UConn to the Big East? Rumors and Discussion Thread...

[GoldenWarrior11]

While they are an institutional, geographic and athletic fit, Dayton adds more to the American than they would to the Big East. Dayton elevates the American because it mitigates the damage done to the basketball conference on behalf of USF, Tulane and ECU (and most years UCF). It solidifies the middle of the conference with Houston, SMU, Temple and Tulsa, to go along with the top of the conference in UConn, Cincinnati, and Memphis. Dayton being added to the Big East really just pushes DePaul even further down, and just adds more strength to the middle (every team not Villanova).

The Big East could/should at least think about adding Dayton, only because you can't allow the AAC to creep up on you in basketball. We have solidified our spot as a top basketball conference. Don't let another conference steal your hard-earned position.

[BEwannabe]

if Dayton does get an aac invite , what would the issues be with pulling a TCU and accepting BE offer instead?

As I've prefaced my comments earlier my starting point is this AAC conversation involving UD is fake news and I base my opinion on what I perceive is happening with AAC and what I believe UD admin would think of AAC direction. Couple of things though do come to mind though, while UD's traditional alumni base is midwest and east their focus now is south and west because that's where the student population is growing. The second thought on that front is while the Big East schools are peer schools on the private/ Catholic side the AAC schools are predominantly public, national and research schools so there is synergy on the research school front.

From a stability point everyone knows the AAC can't be considered stable and this is the basis of what I think UD is thinking offer or no offer. UD is a very stable institution so I don't see them hitching their horse to wobbly fence post. Of course the wildcard if the rumor has merit is VCU. If VCU and UD are in play and VCU decides AAC is in their best interest then UD has a conundrum.

re: pulling a TCU? Don't you think the AAC will have that covered before they offer? It's the old fool me once, shame on you but fool me twice, shame on me. I don't see the AAC making that mistake. The public part of the offer will come with an acceptance attached or there won't be an offer.

[Bill Marsh]

if Dayton does get an aac invite , what would the issues be with pulling a TCU and accepting BE offer instead?

TCU had to pay the exit fee to the Big East to get out of that commitment. Dayton would also have to pay a Big East entry fee after having already paid one to the AAC. Of course timing is everything.

[Bill Marsh]

if Dayton does get an aac invite , what would the issues be with pulling a TCU and accepting BE offer instead?

As I've prefaced my comments earlier my starting point is this AAC conversation involving UD is fake news and I base my opinion on what I perceive is happening with AAC and what I believe UD admin would think of AAC direction. Couple of things though do come to mind though, while UD's traditional alumni base is midwest and east their focus now is south and west because that's where the student population is growing. The second thought on that front is while the Big East schools are peer schools on the private/ Catholic side the AAC schools are predominantly public, national and research schools so there is synergy on the research school front.

From a stability point everyone knows the AAC can't be considered stable and this is the basis of what I think UD is thinking offer or no offer. UD is a very stable institution so I don't see them hitching their horse to wobbly fence post. Of course the wildcard if the rumor has merit is VCU. If VCU and UD are in play and VCU decides AAC is in their best interest then UD has a conundrum.

re: pulling a TCU? Don't you think the AAC will have that covered before they offer? It's the old fool me once, shame on you but fool me twice, shame on me. I don't see the AAC making that mistake. The public part of the offer will come with an acceptance attached or there won't be an offer.

The old Big East had an acceptance in hand. From TCU. They left for the Big XII anyway.

[BEwannabe]

But didn't the conferences button things up, raising exit fees and creating grants of rights?

In addition, I see TCU opting out of the OBE to return to a geographical conference and a higher profile conference at that (football and that's all TCU cares about) in a completely different light than if this scenario played out with UD. For starters, UD Administration will fully explore any and all oportunities and if this is a real opportunity and UD accepts they're not going to pull an 11th hour reversal. UD has a solid relationship with UC on several fronts so UC would have to approve UD right and then say no?

[DudeAnon]

I think people need to remember that unlike most conferences, it is very unlikely that any current BE members are likely to leave. That applies to expansion candidates as well. So u need to ask ur self, is this possible expansion candidate going to be a good fit 20 years from now?

[Bill Marsh]

I think people need to remember that unlike most conferences, it is very unlikely that any current BE members are likely to leave. That applies to expansion candidates as well. So u need to ask ur self, is this possible expansion candidate going to be a good fit 20 years from now?

In an ideal world, that's how it should work. But very few business decisions are made that way. If the Big East had to decide whether to admit a new member(s) in order to keep or improve their TV contract, would they refuse a candidate due to concerns about 20 years from now?

[herodotus]

If Gonzaga wanted to come, would it make sense to also add St. Mary's as a travel partner?

[Jet915]

If Gonzaga wanted to come, would it make sense to also add St. Mary's as a travel partner?

When the new Big East was formed, it is rumored that Gonzaga was interested, the eastern schools were not. St. Mary's would not be a good add, they play in a high school gym.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

Previously posted:

Downtown Zag Nation – The Gonzaga Bulletin - April 17, 2014

2. As we head into the The Summer of Conference Realignment, Part 2: One Year Later, it’s becoming clearer that GU isn’t going anywhere.

But Gonzaga Athletic Director Mike Roth says it’s not his fault. When the Big East Conference reformed in July 2013, he had GU Athletics ready to move to the new Big East along with the other “Catholic Seven” schools. He recognized that GU would be a perfect fit in every way with the other private, Catholic, similar-size, liberal arts schools from that conference.

One single problem threw a wrench in the gears: geography. As much as a program can request to join a conference, it eventually has to be invited by the conference, Roth said.

Unfortunately for GU, the Big East programs were not willing to fly their sports teams five or six hours to Spokane dozens of times every year, even if Roth was.

Roth says he likes to say that the only way GU would be accepted into the Big East is if teleportation is invented.

Anytime teleportation enters a discussion of conference realignment, things aren’t looking good.

GU looks to be stuck in the ho-hum WCC. While it won’t do us any favors in terms of men’s or women’s basketball, at least the Zags won’t be constantly flying to the Northeast for every away game. That might qualify as low-level silver lining.