Imagine the Big East, Coast to Coast NYTimes Article

[Hoya Hoya Hoya]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/21/sport ... .html?_r=1

So Gonzaga, St. Mary's, St. Louis, Dayton?

[NovaBall]

I have always been against expansion except for 2 scenarios:

1. UConn de-emphases football and comes back
2. We come up with a realistic plan for Gonzaga to enter the fold.

I don't know if either would ever happen. But I am open to both. And any other discussion is a non-starter in my opinion.

[aughnanure]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/21/sports/ncaabasketball/imagine-the-big-east-coast-to-coast.html?_r=1

So Gonzaga, St. Mary's, St. Louis, Dayton?

I think you'd need more than two schools out there to really help with the travel. BYU seems like a smart move. St. Louis gives another western Mid West team along with Marquette, DePaul, and Creighton. So I see 4 decent adds there. Not sure where else you'd go to add more teams out west, so would you stop at just 4? Wichita St seems very unlikely. Loyola Marymount hasn't been good since the late 80s.

The fact that Few actually commented on this positively (and almost advocating it) is pretty bog IMO.

[Irishdawg]

The idea of it sounds amazing and wonderful. The reality of that would be hell logistically. The idea of 2 divisions also sounds good until you try and figure out who else practically would make sense to invite.

[NJRedman]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/21/sports/ncaabasketball/imagine-the-big-east-coast-to-coast.html?_r=1

So Gonzaga, St. Mary's, St. Louis, Dayton?

I think you'd need more than two schools out there to really help with the travel. BYU seems like a smart move. St. Louis gives another western Mid West team along with Marquette, DePaul, and Creighton. So I see 4 decent adds there. Not sure where else you'd go to add more teams out west, so would you stop at just 4? Wichita St seems very unlikely. Loyola Marymount hasn't been good since the late 80s.

The fact that Few actually commented on this positively (and almost advocating it) is pretty bog IMO.

Just look at who you would want and who is willing to invest in their programs from the WCC/Big West. Let word slip through to both conferences that we are looking to expand and see who is actually interested.

[GoldenWarrior11]

I like Gonzaga - a lot. Great school, great basketball program. I just don't see how there is any scenario where a Gonzaga/Big East partnership would be beneficial for both parties, long-term. The distance between them and the conference is just too great. The shift in conference would, eventually, cause a drain on them because they would not have geographic rivals or conference games close to home. Look at what happened to Boston College and the downgrading shift in recruiting once they went away from their regional rivals to the ACC. Look at West Virginia and the headaches their students/fans need to go through in order to attend conference games in Texas and Oklahoma. Yes, they both got more money, but it hurt their athletic programs big time.

Perhaps a scheduling alliance would be in better order (home/home with two Big East teams per year)?

[stever20]

I totally get why Few would be saying it. the WCC is an absolute dumpster fire. To put it in AAC terms- they have 2 teams that weren't as good as UConn/Cincy, then a Houston, then a Memphis, and then 6 teams that were awful.. The AAC's worst team was Tulane at 232. The WCC had 4 teams worse than that- with San Diego 68 spots worse than Tulane. It's gotten worse, not better. 9 2 years ago, 11 last year, and 13 this year. Gone from 1 sub 200 team 2 years ago, 3 last year, to 6 this year. They see what seed they were put at- with the knowledge if they lose to St Mary's, they don't make the tourney.

[SJHooper]

Add Gonzaga, St. Mary's, BYU, and Wichita St. Gonzaga is always very good, St. Mary's is always solid at worst, BYU is very good every so often, Wichita State is a huge rival with Creighton and St. Mary's is a huge rival with Gonzaga. We add 2 huge rivalries and gain top notch hoops. The best part? Football is still nonexistent. But if UConn wanted to jump on and agreed to ditch football, I'd grab them and VCU for a huge 16 team conference.

Villanova
Georgetown
St. John's
Xavier
Creighton
Providence
Seton Hall
DePaul
Marquette
Butler

New Additions:

VCU
Gonzaga
St. Mary's
UConn
Wichita St.
BYU

Even if UConn was never interested, you can get UNLV. I know it makes no sense, but no realignment makes sense logically.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Add Gonzaga, St. Mary's, BYU, and Wichita St. Gonzaga is always very good, St. Mary's is always solid at worst, BYU is very good every so often, Wichita State is a huge rival with Creighton and St. Mary's is a huge rival with Gonzaga. We add 2 huge rivalries and gain top notch hoops. The best part? Football is still nonexistent. But if UConn wanted to jump on and agreed to ditch football, I'd grab them and VCU for a huge 16 team conference.

Villanova
Georgetown
St. John's
Xavier
Creighton
Providence
Seton Hall
DePaul
Marquette
Butler

New Additions:

VCU
Gonzaga
St. Mary's
UConn
Wichita St.
BYU

Even if UConn was never interested, you can get UNLV. I know it makes no sense, but no realignment makes sense logically.

[whiteandblue77]

Yes. Vomit. No more expansion threads EVER!! (yes I screamed a bit, sorry)

we HAVE to have rip the NCAAs a new asshole BEFORE we broach the subject. PERIOD.