Daily Campus article - why UConn should go to MAC

[GoConn]

Stop talking Big 12, that ship has sailed.

 

[B12]

Report: Big 12 presidents expected to meet this week, could vote to add Gonzaga​

by:Barkley Truax•about 19 hours•
BarkleyTruax
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Big 12 presidents are expected to meet this week to discuss further expansion — and Gonzaga‘s name is once again expected to be thrown into the hat, per Front Office Sports.
It was over a year ago that Gonzaga, a college basketball powerhouse with no football program, met with Big 12 brass to discuss a potential invitation to the conference. While those talks ultimately went cold for a while, the Houston Chronicle has reported that the conference’s group of presidents could vote to add Gonzaga. Some reports note that there has been some “positive momentum,” surrounding the move on both sides but isn’t a “slam dunk.”
Even Big 12 commissioner Brett Yorkmark has expressed “overwhelming support” for the Bulldogs’ potential to join the conference — but it isn’t up to just him.
75 percent of the presidents, or nine of the 12 (excluding Texas and Oklahoma) will need to approve the vote for it to pass. Or, if you factor in the incoming schools from the Pac-12, 12 of 16 presidents would need to approve if they were not to add the Bulldogs this week.
It’s not farfetched to see Gonzaga join the conference. After all, the Big 12 has already accepted Houston, another noted powerhouse under Kelvin Sampson. Other teams in outside conferences such as UConn — the reigning NCAA Champions — are another option to explore. Adding a 17th and 18th team, at least to their basketball ranks, has the potential to make the Big 12 one of the most must-see conferences in college hoops while the SEC and Big Ten are focused on the gridiron.

Mark Few, who has been Gonzaga’s head coach since 1999, has been one of the most dominating head coaches in college basketball history. His teams have won at least 30 games in seven of the last nine years — and in the other two, they came up just short with 29. The 2010-2011 campaign was the last time the Bulldogs lost at least 10 games in a single season as well.
Still, the Bulldogs have never been able to claim a national championship under their longtime head coach — or ever for that matter. They’re 2-0 all-time in Final Four games but have fallen just short in both subsequent national championship games in 2017 and 2021, respectively.
Whether a change of conference scenery would aid Gonzaga in their quest to claim their first NCAA Championship remains to be seen, but a bump in weekly competition coupled with the legitimacy of playing in what will be one of the strongest conferences in the country should be enough to get any Bulldog fan excited for what the future may hold.

Marcus Adams Jr., former Kansas transfer, no longer attending Gonzaga​

y:Joe Tipton•08/27/23•
TiptonEdits
Read In App
Marcus Adams Jr. / Gonzaga MBB
Freshman small forward Marcus Adams Jr. will no longer be attending Gonzaga, he told On3. Adams will remain in the transfer portal and will not have to re-enter because he did not officially enroll at the school.
The former four-star recruit initially signed with and enrolled at Kansas. He was participating in workouts with the Jayhawks and was attending summer classes. The 6-foot-8 California native spent roughly a month in Lawrence before deciding to enter the transfer portal in mid-July. However, the transfer portal window closed in May. The 60-day window allows first-time transfers to be immediately eligible. Since Adams entered the portal after the deadline had passed, he might need a waiver from the NCAA in order to be eligible this season.
Less than a week after entering the portal, Adams publicized his commitment to Gonzaga. On July 31st, the school announced Adams had officially signed with the Zags.

Four weeks later, the highly-touted recruit is now once again looking for a new place to call home and has officially reopened his recruitment.

According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Marcus Adams Jr. is the No. 66 overall prospect in the 2023 cycle. He’s also the No. 14 small forward prospect and the No. 11 player in the state of California. The On3 Industry Ranking is a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

 

[B12]

Also the Big East spends as much or more on basketball than every P5 conference.

You either pay us $20M a year and take football or go pound sand because anything less is a waste of our time.

2023 College Basketball Budget​

• 
  
  
  

Latest Budget Numbers
1	University of Kentucky	SEC	$17,646,655
2	The University of Texas at Austin	Big 12	$17,483,966
3	Duke University	ACC	$14,492,257
4	University of Kansas	Big 12	$14,079,953
5	University of Arizona	Pac 12	$13,261,874
6	University of Louisville	ACC	$12,321,810
7	Villanova University	Big East	$12,019,905
8	Wichita State University	American	$11,778,856
9	Marquette University	Big East	$11,457,181
10	Texas Christian University	Big 12	$11,046,799
11	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus	Big 12	$10,855,754
12	Baylor University	Big 12	$10,599,030
13	Vanderbilt University	SEC	$10,399,670
14	University of Virginia-Main Campus	ACC	$10,259,903
15	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	Big Ten	$10,183,146
16	Indiana University-Bloomington	Big Ten	$10,161,350
17	Syracuse University	ACC	$10,064,914
18	Texas A & M University-College Station	SEC	$10,033,638
19	Auburn University	SEC	$9,917,360
20	Georgetown University	Big East	$9,694,010
21	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	SEC	$9,674,480
22	Ohio State University-Main Campus	Big Ten	$9,481,027
23	Gonzaga University	WCC	$9,105,908
24	University of California-Los Angeles	Pac 12	$9,072,651
25	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Big Ten	$8,983,663
26	Texas Tech University	Big 12	$8,887,157
27	Providence College	Big East	$8,875,013
28	Michigan State University	Big Ten	$8,563,483
29	University of Oregon	Pac 12	$8,528,186
30	University of Utah	Pac 12	$8,475,318
31	The University of Alabama	SEC	$8,387,815
32	University of Arkansas	SEC	$8,201,219
33	University of Mississippi	SEC	$8,132,066
34	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	ACC	$8,116,597
35	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	ACC	$7,960,631
36	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	Big Ten	$7,925,210
37	Boston College	ACC	$7,739,270
38	University of Maryland-College Park	Big Ten	$7,727,539
39	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	Pac 12	$7,669,792
40	University of Miami	ACC	$7,643,768
41	The Pennsylvania State University	Big Ten	$7,583,437
42	University of Connecticut	Big East	$7,582,613
43	North Carolina State University at Raleigh	ACC	$7,579,872
44	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College	SEC	$7,577,483
45	Northwestern University	Big Ten	$7,527,703
46	West Virginia University	Big 12	$7,499,341
47	University of Houston	American	$7,460,535
48	University of Missouri-Columbia	SEC	$7,321,237
49	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	Big Ten	$7,178,782
50	University of Southern California	Pac 12	$7,174,744
51	University of Georgia	SEC	$7,130,192
52	Creighton University	Big East	$7,066,546
53	Xavier University	Big East	$6,984,664
54	University of Iowa	Big Ten	$6,874,147
55	St. John’s University-New York	Big East	$6,808,098
56	University of Notre Dame	ACC	$6,770,465
57	Florida State University	ACC	$6,727,136
58	Stanford University	Pac 12	$6,660,155
59	University of South Carolina-Columbia	SEC	$6,612,640
60	Purdue University-Main Campus	Big Ten	$6,605,655
61	University of Florida	SEC	$6,524,621
62	Kansas State University	Big 12	$6,524,007
63	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	Pac 12	$6,505,245
64	University of Memphis	American	$6,486,993
65	Seton Hall University	Big East	$6,431,722
66	Southern Methodist University	American	$6,421,688
67	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	Big Ten	$6,296,158
68	Clemson University	ACC	$6,274,665
69	Mississippi State University	SEC	$6,260,208
70	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Big Ten	$6,200,287
71	Iowa State University	Big 12	$6,125,139
72	University of Dayton	Atlantic 10	$5,976,600
73	University of California-Berkeley	Pac 12	$5,912,459
74	Virginia Commonwealth University	Atlantic 10	$5,883,023
75	Saint Louis University	Atlantic 10	$5,791,811
76	Wake Forest University	ACC	$5,783,444
77	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus	ACC	$5,774,159
78	Brigham Young University	WCC	$5,642,195
79	Washington State University	Pac 12	$5,630,389
80	DePaul University	Big East	$5,559,830

 

[B12]

@B12 You are omitting one HUGE piece of your argument? How much is UConn getting for basketball only and a football scheduling agreement? I am curious what you think they could get. If it is in the ballpark of $15-20 million+ per year, let's talk. But as the other posters are saying, it will most likely be a wash with what they are getting in the BE. Which makes just about everything you wrote (and yeah it was alot) moot.

Also ETA: You are way underestimating how good the Big East is in basketball. Remember the majority of the catholic schools in the league have the same or larger enrollment as Notre Dame (another tiny catholic school?). You can be a catholic school and still take your sport (basketball in the case of the BE) seriously.

I am not arguing. Zoo seems to be the only one arguing here.

Sounds like UConn gets 5-6 million from the Big East and around 600k for FB under the current contract So 6-7 million total. that's not sustainable.
But you think UConn would need 15-20 million to join the B12 in BB? That seems pretty agressive but it might work. That would cover travel and add around 8-10 million extra to the AD.

 

[Kolumbo]

Report: Big 12 presidents expected to meet this week, could vote to add Gonzaga​

by:Barkley Truax•about 19 hours•
BarkleyTruax
Read In App
























Big 12 presidents are expected to meet this week to discuss further expansion — and Gonzaga‘s name is once again expected to be thrown into the hat, per Front Office Sports.
It was over a year ago that Gonzaga, a college basketball powerhouse with no football program, met with Big 12 brass to discuss a potential invitation to the conference. While those talks ultimately went cold for a while, the Houston Chronicle has reported that the conference’s group of presidents could vote to add Gonzaga. Some reports note that there has been some “positive momentum,” surrounding the move on both sides but isn’t a “slam dunk.”
Even Big 12 commissioner Brett Yorkmark has expressed “overwhelming support” for the Bulldogs’ potential to join the conference — but it isn’t up to just him.
75 percent of the presidents, or nine of the 12 (excluding Texas and Oklahoma) will need to approve the vote for it to pass. Or, if you factor in the incoming schools from the Pac-12, 12 of 16 presidents would need to approve if they were not to add the Bulldogs this week.
It’s not farfetched to see Gonzaga join the conference. After all, the Big 12 has already accepted Houston, another noted powerhouse under Kelvin Sampson. Other teams in outside conferences such as UConn — the reigning NCAA Champions — are another option to explore. Adding a 17th and 18th team, at least to their basketball ranks, has the potential to make the Big 12 one of the most must-see conferences in college hoops while the SEC and Big Ten are focused on the gridiron.

Mark Few, who has been Gonzaga’s head coach since 1999, has been one of the most dominating head coaches in college basketball history. His teams have won at least 30 games in seven of the last nine years — and in the other two, they came up just short with 29. The 2010-2011 campaign was the last time the Bulldogs lost at least 10 games in a single season as well.
Still, the Bulldogs have never been able to claim a national championship under their longtime head coach — or ever for that matter. They’re 2-0 all-time in Final Four games but have fallen just short in both subsequent national championship games in 2017 and 2021, respectively.
Whether a change of conference scenery would aid Gonzaga in their quest to claim their first NCAA Championship remains to be seen, but a bump in weekly competition coupled with the legitimacy of playing in what will be one of the strongest conferences in the country should be enough to get any Bulldog fan excited for what the future may hold.

Marcus Adams Jr., former Kansas transfer, no longer attending Gonzaga​

y:Joe Tipton•08/27/23•
TiptonEdits
Read In App
Marcus Adams Jr. / Gonzaga MBB
Freshman small forward Marcus Adams Jr. will no longer be attending Gonzaga, he told On3. Adams will remain in the transfer portal and will not have to re-enter because he did not officially enroll at the school.
The former four-star recruit initially signed with and enrolled at Kansas. He was participating in workouts with the Jayhawks and was attending summer classes. The 6-foot-8 California native spent roughly a month in Lawrence before deciding to enter the transfer portal in mid-July. However, the transfer portal window closed in May. The 60-day window allows first-time transfers to be immediately eligible. Since Adams entered the portal after the deadline had passed, he might need a waiver from the NCAA in order to be eligible this season.
Less than a week after entering the portal, Adams publicized his commitment to Gonzaga. On July 31st, the school announced Adams had officially signed with the Zags.

Four weeks later, the highly-touted recruit is now once again looking for a new place to call home and has officially reopened his recruitment.

According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Marcus Adams Jr. is the No. 66 overall prospect in the 2023 cycle. He’s also the No. 14 small forward prospect and the No. 11 player in the state of California. The On3 Industry Ranking is a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Not sure if you meat to include the dated report on Marcus Adams Jr. but according to the google he is now enrolled at BYU

 

[B12]

Because I’ve already given you more time than you deserve.

It’s funny that you think such a bad deal is a slam dunk though.

So you couldn't name even one thing that I said which you think was not accurate.

Glad we got that straight.


I get the feeling you struggle to have conversations with people who have different opinions than yours.

Only one of us is making points and backing it up with data.

UConn only makes 6-7 million on TV in the current setup. I don't see how that's sustainable for UConn long term.

 

[ZooCougar]

So you couldn't name even one thing that I said which you think was not accurate.

Glad we got that straight.


I get the feeling you struggle to have conversations with people who have different opinions than yours.

Only one of us is making points and backing it up with data.

UConn only makes 6-7 million on TV in the current setup. I don't see how that's sustainable for UConn long term.

Again. We just won a national championship and are ranked in the top 10 now. Seems pretty sustainable to me. The program is flying higher than ever.

I don’t see an offer on the table. I don’t see how an offer could be made to make the move worth it.

You’re not worth having a discussion with because your stance is simply “here is a bad deal, it’s not in your best interest to take it but you should anyways.”

 

[ZooCougar]

I am not arguing. Zoo seems to be the only one arguing here.

Sounds like UConn gets 5-6 million from the Big East and around 600k for FB under the current contract So 6-7 million total. that's not sustainable.
But you think UConn would need 15-20 million to join the B12 in BB? That seems pretty agressive but it might work. That would cover travel and add around 8-10 million extra to the AD.

TV is not the only source of revenue from the Big East. We also get NCAA tournament credits.

 

[ZooCougar]

2023 College Basketball Budget​

• 
  
  
  

Latest Budget Numbers
1	University of Kentucky	SEC	$17,646,655
2	The University of Texas at Austin	Big 12	$17,483,966
3	Duke University	ACC	$14,492,257
4	University of Kansas	Big 12	$14,079,953
5	University of Arizona	Pac 12	$13,261,874
6	University of Louisville	ACC	$12,321,810
7	Villanova University	Big East	$12,019,905
8	Wichita State University	American	$11,778,856
9	Marquette University	Big East	$11,457,181
10	Texas Christian University	Big 12	$11,046,799
11	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus	Big 12	$10,855,754
12	Baylor University	Big 12	$10,599,030
13	Vanderbilt University	SEC	$10,399,670
14	University of Virginia-Main Campus	ACC	$10,259,903
15	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	Big Ten	$10,183,146
16	Indiana University-Bloomington	Big Ten	$10,161,350
17	Syracuse University	ACC	$10,064,914
18	Texas A & M University-College Station	SEC	$10,033,638
19	Auburn University	SEC	$9,917,360
20	Georgetown University	Big East	$9,694,010
21	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	SEC	$9,674,480
22	Ohio State University-Main Campus	Big Ten	$9,481,027
23	Gonzaga University	WCC	$9,105,908
24	University of California-Los Angeles	Pac 12	$9,072,651
25	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Big Ten	$8,983,663
26	Texas Tech University	Big 12	$8,887,157
27	Providence College	Big East	$8,875,013
28	Michigan State University	Big Ten	$8,563,483
29	University of Oregon	Pac 12	$8,528,186
30	University of Utah	Pac 12	$8,475,318
31	The University of Alabama	SEC	$8,387,815
32	University of Arkansas	SEC	$8,201,219
33	University of Mississippi	SEC	$8,132,066
34	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	ACC	$8,116,597
35	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	ACC	$7,960,631
36	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	Big Ten	$7,925,210
37	Boston College	ACC	$7,739,270
38	University of Maryland-College Park	Big Ten	$7,727,539
39	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	Pac 12	$7,669,792
40	University of Miami	ACC	$7,643,768
41	The Pennsylvania State University	Big Ten	$7,583,437
42	University of Connecticut	Big East	$7,582,613
43	North Carolina State University at Raleigh	ACC	$7,579,872
44	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College	SEC	$7,577,483
45	Northwestern University	Big Ten	$7,527,703
46	West Virginia University	Big 12	$7,499,341
47	University of Houston	American	$7,460,535
48	University of Missouri-Columbia	SEC	$7,321,237
49	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	Big Ten	$7,178,782
50	University of Southern California	Pac 12	$7,174,744
51	University of Georgia	SEC	$7,130,192
52	Creighton University	Big East	$7,066,546
53	Xavier University	Big East	$6,984,664
54	University of Iowa	Big Ten	$6,874,147
55	St. John’s University-New York	Big East	$6,808,098
56	University of Notre Dame	ACC	$6,770,465
57	Florida State University	ACC	$6,727,136
58	Stanford University	Pac 12	$6,660,155
59	University of South Carolina-Columbia	SEC	$6,612,640
60	Purdue University-Main Campus	Big Ten	$6,605,655
61	University of Florida	SEC	$6,524,621
62	Kansas State University	Big 12	$6,524,007
63	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	Pac 12	$6,505,245
64	University of Memphis	American	$6,486,993
65	Seton Hall University	Big East	$6,431,722
66	Southern Methodist University	American	$6,421,688
67	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	Big Ten	$6,296,158
68	Clemson University	ACC	$6,274,665
69	Mississippi State University	SEC	$6,260,208
70	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Big Ten	$6,200,287
71	Iowa State University	Big 12	$6,125,139
72	University of Dayton	Atlantic 10	$5,976,600
73	University of California-Berkeley	Pac 12	$5,912,459
74	Virginia Commonwealth University	Atlantic 10	$5,883,023
75	Saint Louis University	Atlantic 10	$5,791,811
76	Wake Forest University	ACC	$5,783,444
77	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus	ACC	$5,774,159
78	Brigham Young University	WCC	$5,642,195
79	Washington State University	Pac 12	$5,630,389
80	DePaul University	Big East	$5,559,830

Pretty much the entire conference is in the Top 80.

Looks fine to me.

 

[ZooCougar]

I am not arguing. Zoo seems to be the only one arguing here.

Sounds like UConn gets 5-6 million from the Big East and around 600k for FB under the current contract So 6-7 million total. that's not sustainable.
But you think UConn would need 15-20 million to join the B12 in BB? That seems pretty agressive but it might work. That would cover travel and add around 8-10 million extra to the AD.

The Big 12 would be nuts to pay us 15-20M for basketball only. It would be nuts to pay any program that much.

That’s why it’s silly to even entertain such a proposal. If you’re paying that much for basketball you might as well take football too.

Why would you pay UConn $20M when it’s not even getting a quarter of that currently for TV.

 

[ZooCougar]

How did the Big 12’s best do in basketball yesterday? Didn’t they play a Big East school?

 

[Patman]

what does the B12 have to do with a thread about the MAC?

 

[huskymedic]

Yup…




Shortcut <<

 

[ZooCougar]

Yup…




Shortcut <<

 

[RC111]

So you couldn't name even one thing that I said which you think was not accurate.

Glad we got that straight.


I get the feeling you struggle to have conversations with people who have different opinions than yours.

Only one of us is making points and backing it up with data.

UConn only makes 6-7 million on TV in the current setup. I don't see how that's sustainable for UConn long term.

I think a lot of what you've said makes sense, honestly. But I also think there are a few big problems: most of the fan base will have too much pride to accept a basketball only deal, especially when we've been scheduling quality FB opponents, as some of our posters have mentioned; the dollars might be slightly better, but we've seen what happens when we join a far-flung league that lacks traditional rivals and prevents fans from traveling to opponents and to see conference tournaments. The attendance boost alone has allowed for raised ticket prices, and the brand is as strong as it's ever been since we returned to a league that excites our fan base.

It would also burden the rest of the athletic department with the same travel ridiculousness that is making the ACC consider playing half its schedule (including Olympic sports) without spectators, at neutral venues in the Dallas area.

Really hoping football breaks away sooner than later. I'd be happy with UConn FB existing in some murky gray area between FBS and FCS if the basketball program can still play in the tourney and go up against the P4.

 

[ZooCougar]

I think a lot of what you've said makes sense, honestly. But I also think there are a few big problems: most of the fan base will have too much pride to accept a basketball only deal, especially when we've been scheduling quality FB opponents, as some of our posters have mentioned; the dollars might be slightly better, but we've seen what happens when we join a far-flung league that lacks traditional rivals and prevents fans from traveling to opponents and to see conference tournaments. The attendance boost alone has allowed for raised ticket prices, and the brand is as strong as it's ever been since we returned to a league that excites our fan base.

It would also burden the rest of the athletic department with the same travel ridiculousness that is making the ACC consider playing half its schedule (including Olympic sports) without spectators, at neutral venues in the Dallas area.

Really hoping football breaks away sooner than later. I'd be happy with UConn FB existing in some murky gray area between FBS and FCS if the basketball program can still play in the tourney and go up against the P4.

Big 12 football isn’t in some golden spot either.

There are like 20 teams wrist get meaningful tv ratings. And none of them will be in the Big 12.

 

[pepband99]

Temple didn't draw in the Big East, the AAC, or anywhere. What's your point?

Please continue to ignore exactly what everyone has told you about the MAC. This article literally spells it out for you, but you respond with TEMPLE?

 

[AZHuskiePop]

The Big 12 would be nuts to pay us 15-20M for basketball only. It would be nuts to pay any program that much.

That’s why it’s silly to even entertain such a proposal. If you’re paying that much for basketball you might as well take football too.

Why would you pay UConn $20M when it’s not even getting a quarter of that currently for TV.

If the Basketball Teams take over the Tourney .
Paying a traditional BB power like UConn or Villanova $20,000,000 will be a no brainer
You can pay for yourself with tourney contributions

 

[ZooCougar]

If the Basketball Teams take over the Tourney .
Paying a traditional BB power like UConn or Villanova $20,000,000 will be a no brainer
You can pay for yourself with tourney contributions

But until that happens…

 

[ZooCougar]

Temple didn't draw in the Big East, the AAC, or anywhere. What's your point?

Please continue to ignore exactly what everyone has told you about the MAC. This article literally spells it out for you, but you respond with TEMPLE?

Huh? Go eat a snickers.

Temple has been a better program for the last dozen years than UConn. And they have been bad this season.

I didn’t ignore what you said about the MAC. I just don’t think the arguments you offer are valid.

But keep on scheduling four automatic losses and wondering out loud why we still suck!

 

[ScottVib]

If the Basketball Teams take over the Tourney .
Paying a traditional BB power like UConn or Villanova $20,000,000 will be a no brainer
You can pay for yourself with tourney contributions

To pay $20M annually with Tourny contributions you need to average 4 units a year. That’s Elite 8 every year. You get upset in the first round just once and it's impossible to make it up without a final four trip and a championship in the next two seasons (just to get back to that 4 unit a season average).

For context, Kansas who hasn't missed a tournament since 1989, has only 14 Elite Eight appearances in that 33 season span. Averaging 4 units a season is an entirely unrealistic proposition in men's basketball. Until the valuation of basketball TV rights gets larger (unlikely) it’s extraordinarily unlikely that a basketball first add is approaching $10M let alone $20M, given the new paradigm of unequal or unpaid shares for new “junior” members of the club.

 

[#MACtion]

Any word?

 

[ZooCougar]

Any word?

That’s a question for UMass. There is zero evidence that the UConn admin is actively pursuing this.

 

[Steve1981]

That’s a question for UMass. There is zero evidence that the UConn admin is actively pursuing this.

No, we are talking with the MAC, but need a partner. How much evidence was there before the new Big East move was announced?

 

[ZooCougar]

No, we are talking with the MAC, but need a partner. How much evidence was there before the new Big East move was announced?

Rumors. Bloggers. Rothstein.