Imagine the Big East, Coast to Coast NYTimes Article

[admin]

I can imagine a secanrio where Gonzaga could be added. It would require GU to commit serious money to travel, however, and they'd probably need to find a different home for their other sports which doesn't sound very likely. An 11 team Big East playing round robin would still be doable. Each current team traveling to Spokane once a year isn't much to ask and the travel for GU could be worked out in blocks equating to an NBA team making an eastern road swing playing several times over the course of a week.

Now, if you're talking about adding anyone else - SMC, BYU, Santa Clara - I can all but assure you every league president would scoff at the idea.

I don't get this. What is the problem with BYU? Seems the other Catholic institutions in that conference get along with them just fine, and Gonzaga fans seem to want them the most as well. BYU is a national brand, has fans across the country, supports strong sports programs all around, and is in no threat of leaving for a major conference. They're kind of the like the West Coast Notre Dame. Now, if you said beyond BYU? then yeah, it would be silly. But Zags and BYU are a strong pair and would not dilute the conference.

My primary point was that an 11 team conference could work because the Big East could maintain a round robin (in theory). Twelve requires divisions and I think there would be strong opposition to that.

[aughnanure]

An outside the box idea that I heard was to set up some kind of a relationship with Gonzaga similar to the relationship Notre Dame football has with the ACC.

Gonzaga remains a member of the WCC, but commits to playing 3-5 Big East teams in the nonconference each season. Not sure if it's practical, but at least theoretically, Gonzaga would get more pre-March exposure from playing Georgetown than from playing Pepperdine, and the Big East teams would get to beef up their nonconference schedules.

I like this a lot, and it would also help grease the wheels on any potential future conference membership. I would extend this to other WCC members too like BYU and St. Mary's. Their other schools hovered in the 200-250 RPI range through this past year, so not sure that would be worth it to expand it past those 3 currently. If they got in the 100-200 range, that's an acceptable non-con game.

[aughnanure]

I can imagine a secanrio where Gonzaga could be added. It would require GU to commit serious money to travel, however, and they'd probably need to find a different home for their other sports which doesn't sound very likely. An 11 team Big East playing round robin would still be doable. Each current team traveling to Spokane once a year isn't much to ask and the travel for GU could be worked out in blocks equating to an NBA team making an eastern road swing playing several times over the course of a week.

Now, if you're talking about adding anyone else - SMC, BYU, Santa Clara - I can all but assure you every league president would scoff at the idea.

I don't get this. What is the problem with BYU? Seems the other Catholic institutions in that conference get along with them just fine, and Gonzaga fans seem to want them the most as well. BYU is a national brand, has fans across the country, supports strong sports programs all around, and is in no threat of leaving for a major conference. They're kind of the like the West Coast Notre Dame. Now, if you said beyond BYU? then yeah, it would be silly. But Zags and BYU are a strong pair and would not dilute the conference.

My primary point was that an 11 team conference could work because the Big East could maintain a round robin (in theory). Twelve requires divisions and I think there would be strong opposition to that.

Gotcha, but it wouldn't necessitate divisions, but more divisional scheduling. I don't think you'd see a true division set up unless we got to at least 14 or 16 teams total that were that geographically disparate.

[gtmoBlue]

interesting read.

Go ahead and add the Zags and BYU, with STL and/or STB to fill in the bottom. If it is too problematic, then take the idea of them (Zags/BYU) scheduling 3 BE teams a year in hoops.

[aughnanure]

interesting read.

Go ahead and add the Zags and BYU, with STL and/or STB to fill in the bottom. If it is too problematic, then take the idea of them (Zags/BYU) scheduling 3 BE teams a year in hoops.

Who is STB?

[admin]

My primary point was that an 11 team conference could work because the Big East could maintain a round robin (in theory). Twelve requires divisions and I think there would be strong opposition to that.

Gotcha, but it wouldn't necessitate divisions, but more divisional scheduling. I don't think you'd see a true division set up unless we got to at least 14 or 16 teams total that were that geographically disparate.

So let's look at this from the point of the university presidents who are going to be deciding issues like this:

Proposal - add Gonzaga and BYU and that will require divisional scheduling so the 4 westernmost schools - Creighton, DePaul, Marquette, and Butler will all have to make annual trips to Spokane and Provo. The other six will not. That's bad for budgetary and competitive reasons.

How likely do you think those 4 presidents would approve that? If they don't, there's no expansion and it's dead. Which makes me think this will never happen.

[stever20]

My primary point was that an 11 team conference could work because the Big East could maintain a round robin (in theory). Twelve requires divisions and I think there would be strong opposition to that.

Gotcha, but it wouldn't necessitate divisions, but more divisional scheduling. I don't think you'd see a true division set up unless we got to at least 14 or 16 teams total that were that geographically disparate.

So let's look at this from the point of the university presidents who are going to be deciding issues like this:

Proposal - add Gonzaga and BYU and that will require divisional scheduling so the 4 westernmost schools - Creighton, DePaul, Marquette, and Butler will all have to make annual trips to Spokane and Provo. The other six will not. That's bad for budgetary and competitive reasons.

How likely do you think those 4 presidents would approve that? If they don't, there's no expansion and it's dead. Which makes me think this will never happen.

Um, just thinking about it. if they added Gonzaga and BYU. Creighton, DePaul, Marquette, Butler would all go to Spokane/Provo each year. That's 4 of those schools home games. each other would be #5. So 6-9 would have to come from St John's, PC, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Nova, and Xavier. So to say the other 6 would not have to make annual trips- while true, is a bit misleading. They would be having to go out there 2 out of 3 years.

I don't think it happens. Gonzaga is pretty good, but BYU- they have all of 7 tourney wins in the 64+ team era of the tourney. 1 sweet 16.

[aughnanure]

My primary point was that an 11 team conference could work because the Big East could maintain a round robin (in theory). Twelve requires divisions and I think there would be strong opposition to that.

Gotcha, but it wouldn't necessitate divisions, but more divisional scheduling. I don't think you'd see a true division set up unless we got to at least 14 or 16 teams total that were that geographically disparate.

So let's look at this from the point of the university presidents who are going to be deciding issues like this:

Proposal - add Gonzaga and BYU and that will require divisional scheduling so the 4 westernmost schools - Creighton, DePaul, Marquette, and Butler will all have to make annual trips to Spokane and Provo. The other six will not. That's bad for budgetary and competitive reasons.

How likely do you think those 4 presidents would approve that? If they don't, there's no expansion and it's dead. Which makes me think this will never happen.

First, it would probably be just one trip a year cause you'd play both on a swing trip. Second, it would also mean you'd get BYU and Gonzaga at home every year. So that's a plus. They're big enough names that I don't think it's an outright no.

And I'm not sure it would be the same teams every year, just divisional type scheduling a la the Big Ten where some years you may only get Gonzaga at home, while others you may not get a return game with BYU or another Big East team (i.e., divisional based on rotating schedules, not necessarily geography).

[NJRedman]

I can imagine a secanrio where Gonzaga could be added. It would require GU to commit serious money to travel, however, and they'd probably need to find a different home for their other sports which doesn't sound very likely. An 11 team Big East playing round robin would still be doable. Each current team traveling to Spokane once a year isn't much to ask and the travel for GU could be worked out in blocks equating to an NBA team making an eastern road swing playing several times over the course of a week.

Now, if you're talking about adding anyone else - SMC, BYU, Santa Clara - I can all but assure you every league president would scoff at the idea.

You can't send your basketball to another conference. Where your BBall resides is your home conference. All of their other sports would have to come along unless we don't sponsor that sport. There is no BBall only in D1 NCAA.

[NJRedman]

I can imagine a secanrio where Gonzaga could be added. It would require GU to commit serious money to travel, however, and they'd probably need to find a different home for their other sports which doesn't sound very likely. An 11 team Big East playing round robin would still be doable. Each current team traveling to Spokane once a year isn't much to ask and the travel for GU could be worked out in blocks equating to an NBA team making an eastern road swing playing several times over the course of a week.

Now, if you're talking about adding anyone else - SMC, BYU, Santa Clara - I can all but assure you every league president would scoff at the idea.

I don't get this. What is the problem with BYU? Seems the other Catholic institutions in that conference get along with them just fine, and Gonzaga fans seem to want them the most as well. BYU is a national brand, has fans across the country, supports strong sports programs all around, and is in no threat of leaving for a major conference. They're kind of the like the West Coast Notre Dame. Now, if you said beyond BYU? then yeah, it would be silly. But Zags and BYU are a strong pair and would not dilute the conference.

My primary point was that an 11 team conference could work because the Big East could maintain a round robin (in theory). Twelve requires divisions and I think there would be strong opposition to that.

12 requires divisions? Uh no it doesn't. Only TWO conferences in D1 have divisions and one of those is getting rid of it. No major conference has divisions in BBall.