Why not invite Gonzaga to join the Big East?

[DEpup]

I've been following all the conference realignment talk and came across an article that suggested Gonzaga would be interested in an invite from the Big East? Aside from the geographical distance, sounds like this would add value to the conference both men and women. They could create an east and west division for home and away play to ease the travel burden a bit and have just once a year for the other division.

What do folks think? Good or bad?

 

[oldude]

A school from Spokane, Washington in the Big East? Sure, why not…….

 

[Kaizen]

Good ...

 

[Alydar]

Great program- bad idea. Better to ask the AD's of the BE why a small catholic college out west can field an outstanding team while they all don't seem to give a rat's ass.

 

[Boreifs]

Great program- bad idea. Better to ask the AD's of the BE why a small catholic college out west can field an outstanding team while they all don't seem to give a rat's ass.

The men are great; the women not so much. Lots of Big East schools have very competitive men’s teams; the economics of them continuing to do so are daunting.

 

[oldude]

The men are great; the women not so much. Lots of Big East schools have very competitive men’s teams; the economics of them continuing to do so are daunting.

Gonzaga WBB had a very nice season last year going 23-4, winning the West Coast Conference regular season as well as the conference tournament. They lost a close game to SC 79-72 in their season opener.

The Zags were a 5 seed for the Big Dance. But Alas, they lost to Belmont, a 12 seed in the 1st round..,,..

 

[nwhoopfan]

Gonzaga WBB has been a solid program, Kelly Graves started it and Lisa Fortier has kept it going. They have a bit of a post season problem though. Fortier got them to the Sweet 16 in her first Tourney appearance. They've only won one game in her 4 subsequent appearances. Several of those losses have been quite lackluster.

 

[Carnac]

Gonzaga wanting to join the Big East Conference is the strangest thing I’ve read here today.

 

[Vowelguy]

No
No
No
Their closest conference mate would be 1400 miles away. And the sports that have to fly commercial from the east coast to Spokane ... they might as well take a week off.

 

[Kaizen]

Well, actual I don't really know which conference Gonzaga belongs to ....

 

[nwhoopfan]

Well, actual I don't really know which conference Gonzaga belongs to ....

WCC. Mostly schools from California.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Wouldnt it be better to have UConn join the Pac12?

 

[triaddukefan]

Invite High Point... tap into the lucrative NC market.

 

[Carnac]

Wouldnt it be better to have UConn join the Pac12?

No. A logistics nightmare for UConn. UConn teams would spend a lot of time on airplanes and in the friendly skies. The eastern most member is Colorado, plus all of the Pac12 schools have a reasonably competitive football program.

 

[jchusky]

while we're at it why not ask Baylor to join the Big East!

 

[Bigboote]

A school from Spokane, Washington in the Big East? Sure, why not…….

Yeah, that would be like the Big Ten having 14 teams, or the Atlantic Coast Conference having a team from Indiana.

Oh, never mind.

 

[fan4eva]

A school from Spokane, Washington in the Big East? Sure, why not…….

hey if Dallas can be in the NFC East Indianapolis in the AFC South and Cincinnati can in the AAC. why not it's all about the money anyways

 

[Goodgood]

hey if Dallas can be in the NFC East Indianapolis in the AFC South and Cincinnati can in the AAC. why not it's all about the money anyways

Don't think any of these teams fly commercial and their players don't go to classes...

 

[MTHusky]

A school from Spokane, Washington in the Big East? Sure, why not…….

But they are from the Eastern part of Washington

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Well, actual I don't really know which conference Gonzaga belongs to ....

As was said, the WCC. I just want to add that the WCC, in addition to having a lot of California schools is, like the current Big East, all religious schools, 7 of them Catholic. Or as the article says "private, faith based".

 

[veryolddog]

It would be easier for Notre Dame to join the Big East. They have an independent football program and then play with the Catholic schools for basketball. If we are serving up BS on this thread, then here's my shovel full.

 

[oldude]

It would be easier for Notre Dame to join the Big East. They have an independent football program and then play with the Catholic schools for basketball. If we are serving up BS on this thread, then here's my shovel full.

ND in the Big East?
That would be unprecedented!!!

Wait a minute……..never mind…….

 

[Stymie]

I've been following all the conference realignment talk and came across an article that suggested Gonzaga would be interested in an invite from the Big East? Aside from the geographical distance, sounds like this would add value to the conference both men and women. They could create an east and west division for home and away play to ease the travel burden a bit and have just once a year for the other division.

What do folks think? Good or bad?

Is the campus located in East Spokane?
If yes, I say pull he trigger.

 

[oldude]

While we are all having some fun with the idea of Gonzaga in the BE, you will recall that back in 2012 Boise State had a deal to join the OBE. When it became clear that the top football schools were pulling out of the OBE, Boise St decided to remain in the Mountain West.

 

[Skeets]

If you have to get on an airplane anyhow, is it so much different to fly 500 miles or 2500 miles? Need hotel rooms on the other end either way. More expensive? Yes. A little more wear and tear? Yes. But not wildly so. UCONN survived the AAC which involved a lot of travel. Having said that the Gonzaga idea is pretty dumb. Keep the east in the east and the west in the west.