UConn Smoke

[scoscox]

Didn't VD only win the A10 Conference Tournament ONCE since joining the conference with X in the mid-90"s. That's one time in almost 25 years. And, if I recall correctly, it took them playing in VD Arena to accomplish that. If that track record constitutes a flagship, I'd say the flagship is a 30 year old used pontoon boat with a smoky 50-HP Evinrude dangling off the back of it.

You’re right but they did win the regular season twice under Archie which is coincidentally the only two conference titles in the history of the program. Still I believe it’s more than anyone else since we left the conference.

[scoscox]

It's been disappointing not getting to the second weekend with how many appearances there has been. I will still think of Shaka's best coaching year being 2012, as a #12 seed beating Wichita State and having a 4 point lead over IU with a minute left (heartbreaking). Should've made the second round then, with the Final Four squad having all graduated.

I think VCU's the flagship, since they've finished first or second (regular season) 6 out of the 9 years they've been in the league. Not to mention they've made the A10 Tournament Final 7 out of 9 years. Since they entered the league, they've been the most consistent. Dayton has been first or second place 3 out of 9 years (bottoming out at 11th place in Archie's second year) whereas VCU has never had an A-10 losing record. I'd argue that VCU has cemented themselves as the flagship regardless of their 3 coaching changes.

We were there for a long time on the second weekend until the dam kinda broke so to speak in 04. Just gotta keep giving yourself opportunities.

You’re probably right about your a-10 status it’s just that elite eight by Dayton still sticks out in my mind

[NJRedman]

I simply don't understand why people can't look at this logically and with facts.

1. The BE is very happy with current configuration
2. The coaches are very happy with current configuration
3. The Presidents are very happy with the current configuration
4. Fox is very happy with current configuration
5. MSG is very happy with current configuration


So when you add up all of these facts, you are left with the simple fact that it will take a no brainer have to do it kind of addition to do anything other then what we are doing.
SLU? VCU? WTF?

Well thats not all facts. Our TV partners would like more inventory in the next contract for a raise in pay. Thats normally how it happens at least the last decade. Sitting on our asses and doing nothing is what happened when we got raided twice.

[FriarJ]

I simply don't understand why people can't look at this logically and with facts.

1. The BE is very happy with current configuration
2. The coaches are very happy with current configuration
3. The Presidents are very happy with the current configuration
4. Fox is very happy with current configuration
5. MSG is very happy with current configuration


So when you add up all of these facts, you are left with the simple fact that it will take a no brainer have to do it kind of addition to do anything other then what we are doing.
SLU? VCU? WTF?

Well thats not all facts. Our TV partners would like more inventory in the next contract for a raise in pay. Thats normally how it happens at least the last decade. Sitting on our asses and doing nothing is what happened when we got raided twice.

They ship a bunch of content from us to regional fox right now. They are not going to give friggin SLU $5 million dollars a year. Wake up.

[FriarJ]

I simply don't understand why people can't look at this logically and with facts.

1. The BE is very happy with current configuration
2. The coaches are very happy with current configuration
3. The Presidents are very happy with the current configuration
4. Fox is very happy with current configuration
5. MSG is very happy with current configuration


So when you add up all of these facts, you are left with the simple fact that it will take a no brainer have to do it kind of addition to do anything other then what we are doing.
SLU? VCU? WTF?

I believe most people here - virtually everyone here - agree with you on points 1 - 5.

As I noted earlier, with the Gavitt Games and the Big XII Challenge, the Big East is virtually set for results that will essentially emulate a 20-game conference schedule through at least the next few years. And our key partners are all happy, as you noted.

Otherwise, it's summertime, and that invariably leads to conference expansion / conference realignment banter. This current wave of discussion fired up over the UCONN rumor posted above.

A little more WHAT IF to go along with long, warm summer days.

. I’m sorry. I can’t even what if me into Fox paying SLU $5 million a year and we have posters saying it’s a done deal.

[kayako]

I simply don't understand why people can't look at this logically and with facts.

1. The BE is very happy with current configuration
2. The coaches are very happy with current configuration
3. The Presidents are very happy with the current configuration
4. Fox is very happy with current configuration
5. MSG is very happy with current configuration

This is laughably naive thinking. What facts? Care to back this up?

[GoldenWarrior11]

I simply don't understand why people can't look at this logically and with facts.

1. The BE is very happy with current configuration
2. The coaches are very happy with current configuration
3. The Presidents are very happy with the current configuration
4. Fox is very happy with current configuration
5. MSG is very happy with current configuration


So when you add up all of these facts, you are left with the simple fact that it will take a no brainer have to do it kind of addition to do anything other then what we are doing.
SLU? VCU? WTF?

Well, the Big East has repeatedly said that it is happy with the configuration, yes. The coaches and Presidents (and Val) have expressed happiness with current configuration, but have also left open possibility to eventual expansion (if it benefits the league). Fox has affirmed the positive relationship with the Big East, but has not declared one way or the other about wanting expansion. MSG definitely likes the current configuration, but considering the amount of games the conference tournament lost going from 18 teams down to 10, and the potential to expand the tournament there, I think it is naive to declare (factually) that MSG does not want growth from the BET.

To affirm, the Big East would only expand if it makes financial and organizational sense. However, to state the conference absolutely and definitively will not expand because everything is great today is short-sighted and naive. Conferences discuss expansion annually; any league that doesn't is not looking at growth or development opportunities. Conferences undoubtedly have back-channel discussions with potential schools, providing insight into what it would eventually take to be admitted as a member. UConn is probably one of them - though that doesn't mean that they are 100% coming to the Big East. My guess is that, despite some beliefs here, Saint Louis is another. Fox is undoubtedly aware of this on-going informal talks, and would only green light advanced discussions if it felt that they had a strong business opportunity that brought more viewership and exposure at a financially beneficial cost.

They ship a bunch of content from us to regional fox right now. They are not going to give friggin SLU $5 million dollars a year. Wake up.

This is a very narrow view point on how networks view content. The Big East had just seven conference games last year that were shown on FSN (that's under 4% of games). The amount of games appearing on national broadcasts (CBS/Fox) has only increased since we signed our first TV deal (we had over 20 last year, and that will only grow), so they demand is clearly there.

I have no idea when the Big East will expand (but it is inevitable). There can be strong arguments as to why Fox would make a financial commitment for an 11th program to join the Big East - it would increase exposure in a new media market, increase the amount of content, increase the amount of tournament games at Madison Square Garden, and - going off of the data - increase the average number of bids (and seeding) our teams would have in the NCAA Tournament. For all the immediate resentment a school like SLU gets on here from some, they have a large media market (of which many of their alums in our current BE cities), a big arena (which sells out when they have played BE/big programs), lacks other Winter competition (no NBA team/no NFL team) and has made a financial commitment to raising the profile of its men's basketball program. They check all of the other institutional boxes (academics/location/alumni/Catholic). And SLU's basketball program would undoubtedly raise its level of perception from an association in the Big East (for which the money Fox would pay would not be as outrageous as some here say).

[gtmoBlue]

FriarJ is a prodigy of JP's and a closet SLU fan. Using his brand of reverse logic to promote the Billikens. What the hell, bring on SLU & SBU to boost the middle tier teams. In doing so we can boost our NCAA bids from an average of 5/year up to 7/year and help out Gtwn. More NCAA units to share.

If you don't think they would be full partners, the league can gradually apportion their pay over a few years, increasing every couple of years, until they gain full pay in 5 or 6 years in conference.
Gonzaga or UConn can always make 13/14.

[X Hoops 19]

FriarJ is a prodigy of JP's and a closet SLU fan. Using his brand of reverse logic to promote the Billikens. What the hell, bring on SLU & SBU to boost the middle tier teams. In doing so we can boost our NCAA bids from an average of 5/year up to 7/year and help out Gtwn. More NCAA units to share.

I agree with you and others on SLU as a potential candidate, gtmo, but I can promise you that as a former program that made regular trips to SBU, Xavier wouldn’t be keen on adding the Bonnies to the Big East. And I don’t think our other schools would, either. Not because they aren’t a good program, because Mark Schmidt has done an absolutely incredible job there and a lot of X fans, myself included, are huge fans of his. It’s because of its location in Olean. I’ve never been there before, but I know several people who have, including some with Xavier’s program. They say it’s an absolute nightmare to travel to, especially in the dead of winter. Under Schmidt, they’ve definitely started checking a couple of the boxes of what we’d be looking for, but from a location standpoint, they’d be the exact opposite of what we have going on with our current programs.

[gtmoBlue]

Well if SBU is out of the question, I suppose we'll have to BUY Syracuse back into the BE. God knows, we need a team in New York.