BE Commissioner: Expansion Possible Before 2024

[HuskyHawk]

Have you looked at the college landscape?

Yes, and Gonzaga is barely a part of it.

 

[freescooter]

Depends on how you define success. They’ve been to the sweet 16 once since Stevens left. That’s nearly 10 years

That makes them more successful than most NEWBIE members!

 

[freescooter]

Fair - I was looking at hometowns and omitted the basketball academies.



I only said they weren't going to all of a sudden start recruiting the Northeast and why would anyone from the northeast want to go there.

Look, Gonzaga has one of the best college basketball coaches ever and has made them one of the countries best and most consistent programs. I think it's inextricably linked to him and wouldn't make a long term decision based on performance that not only isn't sustainable but is almost certain to fall off dramatically. That doesn't mean they will suck, it's just we'd be buying them for past performance.

What do you mean it is a cause for concern if Few leaves? There was this northeastern school They had one of the best coaches in the country and didn’t miss a beat when he left. Well for 2 years. Then they fell off a cliff.

 

[NJHusky]

That's definitely not success for UConn, so wouldn't be happy with that for this team. But for a team that's somewhere around the 8th or 9th best BE team that's still really successful and was absolutely worth adding

Whether they are in the league or not doesn’t impact things one way or the others. Adding them wouldn’t be a big win and loosing them wouldn’t be a big loss. Epitome of irrelevant

 

[freescooter]

It's amazing the PAC12 didn't bother to add Gonzaga while on solid footing. Outside of a great tournament performance in 2021, the conference has continually gotten worse in basketball. Easily the worst of the major 6 conferences in hoops.

Gonzaga would have completely shifted that perception. Now they probably wouldn't join a conference that is being picked apart like a carcass.

How did Gonzaga’s football team do last year? There is your answer as to why the PAC ignored them. Here is the reality that you guys don’t get. For P5 leagues if you don’t have football you don’t matter. Why? The NEWBIE supposedly has the best paying basketball only contract. Even in the worst scenarios, a post Texas/Oklahoma B-12 earns 4-5 times what the NEWBIE does.

 

[superjohn]

Yes, and Gonzaga is barely a part of it.

You clearly follow college sports, you should know geography doesn't matter. The Big East is a basketball conference, they can't add Ohio State or Bama to the conference. It looks like they can add another great basketball school though, one that resonates with people all across the country and is a big part of the college basketball landscape.

 

[HuskyHawk]

You clearly follow college sports, you should know geography doesn't matter. The Big East is a basketball conference, they can't add Ohio State or Bama to the conference. It looks like they can add another great basketball school though, one that resonates with people all across the country and is a big part of the college basketball landscape.

Geography doesn’t matter to TV Deals. Agree with that. Also doesn’t matter where you bring in so much money you can’t let it stand in the way. But I think it matters for a tiny school in Spokane, who’s fans won’t even be able to watch 2/3 of their road games. Maybe it happens. It’s not a good decision if it does. I don’t think Fox is going to pay up for Gonzaga in any way that increases the payout to the rest of the league. Best chance is maybe it’s not dilutive.

 

[uconnyankee]

Why is Gonzaga a nightmare? I think you can work it in sports, leagues are national. UCLA is in the Big Ten and plays Penn State. Geography is no longer an issue anymore, it is are the institutions of like minds? A West Coast Catholic school is perfect.

When you get $60M+ from a TV deal it tends to solve some logistics issues smaller conferences have to figure out

 

[uconnyankee]

Convince Kansas that being part of BB conference and independent FB is the new trend. Look at us!

 

[Storrs South]

Geography doesn’t matter to TV Deals. Agree with that. Also doesn’t matter where you bring in so much money you can’t let it stand in the way. But I think it matters for a tiny school in Spokane, who’s fans won’t even be able to watch 2/3 of their road games. Maybe it happens. It’s not a good decision if it does. I don’t think Fox is going to pay up for Gonzaga in any way that increases the payout to the rest of the league. Best chance is maybe it’s not dilutive.

Given the amount of smoke around it, FOX probably back channeled to Big East to do it to get $X in new deal or even be considered for new deal with FOX and feels like an inevitability.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Given the amount of smoke around it, FOX probably back channeled to Big East to do it to get $X in new deal or even be considered for new deal with FOX and feels like an inevitability.

There is no smoke. It’s imaginary. Fox doesn’t give two craps for Gonzaga. They have no alumni. No fans.

 

[shizzle787]

Gonzaga to the Big East is a home run. There are two fears with the move: 1) geography and 2) fall-out of Few retiring. I have already alluded to why the geography thing is overblown in a previous post. Geography is an issue, but if FOX is giving 7-8 million/year to every team in the Big East, everybody is going to be happy.

With regards to Few retiring, 1) Gonzaga would be in the Big East so they should be able to find a coach that should at least keep them in the "regularly qualify for the tournament" camp and 2) they are a national brand in a power league- they'll be fine.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Not sure about that. Not at all.

I forget the exact details, but pretty sure it was winter of 2006? And I was up at like 3am or something like that while serving in Iraq to watch UConn play the Zags. Don’t think I would have done the same to play DePaul.

And DePaul was a better bball school when ?

The 80’s????

Ray Meyer (1953–84) had 724 wins
354 losses .673
Won a NIT ( real NC) with the legendary George Mikan one of the most influential BB players in history.

 

[freescooter]

Gonzaga to the Big East is a home run. There are two fears with the move: 1) geography and 2) fall-out of Few retiring. I have already alluded to why the geography thing is overblown in a previous post. Geography is an issue, but if FOX is giving 7-8 million/year to every team in the Big East, everybody is going to be happy.

With regards to Few retiring, 1) Gonzaga would be in the Big East so they should be able to find a coach that should at least keep them in the "regularly qualify for the tournament" camp and 2) they are a national brand in a power league- they'll be fine.

1. There is a story about a famous writer. At a dinner he asked a woman if she would sleep with him for $1000. She agreed. Then he asked if she would do it for $10. She got huffy and asked what do you think I am? He responded”I think we’ve established that. Now we‘re just dickering about price.”

2. Yeah, because it worked so well for Butler, DePaul, St Johns…

 

[auror]

2. Yeah, because it worked so well for Butler, DePaul, St Johns…

It did work for Butler. Chris Holtmann was awesome and Thad Matta is a hell of a coach that they just hired and should keep them in the "regularly qualifying for the tournament" camp.

 

[CL82]

No I don't get the apprehension about adding one of the best teams in the country and I couldn't care less about travel. UConn and the other Big East teams would travel out there once per season. The only ones who should look at the travel is Gonzaga and the costs of that would be more than taken care of with the money bump.

Are you assuming that Gonzaga would only join as a basketball only?

 

[superjohn]

Are you assuming that Gonzaga would only join as a basketball only?

No

 

[metsfan2323]

I hate to break it to you people but Frank Martin is doing an excellent job recruiting at his new gig. Keep ignoring the obvious candidate.

 

[TRest]

I hate to break it to you people but Frank Martin is doing an excellent job recruiting at his new gig. Keep ignoring the obvious candidate.

Make the tourney for a decade straight to enter the discussion.

 

[metsfan2323]

Make the tourney for a decade straight to enter the discussion.

The TV networks focus on potential size of fanbase and capturing new markets.

 

[CL82]

No

Then we would be talking about going to Gonzaga more than “just once a year.”

 

[superjohn]

Then we would be talking about going to Gonzaga more than “just once a year.”

Read the post I was responding to.

 

[CL82]

Read the post I was responding to.

I did.

When we do a cost/benefit analysis of an addition, you have to think about all the costs. Part of the drag of the American was sending our Olympic/non-revenue sports across the country. Herbst estimated that our move to the Big East would save us about 2 million a year in travel costs. Regional conferences are better for the fans and more cost-effective. Now, if the B1G wants to invite us, I’m all in because the media and network money overshadows the cost. I don’t see the addition of Gonzaga adding sufficient money to make it cost-effective.

 

[superjohn]

I did.

When we do a cost/benefit analysis of an addition, you have to think about all the costs. Part of the drag of the American was sending our Olympic/non-revenue sports across the country. Herbst estimated that our move to the Big East would save us about 2 million a year in travel costs. Regional conferences are better for the fans and more cost-effective. Now, if the B1G wants to invite us, I’m all in because the media and network money overshadows the cost. I don’t see the addition of Gonzaga adding sufficient money to make it cost-effective.

Obviously the Zags won't join if they're going to lose money joining and obviously the Big East isn't going to invite them if they're going to lose money with them joining. My belief is the conference and the Zags would both be making a lot of money by joining. I was responding to a post about the basketball team.

Oh cool, you think UConn should join the Big 10 if they invite them.

 

[willie99]

Good points. But what happens when Few retires? I don’t recall anyone talking about them 15 years ago. Remember when DePaul was a better bball school than Gonzaga?

We beat them in the Elite Eight in 1999. Believe Munson was their coach before he left for Minnesota. He set the table

So they've been on the national stage for at least 23 years

I think they'll try to remain in the national eye with a Few's replacement. It is a legitimate question