BE Commissioner: Expansion Possible Before 2024

[HuskyHawk]

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.

This is a fair take. I don't think Fox will pay up even an additional 1/12 share of the current deal for Gonzaga. It's true that ESPN has the WCC, but late night games get lousy ratings in the east. Doesn't matter who is playing. It's not really an issue for football, because the B1G will just play UCLA and USC games Saturday at 3:00 or 4:00 eastern most of the time, and primetime otherwise. But weeknight basketball? Nobody watches the late games.

That's all aside from whether Gonzaga stays relevant post Few. Maybe they will. Hard to be sure. If you want to look at a school that would be helped and could step up if added, Dayton is probably a better option. They are 19th in attendance.

 

[Storrs South]

Says Big East has talked to Gonzaga but unclear how far discussions have progressed

 

[Storrs South]

 

[shizzle787]

If Gonzaga goes to the Big 12, that would be awkward for the Big East. Need to close the deal Ackerman.

 

[shizzle787]

Now that the Big 12 is sniffing Gonzaga, I would not be surprised to see the Pac-12 also sniff.

 

[Storrs South]

Now that the Big 12 is sniffing Gonzaga, I would not be surprised to see the Pac-12 also sniff.

Article says PAC-12 has already been talking to them (in addition to Big East)

 

[bendm]

damn if big12 and pac are talking with the zags, and are legit interested, then the BE has no shot at landing them. missed our chance.

 

[Fishy]

There’s no deal to close for the Big East.

Does not make sense for either side. It’s a basketball league with basketball league revenue; it won’t even cover the increased travel costs.

 

[freescooter]

We should be camping outside the Big12 commissioner’s door, offering to make breakfast and clean his house if that is what it takes to get us into that league and out of what will soon be a high mid-major. We bring a basketball program with a pedigree if not a current result and football that Is on the upswing plus baseball that is high quality. Get it done Dave.

 

[shizzle787]

If Gonzaga is off the board, we need to stay at 11.

 

[kobe]

Zags to the Big 12 (power conference)?

 

[shizzle787]

There are two reasons IMO this news is coming out:
1. Gonzaga is close to an agreement with the Big 12
2. It's a false flag to get the their preferred destinations (Pac-12 or Big East) to make their move.

 

[superjohn]

There’s no deal to close for the Big East.

Does not make sense for either side. It’s a basketball league with basketball league revenue; it won’t even cover the increased travel costs.

And where does UConn fit into this?

 

[uconnsouth]

Why wouldn’t UConn be considered for the big 12?

 

[Peacefrog]

Help me out here, have priorities changed vis-a-vis conference realignment? Why would Gonzaga be attractive to the Big 12? They have a very good men's basketball program (which may or may not be completely reliant on the current coach) but an otherwise small athletic department. Heck, they don't even have a football team. It's not a great school academically, is in a small media market and is geographically inconvenient. What would the attraction be?

 

[shizzle787]

Help me out here, have priorities changed vis-a-vis conference realignment? Why would Gonzaga be attractive to the Big 12? They have a very good men's basketball program (which may or may not be completely reliant on the current coach) but an otherwise small athletic department. Heck, they don't even have a football team. It's not a great school academically, is in a small media market and is geographically inconvenient. What would the attraction be?

Elite basketball program. I still think this a false flag (more than likely) to get the Pac-12 to add them, but either way, Gonzaga wins.

 

[dennismenace]

Elite basketball program. I still think this a false flag (more than likely) to get the Pac-12 to add them, but either way, Gonzaga wins.

elite program or elite coach?

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Help me out here, have priorities changed vis-a-vis conference realignment? Why would Gonzaga be attractive to the Big 12? They have a very good men's basketball program (which may or may not be completely reliant on the current coach) but an otherwise small athletic department. Heck, they don't even have a football team. It's not a great school academically, is in a small media market and is geographically inconvenient. What would the attraction be?

I think adding Gonzaga would weaken the Big 12 a lot, they don’t have an FBS football team, and as we all know football drives bus. I’ll be surprised if all Big 12 members vote to extend an invitation. It would be the old Big East all over again ripe for the cherry picking.

 

[upstater]

There’s no deal to close for the Big East.

Does not make sense for either side. It’s a basketball league with basketball league revenue; it won’t even cover the increased travel costs.

I get that but... I still don't know what's in this for the B12.

All-sports?

Huh.

This seems like an AAC type mistake (Wichita) in the making. [Not saying Gonzaga is Wichita, just that this is a bigger scale, and it's the same type of thinking/category].

I would make a joke that the B12 isn't know for its brilliant thinking, but they seem to have lucked into a huge deal despite their idiocy.

If all this goes down, then you can easily see the undervaluing of UConn on the national landscape. I mean, Gonzaga, Cincy, UCF, Houston.... uh, UConn will be worth a small fraction of all these schools.