Call me lame but I like the big east how it is. If Kansas does come calling obviously that moves my needle some but nothing else really gets me excited.
I agree that I'm fine with the Big East the way it is presently. The question in my mind, though, is whether the Big East has the option of staying as it is. My concern is that some conference (read: Big Ten) will tell strong basketball schools that they can join the conference without bringing with them a strong football program; they can do away with football, play independent, or play in some lesser league. In that case, Kansas is a sure thing, but what about, say, Villanova? UConn? Maybe the economics wouldn't work for the Big Ten if a school isn't contributing to the pot in football, so maybe it shouldn't be a concern. Still, with no conference affiliation seemingly safe in the current environment, I'm not sure that the Big East will be able to stand pat.
Yeah in a perfect world I would say leave the Big East alone and it should still be one of the strongest conferences out there, even in cycles we usually get strong metrics compared to the other conferences. But now that NIL money and TV rights are becoming such driving factors that schools are forsaking geography and logistics altogether, I think it's only a matter of time before the Big East is forced to protect the assets they do have, and ultimately consider adding established schools to stay relevant.
Another nail in the coffin of the concept of a true student-athlete. Kids will be spending more time in the air than in the classroom or just having some small slice of campus life. Between this and NIL it no longer resembles anything remotely close to that ideal. And I get that some programs have operated this way for some time, but still makes me sad it’s becoming normalized.
Kansas plus Iowa State? Gonzaga plus either Stanford or Arizona. All much better basketball than football schools. How well will any of them do when the football recruiting gravity shifts even more dramatically than it sits now.......
Is there any positive scenario or silver lining in the long run? It's certainly a struggle to see one...
Who knows, perhaps Title is right and the whole NIL craze will top out and normalize itself once kids realize there can only be so much money to be made while attending school. They operate like pro athletes with all the practice and travel time going coast to coast, but they still have to keep their grades up (most of them anyway.) Maybe this will further make offshoot organizations like the G League become the traditional route for all the blue chips and all the fringe recruits who typically leave early, and college can once again represent the typical "student athlete" we still admire. Something will change, and I fear we wont like it as much. I'm just glad that Thad came back when he did before the madness begins.
The only way Kansas, Gonzaga, or anyone else joins the Big East is if they’ll make more money by doing so than any other option. Very possible we’ll see a national basketball-centric conference made up of schools with BCS football teams: UConn, Kansas, Arizona, Baylor, Iowa State, Duke, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, and others. We should nab Gonzaga but not St. Mary’s or Dayton. They have each only reached the sweet sixteen or beyond once in the last several decades. And SLU has never won more than one game in an NCAA tournament and shouldn’t even be part of the conversation.
Pretty much agree. This comes down to money and survival. Teams won't leave and conferences won't extend offers unless it makes monetary sense. Kansas makes no sense in the BE financially for them. They make way more money with a crap football team than they ever would in the BE for basketball. Would love it...but seems unrealistic. Gonzaga for sure .......disagree on Saint Mary's. Picks up a major media market in the west coast in The Bay area just in time for a new media package. Plus a travel partner. Where this could go off the rails is if the SEC or Big10 pick off some ACC schools. They have a crap ESPN contract that runs thru like 2036. If they pilfer the football schools like Miami, Florida State, Clemson, and maybe even UNC then the ACC will be scrambling for members and will pilfer from wherever they can. The SEC and Big10 can provide way more cash. Uconn can make a lot more money by jumping to the ACC then....minus penalties that I am not privey to. Love the setup we have now......but gotta protect ourselves for the impending 2 mega conferences. And possible loss of at least UConn.
I guess maybe I’m underestimating how much media share St. Mary’s gets in their market. Their arena only holds about 3,500, so I wonder how much of a following they have with several other D1 schools in the same market. They’re about the same size as Butler but haven’t had the benefit of deep runs in the tournament to develop a fan base like we have.
I'm not sure about their Fandom at all to be honest. Maybe San Fransisco makes more sense. It is a large market though and would be a better sell to a media company. And I'm sure there are plenty of BE alumni in the San Fransisco area as well.
Daddysmack, let me know when you visit the SF Bay Area. I would like to treat you to a large cappuccino at Peet's and pastries of your choice. Have a GREAT holiday weekend. Danville
Oh no.....was just there a couple of weeks ago. Going back early spring next year! Will absolutely take you up on that.
Listen to me, for just once. If Val makes a move, it will be for Gonzaga, Witchita St and or St Louis/Dayton...
Right, because that's something she would definitely share with you. Just make sure to take us to the Promise Land first before the conference falls apart.
Regional media markets don’t matter in a streaming world. Relevancy does. St.Mary’s has neither, but they have their pals to the north that will need a travel partner until we can teleport.
So much of this is football driven, and the sooner that FBS football can break away from the NCAA (and thus, its member conferences) the better. Honestly the USC/UCLA-B1G thing is one of the ridiculous scenarios I'd hoped would be prevented by such a breakaway. Same for OU/UT-SEC although that wasn't as regionally farfetched. The damage has been done, though. Even with a breakaway, those schools aren't going back to their original spots. It's gonna be a weird world. Big East will be in an interesting position with or without expansion. Two mega-conferences will certainly rule everything, but Big East MBB/WBB is a better product as a whole than the smattering of leftovers.
He was trying to get everyone's attention that Butler was hiring Thad when people were thinking it was Boals or Nored. He might have some info.
Would be slightly amusing if Phil Knight U gets left out in the cold because the price of bringing Oregon State with them is too high. I've reached a nihlistic state when it comes to all this because 1) I believe Butler is safely ensconced in a conference that will survive intact, if not slightly expanded, because it is basketball focused and that will very likely get an invite to whatever new basketball tournament these greedy mfers create when they decide the football money isn't enough, and 2) what's happening is too f*cking maddening if you give a sh*t.
