ND and hoops with them has been good, but Rutgers is the #1 football rival to me.

I'll miss WVU in all sports and most especially I'll miss playing Gtown, Nova and the rest of the basketball onlies.

Don't get me wrong, the ACC would be a great fit and way better than the alternative - but if I could chose the Big East 2003-now, I'm taking that in a second.

Gotta disagree. Syracuse has been our rival ever since UConn beat the OrangeMEN in the first Big East basketball game ever played at the New Haven Colesseum. Games against Rutgers can't carry a candle against games in ANY sport against the Orange.

 

[tzznandrew]

I'm somewhere between the two camps. I don't label this year's Big East as "nostalgia." It is, over a period of time (not this year), the best basketball conference in the land and a fun, underrated big time football conference. And, it has accomplished that, especially on the hoops side, with a huge percentage of games being drivable compared to other conferences. Personally, I had no need for anything to change.

On the other hand, the moment Pitt and Syracuse announced they were leaving, what we had is dead. The efforts to get replacements left us with a relatively equivalent football product on the field, and a weakened but still powerful basketball conference (for now), but it lost prestige and it lost geographic coherence and it won't ever be the same.

So I don't like that we have to let it go and move on. I can't see loving an ACC North, as our best alternative, as much as I've loved where we are. But things change and you adjust or die.

Here's the thing: perhaps because UConn's successes made me feel comfortable with our historical position, I always wanted BE teams to win. That could be Georgetown, Syracuse, Pitt, Villanova, etc. There were rare exceptions (St. John's when they had Jarvis), but while I always wanted UConn to beat those teams, I would have loved 4 team BE Final Fours.

If the school is lucky enough to get into the ACC--and please let that happen soon--I can't ever really see myself rooting for Duke or North Carolina (unless they're playing a Calipari-led team). I have relished in the failings of BC, Miami, and VT, and I can't see that changing. I despite Maryland. NC State, GT, and Virginia are too far away. And after their move, I may be able to forgive Syracuse, but never Pitt.

And I'd really miss playing Georgetown, Villanova, and PC. Louisville and West Virginia being in other conferences is also really sad.

Sorry for this bit of rambling.

 

[huskypantz]

We would do this why? Once they are gone, they are gone and its unlikely we'll scheudle them unless it happens in some pre-season tourney or the NCAA tourney. We're not scheduling games with Georgetown and Villanova jsut as we'll unlikey to do it with Syracuse after they leave whiel we're still in the Big East. Oh it could happen occassionally, but it won't be a regular thing.

I think it's in our best interest to get Cuse on the schedule as much as possible. Our AD's should be golf buddies, Presidents should be soul mates. Reason A is because they're our biggest overall rival. Reason B is because we need friends in the ACC.

 

[baggerbob]

I'm somewhere between the two camps. I don't label this year's Big East as "nostalgia." It is, over a period of time (not this year), the best basketball conference in the land and a fun, underrated big time football conference. And, it has accomplished that, especially on the hoops side, with a huge percentage of games being drivable compared to other conferences. Personally, I had no need for anything to change.

On the other hand, the moment Pitt and Syracuse announced they were leaving, what we had is dead. The efforts to get replacements left us with a relatively equivalent football product on the field, and a weakened but still powerful basketball conference (for now), but it lost prestige and it lost geographic coherence and it won't ever be the same.

So I don't like that we have to let it go and move on. I can't see loving an ACC North, as our best alternative, as much as I've loved where we are. But things change and you adjust or die.

I think this is the best post i have seen you make very thought provoking. I'm sad as an SU fan to leave a conference we helped start especially to leave without UCONN. But at the same time the people in providence after gavitt left did not take care of the needs of all the schools, the biggest mistake was to invite Notre Dame. When they came in it was only a matter of time until Miami left. The period from 1991-2003 We had miami 2 times as national champion and Virginia tech and syracuse were in top 25 9 and 7 times. Thats part of the reason i don't want to ever be in a league with them again. Hopefully within a year the ACC will understand they need the Syracuse and UCONN rivalry to balance out the Duke and North Carolina rivalry.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

Here's the thing: perhaps because UConn's successes made me feel comfortable with our historical position, I always wanted BE teams to win. That could be Georgetown, Syracuse, Pitt, Villanova, etc. There were rare exceptions (St. John's when they had Jarvis), but while I always wanted UConn to beat those teams, I would have loved 4 team BE Final Fours.

If the school is lucky enough to get into the ACC--and please let that happen soon--I can't ever really see myself rooting for Duke or North Carolina (unless they're playing a Calipari-led team). I have relished in the failings of BC, Miami, and VT, and I can't see that changing. I despite Maryland. NC State, GT, and Virginia are too far away. And after their move, I may be able to forgive Syracuse, but never Pitt.

And I'd really miss playing Georgetown, Villanova, and PC. Louisville and West Virginia being in other conferences is also really sad.

Sorry for this bit of rambling.

I agree. I think UConn would have no choice but to go if invited to the ACC or any other conference but it would never be the same. I'd never root for any of the other schools to win any out of conference games. I'd be purely rooting for UConn's success. Unlike the Big East I really won't even have much interest in even watching the other teams play one another, at least not in basketball anyway.

 

[businesslawyer]

I agree. I think UConn would have no choice but to go if invited to the ACC or any other conference but it would never be the same. I'd never root for any of the other schools to win any out of conference games. I'd be purely rooting for UConn's success. Unlike the Big East I really won't even have much interest in even watching the other teams play one another, at least not in basketball anyway.

I fully agree. The fact that we were a start up league made it easy to root even for your rivals OOC. I can't see caring that much how my rivals do in another league.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

If invited to the ACC, we'd be with more historic Big East teams with whom we have connections and rivalries than in the current Big East. If invited, it's a 100% yes.

 

[MattMang23]

I'm somewhere between the two camps. I don't label this year's Big East as "nostalgia." It is, over a period of time (not this year), the best basketball conference in the land and a fun, underrated big time football conference. And, it has accomplished that, especially on the hoops side, with a huge percentage of games being drivable compared to other conferences. Personally, I had no need for anything to change.

On the other hand, the moment Pitt and Syracuse announced they were leaving, what we had is dead. The efforts to get replacements left us with a relatively equivalent football product on the field, and a weakened but still powerful basketball conference (for now), but it lost prestige and it lost geographic coherence and it won't ever be the same.

So I don't like that we have to let it go and move on. I can't see loving an ACC North, as our best alternative, as much as I've loved where we are. But things change and you adjust or die.

This exactly.

 

[IMind]

I fully agree. The fact that we were a start up league made it easy to root even for your rivals OOC. I can't see caring that much how my rivals do in another league.

It wasn't just the start-up factor.. it was the fact that the league was openly denigrated... West Virginia would demolish Georgia.. and six months later you'd hear the Big Least jokes. That us against the world mentality just wont work as well if you're in the ACC.

 

[ZooCougar]

It's pretty easy to get nostalgic over formerly successful but obsolete business models. But it's time to let this one go and not look back if given the opportunity.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/pretzel/140464473.html

I think this is a very well written piece and really a good reminder of what the Big East really is at it's core. I grew up as a UConn Basketball fan and Big East fan and really had limited interest in college football until UConn was preparing to upgrade. I know there are many UConn fans with a similar fan experience and feel like it does have to be remembered that the Big East is first and foremost a basketball conference and the core of it are those small catholic schools that we like to kick around so much now that we play big boy football.

That was then. That world exists no more.

UConn Basketball is my favorite team in all of sports and The Big East has been my favorite sports league, by far, over the course of my lifetime and even if we end up in the ACC one day I find it hard to imagine that I will ever be a true fan of the ACC the way that I have been of The Big East.

I want what's best for UConn's athletic programs but I can't help but still be rooting for the Big East. (The Big East is dead man walking. The only question is whether or not UConn can find a new home - ACC) To me it's never been about playing with a bunch of other large state schools, we've never had that. (UConn should have been doing just that about 80 years ago. It's not an Ivy School, It's not a military academy, and it's not a private Catholic school. It's State U.) It hasn't even been about playing big time football, although I'm a huge fan now and couldn't imagine losing it. I have faith that UConn is going to be fine. I'm not sure about the Big East but I hope they can find a way to shock the world again.

The Big East . . . when you are finished with your last gasps of oxygen. . . RIP.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

I'm somewhere between the two camps. I don't label this year's Big East as "nostalgia." It is, over a period of time (not this year), the best basketball conference in the land and a fun, underrated big time football conference. And, it has accomplished that, especially on the hoops side, with a huge percentage of games being drivable compared to other conferences. Personally, I had no need for anything to change.

On the other hand, the moment Pitt and Syracuse announced they were leaving, what we had is dead. The efforts to get replacements left us with a relatively equivalent football product on the field, and a weakened but still powerful basketball conference (for now), but it lost prestige and it lost geographic coherence and it won't ever be the same.

So I don't like that we have to let it go and move on. I can't see loving an ACC North, as our best alternative, as much as I've loved where we are. But things change and you adjust or die.

An ACC North would be like gold for UConn. They would be well advised to run, not walk to sign the papers. I don't love the change, but then again I believe the NCAA, or the courts, or television or someone should have stopped all the conference poaching. Miami should still be in the BE. VT likewise. BCU ditto. Nevermind Syracuse, Pitt & WVU. Unfortunately $$$$$'s rule and nobody gave a crap about what was best for college sports. So where does that leave UConn?

Better to be ACC North with old BE rivals plus Maryland, Virginia & VT than to be the BE Coast-to-Coast Conference with MAC like status. Time to move on. Best thing for UConn is to get into a Big Time Conference with a real future.

 

[CTHUSKY74]

It is time to move on if that opportunity presents itself. UCONN will continue to be one of the top athletic programs in the conference and likely will continue its upward spiral whatever happens in the BE. The train has left the station for the conference. It has missed it's opportunities to grow stronger than rival conferences and will remain a collection of misfit schools. There may be some good years of profits, possibly a decent TV contract and some good football and basketball played in the conference, but I don't see this as anything more than stemming the tide of the losses we have and are going to have. I feel the best thing for UCONN would be the move to an all sports conference. We would immediately be competitive in the ACC and would have comfort and familiary with the teams in an ACC North. We would be an academic fit with that league. We would have less competitive balance with the Big10 but I feel that they would be even a better fit academically and as member institutions. Although we would probably need to improve more to fit in, in the long run this would be a great place for us to end up. If we do move elsewhere it will be hard to root for the other teams in the conferences like we have in the BE but our move will strictly be about protecting and enhancing the UCONN brand (a business decision) and rooting is passion for the games and pride. They don't always mesh. I am all in for UCONN no matter what conference they wind up in.