Smoke's clearing a bit on this CYO breakaway...

[upstater]

1. UConn
2. Cincy
3. Georgetown
4. Villanova
5. PC
6. St. John's
7. Seton Hall
8. Marquette
9. DePaul
10. Butler?
11. VCU?
12. Creighton?

(Just picked three schools with good recent basketball history--avoided Xavier because Cincy was there).

1. UConn
2. Cincy
3. Memphis
4. Temple
5. Houston
6. SMU
7. USF
8. UCF
9. Tulane
10. SDSU? (would they join all sports?)
11. East Carolina? (would they join all sports?)
12. ???
13. ???
14. ???
15. ???
16. ???
17. ???

Which conference is better? I'd say the top one. I can imagine it being worse if there are some poor teams invited, or if SDSU, BYU, and a couple of other teams in the west join full-time (UNLV, New Mexico--and I'm vomiting, FYI, with these suggestions...this situation is just plain awful). But there's no semblance of a conference there...

This conference is better:

1. UConn
2. Syracuse
3. Louisville
4. Duke
5. Wake Forest
6. Pittsburgh
etc.
etc.

 

[tzznandrew]

This conference is better:

1. UConn
2. Syracuse
3. Louisville
4. Duke
5. Wake Forest
6. Pittsburgh
etc.
etc.

Wholly agree. But if we're still playing football in the BE--or whatever the new BE is--I hardly see how its a problem to play basketball elsewhere.

I don't think there's a causal relationship here. I agree that "if you throw in the towel now, you are A10 for perpetuity," I just don't think that jumping into a conference with the bb-onlies for non-football, and keeping football in this conference we're in now, is the equivalent of throwing in the towel.

 

[specialisthusky]

Disagree.

You stay in the NBE to remain viable for the ACC. If you throw in the towel now, you are A10 for perpetuity.

I see the point you are making and agree with its importance. I just disagree with they way you achieve it.

The acc isn't going to care about bball much anyway. Football will stay in the nbe to remain viable. basketetball will follow the national names of gtown, marquete, st johns and remain viable and visible.

Neither is a great scenario unfortunately.

 

[IMind]

I see the point you are making and agree with its importance. I just disagree with they way you achieve it.

The acc isn't going to care about bball much anyway. Football will stay in the nbe to remain viable. basketetball will follow the national names of gtown, marquete, st johns and remain viable and visible.

Neither is a great scenario unfortunately.

This makes sense... but I still don't see exactly what the Catholics are gaining except independance from the whims of football... you could still achieve this while keeping the Big East name... unless some entity like oohhh I don't know ESPN offered the Atlantic 10 and the Catholics a boat load of money to form a new basketball mid major mega conference.

 

[TRest]

This makes sense... but I still don't see exactly what the Catholics are gaining except independance from the whims of football... you could still achieve this while keeping the Big East name... unless some entity like oohhh I don't know ESPN offered the Atlantic 10 and the Catholics a boat load of money to form a new basketball mid major mega conference.

It's as simple as making the same money but having a rational east coast based athletic conference for all sports. Lower travel costs, traditional opponents, schools that share similar traits. Everything the nBE wasn't, and other conferences like the ACC and B1G are becoming.

 

[IMind]

It's as simple as making the same money but having a rational east coast based athletic conference for all sports. Lower travel costs, traditional opponents, schools that share similar traits. Everything the nBE wasn't, and other conferences like the ACC and B1G are becoming.

My point is you could provide exactly that for the east coast teams without killing the Big East tournament and leaving the Big East... or is the Big East name just too badly damaged?

 

[nadav]

It's as simple as making the same money but having a rational east coast based athletic conference for all sports. Lower travel costs, traditional opponents, schools that share similar traits. Everything the nBE wasn't, and other conferences like the ACC and B1G are becoming.

not sure that is what the ACC is becoming...Louisville and Duke or Wake have nothing in common at all.

 

[upstater]

I see the point you are making and agree with its importance. I just disagree with they way you achieve it.

The acc isn't going to care about bball much anyway. Football will stay in the nbe to remain viable. basketetball will follow the national names of gtown, marquete, st johns and remain viable and visible.

Neither is a great scenario unfortunately.

I don't see a NBE for football without UConn and Cincy hoops. Look, UConn football is not so valuable to some of these schools (like SMU and Houston, etc.) that they will want to continue to be affiliated with it, especially if they're scrambling to find a league that will take their Olympic sports.

Put it this way: does CUSA take SMU and Houston as non-football onlies? Maybe, maybe not. But why would these schools even bother asking that question? To remain affiliated with UConn football? Huh?

 

[upstater]

Wholly agree. But if we're still playing football in the BE--or whatever the new BE is--I hardly see how its a problem to play basketball elsewhere.

I don't think there's a causal relationship here. I agree that "if you throw in the towel now, you are A10 for perpetuity," I just don't think that jumping into a conference with the bb-onlies for non-football, and keeping football in this conference we're in now, is the equivalent of throwing in the towel.

But if we're still playing football in the BE...

That is a huge if. You're telling me that schools like SMU, Houston, UCF, etc., would want to go to their conferences and ask about letting all sports but football participate so that they can have the privilege of playing UConn football? Really? I don't think that's much of a carrot. In fact, I know that SMU was selling recruits on BE basketball recently. We need to face facts that Uconn may be forced to choose between football and basketball here, and if UConn has to make that choice, there is only one decision to make: Preserve both football AND basketball.

 

[specialisthusky]

Well this is a different point I did not want to think about. This is all assuming the nbe would allow uconn to be a fb only. In fact the whole conf would likely have to become fb only, which as you point out may be an issue.

 

[tzznandrew]

But if we're still playing football in the BE...

That is a huge if. You're telling me that schools like SMU, Houston, UCF, etc., would want to go to their conferences and ask about letting all sports but football participate so that they can have the privilege of playing UConn football? Really? I don't think that's much of a carrot. In fact, I know that SMU was selling recruits on BE basketball recently. We need to face facts that Uconn may be forced to choose between football and basketball here, and if UConn has to make that choice, there is only one decision to make: Preserve both football AND basketball.

I'm with you that we need to keep football relevant (or as relevant as a non Top-5 conference can be). If you are right, that the NNBE Football would fall apart, then I accept your logic, and think we can't jump in with the Catholics.

If it will still be around, and we can be a part, football only, I prefer my option.

 

[upstater]

I'm with you that we need to keep football relevant (or as relevant as a non Top-5 conference can be). If you are right, that the NNBE Football would fall apart, then I accept your logic, and think we can't jump in with the Catholics.

If it will still be around, and we can be a part, football only, I prefer my option.

I just don't understand what the incentive is for the new football schools.

They're supposed to jump through hoops for the privilege of playing UConn in football?

Wha?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I think the NBE football schools will be OK with UConn and Cincinnati as football only, but we don't know until we know. I do see the rest of the league going all sports, and adding a big western contingent.

 

[Chuck]

I just don't understand what the incentive is for the new football schools.

They're supposed to jump through hoops for the privilege of playing UConn in football?

Wha?

I may be misinterpreting your comment, but I don't see the football schools allowing UConn to play just football as jumping through hoops. The only thing those schools might want from UConn is basketball. We have strong Olympic sports, but most schools just want regional competition with those sports to keep costs down. I'm sure UConn can agree to play the football schools in basketball in regular OOC games and everyone wins.

 

[upstater]

I may be misinterpreting your comment, but I don't see the football schools allowing UConn to play just football as jumping through hoops. The only thing those schools might want from UConn is basketball. We have strong Olympic sports, but most schools just want regional competition with those sports to keep costs down. I'm sure UConn can agree to play the football schools in basketball in regular OOC games and everyone wins.

I don't think that fulfills their desires. These schools want to compete for conference championships against UConn bball. At least, that's how interpret SMU's bball desires.

 

[willie99]

I'm numb

my head is spinning and I haven't even had a drink

I may just go into hibernation for the Holidays, when I wake up we might have a clue

my confidence that we'll be fine has been eroded to 15%, taking a 60% hit with this news

just being relevant in basketball was always my safety net, but alas, no longer is that a certainty

 

[gioff23]

We're not dead. Not every move is life and death. The carousel will be spinning a decade from now. I am a firm believer UConn will land in a safe place in time. It hurts in the interim, I get it. But many of us thought the CYO's held us back for a decade, so why are we upset at their leaving? I could live w/FB continuing to grow in a conf comprised of most, not all, of he NNBE schools - dump Tulane, now; add Southern Miss if you want that area covered; add in another western program to appease SDSU and Boise. And keep the Olympic sports tied to the revamped CYO to keep rivalries alive, hold on to the MSG venue, and reduce travel. We can't afford a sports budget that is shipping across the country to play O sports.

The onus is now on us. We need to step up our supprt of the program and show the BIG and/or ACC that we are a valued propoerty. It ain't happening just because. We have to convince the leagues we want to play in that we are a viable property in more ways than we are "pretty close" to Manhattan.

 

[buggsy]

Name a non-BCS program not already in the BE who is better at football than UConn. .

BYU

 

[TRest]

not sure that is what the ACC is becoming...Louisville and Duke or Wake have nothing in common at all.

Agreed, poorly phrased on my part.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Ed Daigneault ‏@EdDaigneault
Taking UConn and Cincy w/ them. RT @Mengus22: If the BE bball schools do this, it's suicide and they deserve whatever fate befalls them.

Collapse

• • Reply
  • Retweet
  • Favorite

• More

Can't stand the guy's employer, but props are props I guess...

Is there another source besides Daigneault? I can't find anyone else saying that UConn is going with the hoops schools. In fact, most seem pretty happy to get away from UConn and Cincinnati.

 

[UConn990411]

Ed Daigneault ‏@EdDaigneault
Taking UConn and Cincy w/ them. RT @Mengus22: If the BE bball schools do this, it's suicide and they deserve whatever fate befalls them.

Collapse

• • Reply
  • Retweet
  • Favorite

• More

Can't stand the guy's employer, but props are props I guess...

Read the tweet Daigneault replied to - he's NOT saying the Catholic schools are taking UConn and Cincy with them.

He's saying that, in leaving the Big East, the Catholic schools are committing suicide, and they're bringing UConn and Cincy down with them.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Thought I'd thow some more details reported by Thamel. SI is saying this is a done deal. Lot's complexities, including the exit fee money, the NCAA unit share etc.

Interesting quote from the Marquette AD. Reminds us of the original purpose of the Big East.

"What's football going to look like in 15 years?" Marquette athletic director Larry Williams​

told ESPN 540 in Milwaukee​

. "They may not be in the power position they are in today. How do we as an elite basketball program fit into the landscape of this football dominated environment? I don't have a complete answer for you, but that's the question."​

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basketball/news/20121213/big-east-basketball/#ixzz2ExLvbcII​

 

[tzznandrew]

BYU

True. A program that was specifically asked to join the BE and rejected it. So it's not like a conference without Rutgers and Louisville is going to get BYU to join. They're not available.

Perhaps I should rephrase: Name an available team better than UConn...

 

[UConnDan97]

True. A program that was specifically asked to join the BE and rejected it. So it's not like a conference without Rutgers and Louisville is going to get BYU to join. They're not available.

Perhaps I should rephrase: Name an available team better than UConn...

And I would go one step further and argue that BYU's football right now is the equivalent of UConn's. They have a bigger fan following and marketing potential, but their product on the field is not better...

 

[CL82]

Thought I'd thow some more details reported by Thamel. SI is saying this is a done deal. Lot's complexities, including the exit fee money, the NCAA unit share etc.

Interesting quote from the Marquette AD. Reminds us of the original purpose of the Big East.

"What's football going to look like in 15 years?" Marquette athletic director Larry Williams ​

told ESPN 540 in Milwaukee​

. "They may not be in the power position they are in today. How do we as an elite basketball program fit into the landscape of this football dominated environment? I don't have a complete answer for you, but that's the question."​

​

​

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basketball/news/20121213/big-east-basketball/#ixzz2ExLvbcII​

The numbers CBSSports.com floated last week about the Big East's potential television revenue -- $60 to $80 million -- were too low. But the number wouldn't have risen much over $100 million annually, and part of the reason is that so much of the Big East's inventory had no real value.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basketball/news/20121213/big-east-basketball/#ixzz2Exf1p39n