Big East expansion exercise approaching 2025…

[alphasigko]

The men's and women's basketball teams at Gonzaga take charter flights. So no issue there. But I'm guessing the non-revenue sports don't, so as you mentioned that would be an issue.

How Gonzaga travels: Behind-the-scenes look at how the Bulldogs take to the sky

Most college basketball teams fly to games. Commercially. In the same planes we all do. But one of the perks of playing for one of the nation’s elite college basketball programs is traveling on privately chartered jets. That rarefied company includes Gonzaga.

www.spokesman.com

Good and informative article thanks for posting it. Note that it also takes at least an hour to get from Storrs to the airport. So add that on to the at least 2 flights to get to Spokane. Hence, at least a 6+ hour trip while flying commercially. The Zags would still have a 5+ hour experience to play at Gampel and a 4.5+ hr experience to play in Hartford.

 

[Get a Job]

There is no way they will ever get 10. With a likely 20 game schedule, they will probably get around 7 max.

I guess I shouldn't have brought that up, as it doesn't have to be true for my point to still be valid. Let me rephrase: I expect the Big 12 to have more teams in the tournament than the Big East most years.

 

[Hondo 77]

Now you are starting to get closer to the understanding of what is possible.

Did UConn leave the larger AAC deal (“billion dollar deal”) for the smaller Big East TV payout? Yes, because it made better financial sense overall plus it was a better path forward.

Let’s use your numbers and the 80/20 valuation split for football/basketball that was referenced earlier in this thread. It’s not a bad estimation.

Would Georgetown take a $9M payout? Yes, that’s fair, let’s say every Big East team gets $9M in the next TV deal, including Kansas.

Using your $15M for the diluted nBig 12, Fox would only have to pay Kansas $6M for its football rights to make them whole.

So if the next Big East contract is worth $10M, and each school instead takes $9M, and Fox pays Kansas $11M for football, is this possible? I think so. Is it probable? It’s hard to predict CR, but it’s possible.

I was blistered on here for advocating UConn to the Big East long before it happened. I was crazy and stupid for discussing what was impossible. I made the same points about the Big East TV contract bring greater than 20% of the American TV deal, and UConn would be better off financially taking the top Basketball conference TV deal and generating football revenue as an independent.

It’s the same model here.

Using your $15M for nBig 12 and the 20% factor, their hoops portion would have a $3M TV value, less than the Big East’s hoop value. And Kansas is the marquee in that hoops value. The Big East has better markets and a better footprint, value continuing from Dave Gavit’s original vision.

Fox would have to have the heavy hand, working with Val, to make this happen.

Kansas, already a premium brand blue blood, would now be marketed in the higher value Big East markets. It would also have more stability for its basketball-first program. And more money.

Scoot, I don’t disparage the quality of nBig12 hoops. It’s a top 4 conference in hoops over the last 10 years, right there with the Big East. But Fox and the Big East plucking Kansas is possible.

Why would Fox pay Kansas $6 million for its football rights? And who would Kansas be playing? That's just nuts.

 

[Zissou]

Why would Fox pay Kansas $6 million for its football rights? And who would Kansas be playing? That's just nuts.

To get the value on the basketball.

Kansas State, Iowa State, Missouri, Colorado, etc.

 

[shizzle787]

We can't get any teams from the P5 or MW so I would argue we should add the following three schools if we can:
1. Gonzaga
2. Wichita State
3. St. Mary's

All three of these schools traditionally tend to perform in the OOC portion of their schedules, which is exactly what we need.

I get Wichita State isn't a Catholic school but they are a solid basketball brand. I have a feeling that the major leagues will be going to a 22-game schedule in the not so distant future so it is in our best interest to go past 12 teams to maximize bids.

If we are able to get these three schools, I would argue a) we would be an 8-bid league most years and b) we could claim to be the #1 in the country a few years out of the decade.

 

[pepband99]

We can't get any teams from the P5 or MW so I would argue we should add the following three schools if we can:
1. Gonzaga
2. Wichita State
3. St. Mary's

All three of these schools traditionally tend to perform in the OOC portion of their schedules, which is exactly what we need.

I get Wichita State isn't a Catholic school but they are a solid basketball brand. I have a feeling that the major leagues will be going to a 22-game schedule in the not so distant future so it is in our best interest to go past 12 teams to maximize bids.

If we are able to get these three schools, I would argue a) we would be an 8-bid league most years and b) we could claim to be the #1 in the country a few years out of the decade.

The 2 pacific time zone teams are no's, for obvious reasons.

Wichita? Why would the BE need another Butler? Good coach leaves and it all goes to @%@%#$15!$!. As per Butler, they have a nice gym. Provides Creighton one easy trip. What else?

 

[dennismenace]

The 2 pacific time zone teams are no's, for obvious reasons.

Wichita? Why would the BE need another Butler? Good coach leaves and it all goes to @%@%#$15!$!. As per Butler, they have a nice gym. Provides Creighton one easy trip. What else?

Greater Pittsburgh TV audience. Which is why Pitt was desirable to the Big East from the beginning. Also recruiting exposure in western Pa and eastern Ohio.

 

[navery12]

We can't get any teams from the P5 or MW so I would argue we should add the following three schools if we can:
1. Gonzaga
2. Wichita State
3. St. Mary's

All three of these schools traditionally tend to perform in the OOC portion of their schedules, which is exactly what we need.

I get Wichita State isn't a Catholic school but they are a solid basketball brand. I have a feeling that the major leagues will be going to a 22-game schedule in the not so distant future so it is in our best interest to go past 12 teams to maximize bids.

If we are able to get these three schools, I would argue a) we would be an 8-bid league most years and b) we could claim to be the #1 in the country a few years out of the decade.

Gonzaga, sure, long shot but they'd help. Wichita State and St Mary's you're out of your mind. We left the American to go to a better basketball conference, not try to recreate it from scratch

 

[Vowelguy]

Greater Pittsburgh TV audience. Which is why Pitt was desirable to the Big East from the beginning. Also recruiting exposure in western Pa and eastern Ohio.

Sir, Butler is in Indianapolis.

 

[CL82]

Why are we bumping this year old thread? I open this expecting some new developments.

 

[pepband99]

Sir, Butler is in Indianapolis.

Is @dennismenace Barles Charkley?

 

[bendm]

Gonzaga, sure, long shot but they'd help. Wichita State and St Mary's you're out of your mind. We left the American to go to a better basketball conference, not try to recreate it from scratch

keep in mind shizzle said we should play harvard, yale, and princeton EVERY year....he's got some crazy ideas.

 

[nadavtheman]

I think the travel thing is a bit overrated when you already have schools like Creighton, Depaul, Xavier, Butler and Marquette in the BE. All require a plane ride. What's really the difference between getting on a plane for 3 hours to travel to a game vs. 5 hours (other than 2 hours). And there's certainly a way to do this. All the East Coast schools do a Gonzaga/Creighton back to back. The Pac12 has been scheduling like this for years.

 

[MU in MKE]

I think the travel thing is a bit overrated when you already have schools like Creighton, Depaul, Xavier, Butler and Marquette in the BE. All require a plane ride. What's really the difference between getting on a plane for 3 hours to travel to a game vs. 5 hours (other than 2 hours). And there's certainly a way to do this. All the East Coast schools do a Gonzaga/Creighton back to back. The Pac12 has been scheduling like this for years.

Wait wait... hold on. How much do you travel and is it ever to the midwest? You have to get your times and distances right first before you evaluate this.

Cincy, Indy, Chicago, Milwaukee are all 2-2.5 hr charter flights from NYC (I'm assuming Hartford is like, 10 min different at most??) Spokane is minimum 3 times the distance. While it doesn't mean the flight is 3 times longer, you have to figure it's 6+ hours.

Knowing that, do you want to ask your question again? Do you think there's a difference between riding a plane for 2-2.5 hrs vs 6-6.5 hrs? I sure think there is. Especially for people who are vertically blessed!

I have mixed feelings on the distance and generally think it could work, but still have concerns about the olympic sports. But knowing the above has a big impact on how I feel about it. if it was only 3 hours vs 5 I don't think it would be a big of a deal.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

UMass - Some basketball history, Big East could use a school in Massachusetts, UMass has a big alumni base in the northeast, school is on the rise academically, this move would easily box the ACC out of any relevance in the northeast, and hopefully put another nail in the BCU abomination of an athletic program. UMass is one of the few available programs in the footprint that could help with a TV and streaming contract.

Also, if UConn ever wants to be called up to a P5 conference, it would help if Syracuse's and BCU's athletic programs were ground into dust.

 

[87Xfer]

Greater Pittsburgh TV audience. Which is why Pitt was desirable to the Big East from the beginning. Also recruiting exposure in western Pa and eastern Ohio.

wut?

 

[Vowelguy]

The Pac12 has been scheduling like this for years.

Just a few years ago the Arizona WCBB coach said travel was brutal. And they have not only a Tucson airport but are <2 hrs from Phoenix. And most PAC schools are near major airports.

 

[bendm]

Wait wait... hold on. How much do you travel and is it ever to the midwest? You have to get your times and distances right first before you evaluate this.

Cincy, Indy, Chicago, Milwaukee are all 2-2.5 hr charter flights from NYC (I'm assuming Hartford is like, 10 min different at most??) Spokane is minimum 3 times the distance. While it doesn't mean the flight is 3 times longer, you have to figure it's 6+ hours.

Knowing that, do you want to ask your question again? Do you think there's a difference between riding a plane for 2-2.5 hrs vs 6-6.5 hrs? I sure think there is. Especially for people who are vertically blessed!

I have mixed feelings on the distance and generally think it could work, but still have concerns about the olympic sports. But knowing the above has a big impact on how I feel about it. if it was only 3 hours vs 5 I don't think it would be a big of a deal.

does every BE school charter flights? there are definitely no direct flights to spokane from most of the airports the BE schools are closest to, hartford included. if i had to guess i'd say jfk and o'hare would be the only two. having to catch a connection from the northeast to washington during the winter months is NOT fun.

 

[shizzle787]

UMass - Some basketball history, Big East could use a school in Massachusetts, UMass has a big alumni base in the northeast, school is on the rise academically, this move would easily box the ACC out of any relevance in the northeast, and hopefully put another nail in the BCU abomination of an athletic program. UMass is one of the few available programs in the footprint that could help with a TV and streaming contract.

Also, if UConn ever wants to be called up to a P5 conference, it would help if Syracuse's and BCU's athletic programs were ground into dust.

Do we want to elevate UMass to our level? If they can't compete in the A-10 why would you think they can compete in the Big East?

 

[borninansonia]

I think the travel thing is a bit overrated when you already have schools like Creighton, Depaul, Xavier, Butler and Marquette in the BE. All require a plane ride. What's really the difference between getting on a plane for 3 hours to travel to a game vs. 5 hours (other than 2 hours). And there's certainly a way to do this. All the East Coast schools do a Gonzaga/Creighton back to back. The Pac12 has been scheduling like this for years.

For those of you with children and grandchildren, it's time to reduce, not increase, the carbon footprint of the big east. A flight from Bradley to Spokane has a much larger carbon footprint than a flight to Indianapolis. Eventually reality will catch up to college sports. The Big East should only have teams within an electric bus range. Plenty of teams to play without creating more climate change problems for your offspring.

 

[bendm]

UMass - Some basketball history, Big East could use a school in Massachusetts, UMass has a big alumni base in the northeast, school is on the rise academically, this move would easily box the ACC out of any relevance in the northeast, and hopefully put another nail in the BCU abomination of an athletic program. UMass is one of the few available programs in the footprint that could help with a TV and streaming contract.

Also, if UConn ever wants to be called up to a P5 conference, it would help if Syracuse's and BCU's athletic programs were ground into dust.

UVM has had a better basketball program than umass for the past 20 years. not that it's a very high bar. should the BE add them too?

 

[CL82]

For those of you with children and grandchildren, it's time to reduce, not increase, the carbon footprint of the big east. A flight from Bradley to Spokane has a much larger carbon footprint than a flight to Indianapolis. Eventually reality will catch up to college sports. The Big East should only have teams within an electric bus range. Plenty of teams to play without creating more climate change problems for your offspring.

 

[8893]

UVM has had a better basketball program than umass for the past 20 years. not that it's a very high bar. should the BE add them too?

Absofreakinglutely. Great excuse for a Burlington road trip every year; combo with a ski trip weather permitting. Win-win.

 

[Kolumbo]

I think the travel thing is a bit overrated when you already have schools like Creighton, Depaul, Xavier, Butler and Marquette in the BE. All require a plane ride. What's really the difference between getting on a plane for 3 hours to travel to a game vs. 5 hours (other than 2 hours). And there's certainly a way to do this. All the East Coast schools do a Gonzaga/Creighton back to back. The Pac12 has been scheduling like this for years.

Hartford is closer to Omaha than Omaha is to Spokane.

I agree with UMass. UVM would be a great road trip and it's really all about fun, isn't it.

Do we want to elevate UMass to our level? If they can't compete in the A-10 why would you think they can compete in the Big East?

A. Yes, why not. 2. A similar reason UCONN stunk in the AAC and now competes in the Big East. Plus with BCU sunken further and further into irrelevance, UMass would fill the vacuum.

The Pittsburgh market is key but there is nothing there except Pitt.

I really think the conference needs to get into Virginia.
VCU
George Mason
Richmond
Liberty

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Do we want to elevate UMass to our level? If they can't compete in the A-10 why would you think they can compete in the Big East?

There are at least 240,000 living UMass alums, many of them in the northeast. There is also no Big East team in Massachusetts, the 15th largest state in the country. There is only one other major conference program in Massachusetts, and that is the BCU dumpster fire. UMass is a rising program academically, only ranked a few spots below UConn in US News. Finally, UMass has been successful at basketball in the past.

If you can find me a large school:

• with lots of alums in a Top 15 population state
• that has decent basketball history
• doesn't have strong competition in its media market and
• is within the Big East footprint,

Then add that school instead.