Big East adding a new member?

[Blakeon18]

The men's board has some possible news about adding Gonzaga to the conference.
Seems there is some smoke yet some conflicting views from supposed insiders.
Gonzaga men: very good. Gonzaga women: good.

Maybe just for hoops? Way lot of travel expenses for all sports if that is the case.
Sounds unrealistic... but there is a report that it will happen very soon.

 

[JordyG]

Can't get more east geographically or culturally than Gonzaga, right?

 

[KY Card Fan]

Can't get more east geographically or culturally than Gonzaga, right?

Well, they are in Eastern Washington.

 

[oldude]

This story popped up last year. It didn’t make a lot of sense then and it doesn’t make a lot more sense now from both a cost and travel distance standpoint.

 

[cohenzone]

Sounds ridiculous for them and the BE. A late April Fool joke.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Is this an annual rumor? As a Gonzaga fan, I hate the idea. Can't see it being for basketball only. WCC would kick GU to the curb if they took away their lucrative men's bb team, and going independent in other sports would be a death sentence. Not sure why anybody else like the Big Sky or Big West would bother to scoop up their non-basketball athletic programs either, nothing to gain.

 

[BobbyJ]

The men's board has some possible news about adding Gonzaga to the conference.
Seems there is some smoke yet some conflicting views from supposed insiders.
Gonzaga men: very good. Gonzaga women: good.

Maybe just for hoops? Way lot of travel expenses for all sports if that is the case.
Sounds unrealistic... but there is a report that it will happen very soon.

NCAA world reacts to wild Gonzaga-Big East rumors

Would the Gonzaga Bulldogs actually join the Big East Conference? It's highly doubtful but conference realignment has done weirder things.

thecomeback.com

 

[LoboDays]

I’m hearing that if Gonzaga goes to the BE, HAWAII is right behind them.

 

[Purduke]

Geno used to complain about the toll travelling to Houston and Oklahoma took -- poor Gonzaga.

The only way I could see this is if the BE expanded by 3 and broke into two 7 team "conferences". They'd have to be non-football of course, but even if you stay within the Jesuit community you have Santa Clara, Loyola-Marymount and U-San Fran as eligible parties. USF recommitted to a sports presence a couple years ago and Loyola has a nice tradition.

You could then have THE BIG US, with THE BIG EAST Conference having Providence, UConn, Villanova, Seton Hall, St Johns, Xavier and Georgetown and THE BIGGER WEST Conference with Creighton, Marquette, DePaul, Butler, USF, Loyola and Gonzaga.

East play H&H games each year and 1 against the West, so only a couple trips to mid- America and one out west -- makes the travel not too much worse for the existing teams. The Western teams have it a bit worse. Total of 19 games vs 20 now. Rotate the Championship between MSG and maybe SF or Seattle.

You could market back to back BIG US packages based on natural time zone fits on selected nights. For East teams it would open up recruiting possibilities out west because kids would know their parents would see them a ton on TV and at least once in person every year. Vice versa eastern kids wanting to go west. Opens up huge new markets for viewership.

 

[Plebe]

Can't get more east geographically or culturally than Gonzaga, right?

Well, it is in the far eastern reaches of Washington state

 

[Sifaka]

And in other conference realignment news…

Quinnipiac is rumored to have PAC-12 aspirations, while
McGill is said to be considering an offer from the Big South.

 

[LoboDays]

I can’t confirm this but a source has confided that a group of schools who do not want to be identified have decided to create a new conference called the Here and There Conference. Strict rules will be in place including one that restricts any school from being within 1000 miles away from another school.

 

[Boreifs]

This rumor has been around for years. I doubt it has any more veracity now than it did in 2019.

 

[mbr33ct]

This would be a great coup for the Big East, especially on the Women's side, if Gonzaga is added to conference. I say this for one simple reason, considering Spokane gets just about all Regionals in the west, it could be like a "quasi-home court" for any Big East team that happens to be placed out there...more reasons for naysayers to cry all over again.

 

[Stymie]

Sounds ridiculous for them and the BE. A late April Fool joke.

Like Syracuse in the ATLANTIC COAST conference.

 

[meyers7]

It is a Catholic school, so in that sense it would fit in. But damn, that's a lot of travel.

 

[uconndogs]

Well, as long as it's all about the welfare of the student athlete...............

 

[hoopsfan22]

Like Syracuse in the ATLANTIC COAST conference.

Or Midwestern schools like Notre Dame and Louisville being in the ACC.

 

[cohenzone]

I’m hearing that if Gonzaga goes to the BE, HAWAII is right behind them.

Technically everything is east if you head around the world to the East. Endless possibilities.

 

[sun]

Gonzaga Bulldogs WBB plays their home games at the McCarthy Athletic Center, a 6,000 seat state of the art facility that was built in 2004.
New video screens were added when it was renovated in 2017.

McCarthey Athletic Center, Gonzaga University

To replicate the standing-room-only feeling of the former "Kennel", McCarthey was designed with steep seating risers, making every seat feel closer to the basketball floor than with normally tiered seating.

www.alscarchitects.com

McCarthey Athletic Center - Facilities - Gonzaga University Athletics

The official facilities page for the Gonzaga University Bulldogs

gozags.com

 

[fan4eva]

Well, as long as it's all about the welfare of the student athlete...............

If it is for the welfare of the students then let's not stop there let's add Hawaii university to the conference to make all the winter travel worth it

 

[uconndogs]

If it is for the welfare of the students then let's not stop there let's add Hawaii university to the conference to make all the winter travel worth it

If the networks and the ADs thought there was money in it they would propose it.........so what if the kids have to live in a plane!

Honestly, from my perspective this stuff is just completely over the top.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Like Syracuse in the ATLANTIC COAST conference.

New York is a coastal state; Louisville and ND truly don't fit.

 

[DefenseBB]

Well, let’s indulge this thought for a moment. How might the alignment work of 2 divisions, an East and West with 6 teams each. Each division would play their teams twice (10 games) and 1 game against each team in the other (6 games). Each division would visit the other every other year. 16 league games allows for better OOC games and or Big East/Big10 type games.

That makes it significantly more palatable and logical.

Just a thought. Continue on with the fetching and complaining.

 

[SCHuskiedad]

Well Bryant (Smithfield RI) football is joining the Big South conference next semester, so that makes sense…

 

[cohenzone]

New York is a coastal state; Louisville and ND truly don't fit.

I can see Long Island from my place in CT.

 

[Stinger92860]

its basketball only and Gonzaga has agreed to play their home games in Pittsburg.

 

[Artifact]

'Gonzanga' would be a great addition. They appear to have a fantastic sports program. Yes, their is issues of distance. So it be for Columbus, Lewis & Clark, & some guy on the moon! 'We shall overcome'.