Wait, I'm confused. I thought that failure to do anything except form an all-basketball league of Catholic schools would inevitably lead to disaster. ESPECIALLY if it wasn't done within 5 days of the traitors announcing they were leaving.
Yet it seems that by taking our time and adding some quality schools for BOTH sports, we might be okay?
Post by AustinHoya03 on Feb 7, 2012 14:36:14 GMT -5
I had to count to be sure that the BE is now at 12 schools for football. Here's the breakdown between the football conference and the other sports:
Pigskin (12) Cincinnati Louisville Rutgers UConn USF Navy Memphis Boise State SMU Houston UCF San Diego State
Roundball, etc. (17) Georgetown Marquette Notre Dame Louisville Cincinnati USF UConn Seton Hall Rutgers St. John's Villanova Providence DePaul Memphis Houston UCF SMU
My opinion is that we're done (assuming Memphis is in for all sports). 12 is a good number for football: it allows the conference to weather any future attrition (please God no) and also leaves room to expand if Villanova moves up to DI-A or Notre Dame ever decides to give up its football independence (wishful thinking). 17 has worked for us in basketball so far, and I don't see a pressing need to add another school at this time. Temple is not likely to become an ACC team if the BE doesn't add them.
1. This may be a sign that 1) the back and forth with BYU and AFA was not going anywhere. Like Temple and ECU, Memphis is a willing suitor. 2. It's a potential hedge against Louisville being courted by the Big 12, though UofL is smart enough to see what the next TV offer with be with NBC before going out on the market. 3. Football divisions: SDSU, Boise, SMU, Houston, Memphis, and someone else in the west (Louisville?); Navy, Rutg, UConn, USF, UCF, and Cincinnati in the east. 4. A 17 team basketball league. A five day opening act on Tuesday at MSG but no other major changes to the tournament. 5. Memphis competes in all Big East sponsored sports other than lacrosse and swimming. 6. The "Villanova to I-A" bandwagon has officially come to a stop. 7. This sets up Syr and Pitt to buy their way out early in 2013 and join BC as second class citizens to the ACC Big Four.
Love to see the BE add a basketball first school to the mix. That being said, is a 17 team bball conference really a good idea? I guess that was what we were going to do with TCU, and I'd certainly rather have Memphis as 17 than TCU (for bball), but maybe its time to bounce DePaul?
Love to see the BE add a basketball first school to the mix. That being said, is a 17 team bball conference really a good idea? I guess that was what we were going to do with TCU, and I'd certainly rather have Memphis as 17 than TCU (for bball), but maybe its time to bounce DePaul?
17 team basketball league makes sense. The scheduled is perfectly balanced if you play everyone once and alternate home courts every year. It allows a little more flexibility to schedule OOC and one team feels the shame of not going to the BET, which I like.
The league will likely invite 17 to MSG and add a fifth game on Tuesday.--Admin
Why worry about bouncing Depaul? Is 16 teams really so much better than 17? Is Depaul going to be any worse in basketball than SMU, UCF, or Houston over the next 5 years? Basically now you play every team once, and have two home and homes for TV purposes (rather than 3 as currently configured). It would be great to just lock in Villanova and St. John's as permanent rivalry games, but not sure how much the rest of the conference would like that.
Be more constructive with your feedback... please.
"Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad." -BO'D
Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Feb 7, 2012 16:37:07 GMT -5
This also adds the Memphis TV market for what it is worth. That seems to be the selling point the BE is approaching on this upcoming contract. Based on what the ACC got in their deal and recently re-upped, it may not be too hard for the Big East to get money on par with that in which case, why would any of the remaining schools want to leave if the money is similar (and lets be honest, ACC football sucks).
Why worry about bouncing Depaul? Is 16 teams really so much better than 17? Is Depaul going to be any worse in basketball than SMU, UCF, or Houston over the next 5 years? Basically now you play every team once, and have two home and homes for TV purposes (rather than 3 as currently configured). It would be great to just lock in Villanova and St. John's as permanent rivalry games, but not sure how much the rest of the conference would like that.
Maybe 16 is not better than 17, but like you note, we will already be importing crap bball schools in SMU, UCF and Houston. But unfortunately we need those schools for their football programs. What do we need DePaul for? The coveted Rosemont, IL market?
I like this move for Georgetown. I enjoy playing Memphis and it is a program that has tremendous institutional and community support.I do not see UL in the BE long-term, but if anything can get them to stay this addition and a solid TV deal will. From a basketball perspective the BE remains BCS-level. Football? Well, it was never the conference's strong suit.
Outgoing Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson confirmed to ESPN.com that the official call with the Big East to accept the invitation from commissioner John Marinatto will take place at 1 p.m. ET.
A news conference will follow in Memphis.
I am not a complete idiot. There are some parts missing.
3. Football divisions: SDSU, Boise, SMU, Houston, Memphis, and someone else in the west (Louisville?); Navy, Rutg, UConn, USF, UCF, and Cincinnati in the east.
If Louisville and Cincinnati do split up, I'd guess that the league goes with one guaranteed cross-divison rivalry game per year, to keep the Keg of Nails game an annual tradition.
The divisions could also split into North and South, with Navy, Rutgers, UConn, Cincinnati, Louisville and Boise in the former division, and with USF, UCF, Memphis, SMU, Houston, and SDSU in the latter division. That seems to make more sense to me culturally/geographically, but your proposal seems more likely. It keeps Boise paired with its "western partner" and also allows the northeastern schools to continue to recruit in Florida.
Louisville and Memphis would probably be the BE biggest rivalry…Provided they're both good.. Fwiw
Or, the biggest rivalry could be GU/St. John's, GU/UConn or GU/Nova if both teams are good. GU/Syracuse certainly wasn't a natural rivalry - it's just that both teams were good for an extended period of time, and thus a rivalry was born. You could say that Louisville/Memphis has history on its side, but so does GU/St. John's.
Post by blueandgray on Feb 7, 2012 21:38:59 GMT -5
I like the addition of Memphis. Not many teams fill the booth, but Memphis certainly could and would.
Fwiw, their fanbase travels extremely well....out side of Kansas and Duke, easily had the 3rd strongest showing in Maui....over Tenessee, UCLA, Michigan, etc.
Memphis is done deal according to a big wig alum of theirs. Do we hold on to WVU still in 2013 with these (pending) additions ?
We are trying to hold onto WV for 2012, they want out starting this summer. I think its a done deal that, like a nasty bowel movement, all of the traitors will have passed through the system by 2013.
Anyways, I'm happy at the Memphis news. But we got to close the deal
"You are a disgrace to this school" - Alumn to me after airballing a free throw
"Everything happens for a reason, and that reason is . . . God is clearly a Georgetown fan. "
