The best way to preserve our legendary basketball reputation is by doing everything we can to get it into a P5 conference. To me, there is no difference in the long term trajectory of the Big East or AAC. If anything, I would say the AAC will be better in 10 years as long as nobody leaves. The GOR would ensure nobody leaves.
It seems counter-intuitive, but the best way to ensure our hoops remains nationally relevant is by significantly increasing our investment in football. We are never going to be a national contender in football and we don't have to be. We just need to be a small bowl game caliber football program like we were in the old Big East years. Once we get there, we are the most attractive P5 expansion candidate BY FAR because we could then offer P5 conferences what they truly covet - year round competitive sports in the biggest market corridor in the country. In other words, money.