Moving Temple to the West?

[UConnDan97]

If this happens, I think it is a gigantic mistake:

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/146756505.html

I understand that L'Ville and Cincy probably have strong feelings about staying in the East Division, and I think it makes sense to keep them happy with that, but the logical choice for the West Division (other than the Ville) is UCF. The only short travel that UCF offers in the East is to USF. They will have a rivalry anyways, and don't necessarily need it to be fostered. Also, keeping Temple in the East will help grow the UConn / Rutgers / Temple "I-95" battles that could grow regional rivalries and interest. That gets even better when Navy joins it, too. We will hurt new rivalries and increase travel on an already travel-heavy conference.

Someone please make a good argument to me about moving Temple to the West Division so that I can see the other side of the coin, because I'm failing to see it at the moment...

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Someone please make a good argument to me about moving Temple to the West Division so that I can see the other side of the coin, because I'm failing to see it at the moment...

I don't get it either. Only the Big East would put a team in Philly in a Western division.

Wouldn't it be so much easier to just put UCF in the West and just designate USF as a yearly rivalry game?

 

[UConnDan97]

The fact that I've seen this on multiple media sources, along with quotes from Addazio, makes me think that this is more than a rumor. If this is true, this is a tremendously huge ball-drop in my opinion. If the strategy was to try to capture some of the Philly market by grabbing them instead of someone like an ECU (a strategy that I agree with, by the way), then they have just taken that strategy and flushed it down the toilet. I think there are plenty of people in the Philly area that can start to get behind a Jersey rivalry with Rutgers and an eventual Maryland rivalry with Navy. If you are asking those Philly area fans to get behind Temple - SDSU......wow.....

....keep in mind, these are fans from an area of the country where the typical fan boos Santa Claus and they install an inside-the-stadium jail and courthouse...(we NEED those types of fans!!)

 

[Dann]

lville is gone soon...

sdsu/bsu/smu/uh/mem//unlv/?
uconn/ruty/tem/cincy/usf/ucf/navy/ecu

 

[ConnHuskBask]

My best guess down the road is that we play a 9 game conference schedule. Every divisional team and then 3 crossovers?

East: UConn, Rutgers, Cincy, Louisville, USF, Temple, Navy
West: UCF, SMU, Memphis, Boise State, Houston, San Diego State, Nevada(?)

 

[UConnDan97]

My best guess down the road is that we play a 9 game conference schedule. Every divisional team and then 3 crossovers?

East: UConn, Rutgers, Cincy, Louisville, USF, Temple, Navy
West: UCF, SMU, Memphis, Boise State, Houston, San Diego State, Nevada(?)

Your alignment scenario is the smartest alignment we can set up, in my opinion. I don't believe that Nevada will be the addition on the western side. I really do believe that if the realignment situation settles down and Navy finally joins in 2015, I think Air Force is coming on board. Still, your point is valid: switch Nevada with and that is how the divisions should look. Sell your soul to the Mormons, and we might be able to add BYU and send UCF to the east again (it would require some serious tv concessions to do that, and that is a completely different thread).

As for the crossovers, I'm thinking that the Big East might wish to only have 2 crossovers, which would leave 4 OOC games to schedule. I'm just not sure, though.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

It is only for one year in 2013. After 2014, I am sure Navy would move to the best or a new western member will be added. Temple to the West long term makes no sense at all.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Your alignment scenario is the smartest alignment we can set up, in my opinion. I don't believe that Nevada will be the addition on the western side. I really do believe that if the realignment situation settles down and Navy finally joins in 2015, I think Air Force is coming on board. Still, your point is valid: switch Nevada with and that is how the divisions should look. Sell your soul to the Mormons, and we might be able to add BYU and send UCF to the east again (it would require some serious tv concessions to do that, and that is a completely different thread).

As for the crossovers, I'm thinking that the Big East might wish to only have 2 crossovers, which would leave 4 OOC games to schedule. I'm just not sure, though.

Agreed. If Air Force would join for Football only - I would much rather have them than any of Nevada/UNLV/ECU.

 

[MattMang23]

If its between UCF and Temple, it should be a no brainer. UCF to the west.

 

[UCFBfan]

I agree that this is a dumb move. This conference will have zero rivalries now that Syracuse, Pitt, and WVU are all gone, or gone after this season. I guess Louisville and Cincy will be the biggest rivalry but that is what's hurting this conference. The lack of games that drive interest also hurts it's chances for a TV deal. No one cares about UConn-SDSU. If you wanna get people to watch there needs to be some hate involved. (Good hate of course!) Temple, UConn, and Rutgers are all that's left in the most populated TV market for the Big East. Why wouldn't you foster that growth of rivalries?!? More people would watch over time if these rivalries heat up. UConn-RU has had plenty of drama over the past few years to make that start to be a decent rivalry for us. Temple could be the same given 5-10 years of growth....

 

[Dann]

I would rather play once a year in FL then play 1 FL team a year and Temple. Think about it. Theres alot of recruiting advantages for us in that. What we need them for is bball and there 3 hours away for that so were good. In fball we don't need Temple so who cares that they have to play BSU/SDSU/UH/SMU....Its only for a year or 2 until the league goes to 16 schools that play everything.

1)Lville leaves
2)bball onlys leave
3) unlv/ come in
4) ecu comes in
5) we need 1 more????out west would be best

now we have a 16 team all sport league that can be a top 5 league in bball and fball. can get multiple bids in baseball and soccer as well. best case for a screwed up situation.

The Big East is dying quick and Lville is all but gone. But until UConn gets a invite somewhere one day we can survive in the 5th or 6th best confrence with teams like BSU/UH/Ruty/USF/UCF/ECU(please add them)/Cincy fball wise.

Some expanded thoughts:

Utah St- Bball is on the rise, its a good league bump from being big time. The Big East out West from day 1
would pass the PAC and WAC in recruits eyes. Its a big public(bigger than UConn). Fball stadium holds 25k, easily can be expanded and quick, they have a nice steup there. Fball the past couple years has rose quick also(auburn game last year remember?). Bball has gone to the ncaat the past 3 years btw and the arena size wise is fine at 10k. There home town is a 50k pop and a nice college feel. Its a hour to salt lake so airport and population to feed tv is there for potential. They compete with Utah and BYU but all 3 will be in different confrences by 2015. They are my pick for 16 right now I guess.

UNLV- Big school 28k. Vegas baby! Good pop following and huge potential with fball sucess. Bball is back. Fball needs work. Arena is huge at 20k and the stadium holds 37k with a quick expansion already planned to 40k possible. Without digging to much father, they are a easy pick imho.

new guess(all sports are in for all schools accept bball for navy/):

16-
sdsu/bsu/smu/uh/mem//unlv/utah st
uconn/ruty/tem/cincy/usf/ucf/navy/ecu

Wyoming- All sports would need work but both bball and fball recently has shown some signs of life. 14k school, big(not really) public. Fball field sits 30k but has a record of 34k. Can easily expand that place also. They have a cool bball arena that holds 15k. That state has a extemely small population. In the end that won't get it done.

UNR- Hey, UNLV is in, why not? Reno baby(big city)! School is 18k public. Both bball and fball have shown signs of life on the rise lately. Arena is 12k which is good, stadium is 30k(really nice) and can easily be expanded, they just have small endzone areas seating wise becuase they have a track around the field, that would probally get scraped in a upgrade move for 40-50k and a track somewhere else. Grabing the whole state would really be grabbing a market and Vegas as a neutral spot for conf games and other stuff. There is other good stuff...

FSUw-aka Cali State U Fresno aka Fresno State U. Lots of eyeballs to entertain in the winter as PAC bball stinks and so on...Fball has been a upset special team for years now. Baseball btw is great. Stadium holds 41k and arena holds 15k. they are a easy add imho with other things good also...

UHw-aka U of Hawaii or Hawaii. 50k big public system with a 20k main campus. Everyone knows about the past fball rise and great beaches. 50k stadium and a 10k arena is good. Other smaller good things and a potential tv following for sure.

18(In a move to go big for tv and to be proactice when Rutgers and UConn or who ever else get poached)-sdsu/fresno/bsu/smu/uh//unlv/urn/utah st
uconn/ruty/tem/cincy/usf/ucf/navy/ecu/mem

On deck- Hawaii, Wy, Tulane, Ohio among others

 

[Marty Jackson]

Not sold on the split yet... I don't think anyone has proven they are better off in a split situation.

I see 16 fb/all sports (navy and ND share one spot).

East:
northeast region: uconn, RU, Temple, Navy
south region: UCF, USF, UH, SMU

West:
midwest: memphis, UofL, Cincy, tulsa
west: Boise, SDSU, Fresno, UNLV (or Colorado St, Nevada, or BYU)

for BB and others, just layer them into the regions. I think you'll need to add one BB only to the mix where butler would be a nice midwest add.

If Uconn leaves, then it really doesn't matter what happens after that.

 

[UCFBfan]

Honestly....why are we hoping we go to 16 teams?? We have no TV contract right now and then you wanna split it 16 ways when whatever low-ball deal we accept comes through? We aren't getting a deal like the Big 12, heck we won't even get anything close to what the ACC got. Now you wanna remove the only thing this conference has going for it by removing it's basketball schools??

Come on.....

Utah St, Hawaii, Nevada.....really??? Why? WTF.....

 

[UConnDan97]

@ HuskyFanDan (I would reply to your post, but it was too epic): First off, this is not a trade between Temple and being in Florida. This is a choice between divisional rivalries with either Temple or UCF. There is NO WAY on this earth that you can make a plausible argument to me that it is better for us to try to be rivals with UCF than with Temple. Zero.

We need to foster what little regional rivalries we can still have, in order to grow excitement in the always-salivated-over "NYC market" or even the "Philly market" (also with Navy coming, the Baltimore market as well). We aren't really increasing our Florida interest with an extra game every other year at UCF. And keep in mind that northeastern kids can play ball too, and some of them would like to stay home if they had a chance. The question is whether or not we create an environment where they feel they are on a big stage, and that environment happens more often with regional rivalries than without. I guess it's just my opinion and not fact, but I think that opinion would be shared by many.

 

[UConnDan97]

Utah St, Hawaii, Nevada.....really??? Why? WTF.....

This comment ^ times 1,000!!! Hawaii offers us NOTHING!! Even Boise doesn't want THAT far of a western partner. And yes, Utah St. gave Auburn one hell of a game last year, but do you really think that is the expansion move that we need to help our conference?? I understand the recent allure of Nevada because of some on the field success, but there are at least 4 other schools that I think are ahead of them in expansion that are better for the conference (Southern Miss, ECU, Air Force, and the tv contract nightmare of BYU). By the way, even the thought of adding Wyoming makes me throw up in my mouth...

 

[Adios]

If they put Temple in the west, it would probably because they'd rather appease USF and UCF than Temple. With UCF in the eastern division, every team in the eastern division would go to Orlando every other year.

 

[UConnDan97]

If they put Temple in the west, it would probably because they'd rather appease USF and UCF than Temple. With UCF in the eastern division, every team in the eastern division would go to Orlando every other year.

It certainly seems like that is the thinking, but I am having a hard time figuring out why they are working hard to appease UCF rather than to appease Rutgers and UConn. Remember, this isn't about appeasing Temple; this is about helping to foster another northeast rival for the two longest-standing members of the Big East. Both Rutgers and UConn benefit from having Temple in the east (travel, regional rivalry, extra Philly area exposure that normally goes to Penn State, et al). So why are they working so hard to make life easier for UCF? I just don't get it...

 

[Adios]

It certainly seems like that is the thinking, but I am having a hard time figuring out why they are working hard to appease UCF rather than to appease Rutgers and UConn. Remember, this isn't about appeasing Temple; this is about helping to foster another northeast rival for the two longest-standing members of the Big East. Both Rutgers and UConn benefit from having Temple in the east (travel, regional rivalry, extra Philly area exposure that normally goes to Penn State, et al). So why are they working so hard to make life easier for UCF? I just don't get it...

I would have to assume Orlando is more marketable to more recruits than Philadelphia. I understand the rivalry perspective, but that may already naturally be there.

 

[UConnDan97]

I would have to assume Orlando is more marketable to more recruits than Philadelphia. I understand the rivalry perspective, but that may already naturally be there.

We are going to play in Orlando. It might not be every other year, but we are going to be there. And they are going to be here, and in NJ, and in Philly. You will already have some more recruiting exposure in that area, and being there every other year at UCF does not really increase recruiting to top-tier recruits in central Florida in my opinion. However, creating a Northeastern wing on the I-95 corridor with bigger rivalries could convince those NJ / PA / NY recruits to stay in the area. There is no reason that Penn State and the like should intrinsically hold the keys to the northeastern recruit, and I think this would help them to stay home.

 

[Adios]

We are going to play in Orlando. It might not be every other year, but we are going to be there. And they are going to be here, and in NJ, and in Philly. You will already have some more recruiting exposure in that area, and being there every other year at UCF does not really increase recruiting to top-tier recruits in central Florida in my opinion. However, creating a Northeastern wing on the I-95 corridor with bigger rivalries could convince those NJ / PA / NY recruits to stay in the area. There is no reason that Penn State and the like should intrinsically hold the keys to the northeastern recruit, and I think this would help them to stay home.

What you said about the Northeast may be true. Only problem is UCF got invited before Temple. If the Big East wanted Temple so badly, they would have been given an invitation earlier, at least the same time UCF received their invitation.

 

[UConnDan97]

What you said about the Northeast may be true. Only problem is UCF got invited before Temple. If the Big East wanted Temple so badly, they would have been given an invitation earlier, at least the same time UCF received their invitation.

I think the Big East always wanted Temple throughout the expansion process. But I am also sure that Villanova absolutely DID NOT want them. After a 1 million dollar bribe....I mean, the Big East offering a million dollars to Villanova to explore upgrading and other help....Villanova finally conceded.

 

[UConnDan97]

Addendum: The million dollar (bribe) payout to Villanova could turn into 3 million if we decide to add them at some point:
http://vuhoops.com/2012/03/07/big-east-invests-in-exploring-novas-fbs-future/

"Update 3/8: According to the DelcoTimes, Villanova will receive $1million from the Big East to be put toward upgrading football facilities. Another $2 million could be offered by the league if Villanova does ultimately make the move"

That's the real reason, in my opinion, why UCF got invitation precedence over Temple.