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Post by Ranch Dressing on Aug 26, 2014 15:23:04 GMT -5
So, we have over a year of the new Big East under our belt. Couple questions for the board since this was such a contentious issue leading up to our decision to create the new Big East.
What do you like about the conference?
What would you change to improve the conference?
Are you satisfied with the Fox Sports television coverage?
Do you prefer the old Big East with hoops and football schools mixed together?
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HoyaChris
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,408
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Post by HoyaChris on Aug 26, 2014 15:39:35 GMT -5
What do I like? I love 10 teams and the double round robin. I am pretty happy with the additions to the conference in Creighton . Butler and Xavier. I am ecstatic that we are no longer in the same conference as Pitt and West Virginia.
What would I change to improve the conference? We and St John's need to be better than we were in year one because that is the only way to fill up the Garden for the BET.
Am I satisfied with Fox Sports coverage? It is awesome that every game is televised. As an out of towner that was a major concern with the loss of ESPN. I am less excited about the times of some of the games but that is not a problem for me, only some of the DC area fans. Beyond Raff, I found much of the commentary to be quite weak.
Do I prefer the old Big East? Yes, the one circa late 1980s with 10 teams. I hated the 16 team league. It does suck though, not having Syracuse, UConn and Louisville on the schedule.
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Post by Ranch Dressing on Aug 26, 2014 17:09:23 GMT -5
I guess the last question is really did you prefer the Hoops/Football Big East of 2012-13 or the New Hoops-Only Big East of 2013-14 and beyond? It goes to the question of whether we should have split last year or not.
I don't think too many people would trade the current conference with the 1980s Big East.
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Post by hoyasaxa2003 on Aug 26, 2014 17:32:19 GMT -5
What do you like about the conference? I like the round robin / 10 team schedule. I think it is perfect for basketball, and I think that playing everyone a second time makes the matchups more interesting. I also like the fact that we do not have to worry about our conference falling apart because of football interests.
What would you change to improve the conference? Our profile and exposure would increase. To some degree, this is intertwined with Fox Sports gaining traction as a national network, but it can also be done through hiring quality coaches, recruiting well, and putting a great product on the floor. I have always said that if you put quality basketball out there, people will watch.
I thought the quality last year was a bit lacking (even if the Big East was fairly strong relative to other conferences), but I think it will improve, hopefully with Georgetown leading the way. We need to earn respect, since nobody is going to just give it to us. I think this part is doable.
What I would NOT do is add any teams. I think the current 10 is fine, and I want to see how the sports world shakes out before we start adding programs. Butler is a good example of a team that was added because of performance, and they were terrible in their first Big East year. I am confident Butler will get better, but this conference cannot afford another DePaul mistake.
Are you satisfied with the Fox Sports television coverage? I am satisfied with the coverage except that last year we often missed the beginning of games because of the previous ones running late. That's fine, but then make it available on the Fox Sports GO app and add an archive.
I can understand games starting late, but the one instance where NASCAR practice was put on instead of the first half of one of our games was infuriating.
Generally speaking, I think Fox Sports 1 needs more exposure. Having the 2018 and 2022 World Cups (and one of the women's World Cup events) will help, as will some MLB. If Fox ever succeeds in their effort to acquire Time Warner and its sports properties, then the sky will be the limit (NCAA tournament, NFL, etc.).
Do you prefer the old Big East with hoops and football schools mixed together? If you could somehow go back and preserve the 2012-2013 Big East into perpetuity, I would still choose it because I think the quality of the basketball in that conference was top notch and elite. It was a great conference. Unfortunately, that conference staying together was doomed by football. I'm content with where we landed, and think it happened about as well as we could have hoped for. But would I rather play Syracuse, Connecticut, Louisville, etc. in conference play? Yes.
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Dhall
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,679
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Post by Dhall on Aug 26, 2014 19:26:43 GMT -5
I like the new teams. I don't like the 9pm start times and might give up my season tickets over it if they persist.
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Post by FrazierFanatic on Aug 26, 2014 20:45:05 GMT -5
I guess the last question is really did you prefer the Hoops/Football Big East of 2012-13 or the New Hoops-Only Big East of 2013-14 and beyond? It goes to the question of whether we should have split last year or not. I don't think too many people would trade the current conference with the 1980s Big East. We had the choice whether we continued to be beholden to football and continue to watch programs flee to the Big 5 conferences, or take control our own future. Wasn't really much of a choice. |
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tashoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 12,314
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Post by tashoya on Aug 26, 2014 20:59:15 GMT -5
I think the answer to most of those questions come with the qualifier that I think most of us are happy with it in the sense that it was about the best we could have hoped for and we do have some semblance of control of our own fate now. That's a fairly big qualifier. As for Fox, they need to straighten up their scheduling and make NCAAB a priority. I get that NASCAR is huge but NASCAR fans don't give a rip about the network whereas Fox can build loyalty with NCAAB fans, especially fans of the new BE schools. I'm also interested in the direction of sports TV and TV in general. Cable companies are doing their best to hold onto customers but, for a growing base, the only reason to carry cable in one's home is real time sports. I watched part of Breaking Bad and intend to watch it eventually but I don't really care when. But when a Georgetown game is on, I better be able to watch it right then. No compromising on that. Eventually, cable will have to be a la carte or it will die off and be replaced by the Netflixes of the world. That said, sports is a different animal. ESPN, detestable though it is, is only going to get stronger. Fox is going to need to decide to be all in to compete (like Georgetown in the new BE) or to become the Georgetown of the old BE. They put the money behind the conference. Now it's time to put the full infrastructure in place with all of the bells and whistles with the Fox apps and availability in all areas on basic cable for all or, at the least, put itself in a favorable packages with the large providers. ESPN filled a void in its infancy. That void is pretty well filled now. If Fox wants a sizable piece of that, they need to look long term and take the hit in profitability in the short term that that will necessarily require. They should also look at other conferences and overbid. I don't think football is going away anytime soon but I do expect the viewership to decrease as parents become more and more wary of allowing their kids to play. Basketball has no such stigma and is in position to grow at the lowest levels. Better to latch on early and take a shot than to be left wondering what could have been. I'm hopeful overall in terms of it being Fox. I'm old enough to remember when Fox wasn't a network at all and was, basically, a joke and an afterthought. That's not at all the case now and it didn't take them long to do it. They have that competitiveness as a company. They have the juevos to take those big risks. Hopefully we're one of the beneficiaries down the line a bit.
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hoya95
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,445 
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Post by hoya95 on Aug 26, 2014 21:27:46 GMT -5
Fox already took a very large hit in profitability in the short term to get FS1 off the ground in the first place. They signed deals with very low rights fees (not much more than the Speed Channel was getting) with all the major cable companies to get the network on the air in most homes at the start. FS1 has lost a ton of money so far. They'd love to get their App as well as Fox Sports 2 on as many carriers as possible, but right now they have little to no leverage with the cable companies to do so. Going forward, Fox is going to overbid for the Big Ten, the NBA, and anything else that comes open for bid because they have to. But clearly the parent company has all the money in the world, and they are in this for the long haul.
Both the new Big East and the UFC took big ratings hits when they moved to FS1. Part of that is being on a new station that people aren't used to. But a very large part of it is that those products haven't been great in the past year. FS1 is paying all the Big East schools a fortune. Everybody's got the resources to compete in college basketball. All the Big East schools (Georgetown included) now have to go out and get better. If we have a number of Top 25 schools playing against each other, we'll get plenty of national attention, and basketball fans (at least) will watch. It's up to us.
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tashoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 12,314
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Post by tashoya on Aug 26, 2014 22:55:55 GMT -5
Fox already took a very large hit in profitability in the short term to get FS1 off the ground in the first place. They signed deals with very low rights fees (not much more than the Speed Channel was getting) with all the major cable companies to get the network on the air in most homes at the start. FS1 has lost a ton of money so far. They'd love to get their App as well as Fox Sports 2 on as many carriers as possible, but right now they have little to no leverage with the cable companies to do so. Going forward, Fox is going to overbid for the Big Ten, the NBA, and anything else that comes open for bid because they have to. But clearly the parent company has all the money in the world, and they are in this for the long haul. Both the new Big East and the UFC took big ratings hits when they moved to FS1. Part of that is being on a new station that people aren't used to. But a very large part of it is that those products haven't been great in the past year. FS1 is paying all the Big East schools a fortune. Everybody's got the resources to compete in college basketball. All the Big East schools (Georgetown included) now have to go out and get better. If we have a number of Top 25 schools playing against each other, we'll get plenty of national attention, and basketball fans (at least) will watch. It's up to us. Good info. Thanks for the insight. Content, as ever, is king. And Fox was late to the game which necessarily means they'll overpay. They don't have the rep to not do that. Once they get the events and competitive contests, their bargaining power won't be an issue. Which is all the more reason not to cut off the first 20 minutes of a BE game and not have an infrastructure in place that can provide that content to those that have access to FS1. Their track record is to overspend (because they have to) but to be really aggressive and get the properties that they want. They've also developed content that have fueled their sports and news endeavors. Hopefully, they continue that tradition insomuch as it will be great for the Hoyas if they succeed. |
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IDenj
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,526
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Post by IDenj on Aug 27, 2014 6:55:13 GMT -5
Put me in the camp that wants to see the league get to 12 teams by adding two more higher profile squads.
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Post by hoyasaxa2003 on Aug 27, 2014 8:28:08 GMT -5
Put me in the camp that wants to see the league get to 12 teams by adding two more higher profile squads. I would only agree if they were really high profile teams like Connecticut and Memphis, and given their football programs, that's highly unlikely. Memphis will never be picked up by the Big 5, but Connecticut is very possible eventually. |
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DFW HOYA
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 5,728
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Post by DFW HOYA on Aug 27, 2014 8:36:21 GMT -5
What do you like about the conference?
The Big East Tournament at MSG, the TV deal, some level of familiarity with two-thirds of the conference. DePaul remains a sunken log, however, and in hindsight Butler was chosen more for Brad Stevens than the overall program. The flagship programs (Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's) need to carry the weight.
What would you change to improve the conference?
More "East" and less "Big". (read= UConn and Temple rather than Dayton and St. Louis.)
Are you satisfied with the Fox Sports television coverage?
Mixed bag but give it time. It helds that Fox ia a major media player, otherwise ESPN would have relegated the BE to ESPN U and ESPN3 for spite.
Do you prefer the old Big East with hoops and football schools mixed together?
Generally yes. Then again, if Georgetown opened with Villanova instead of Wagner this weekend, maybe a few of you on this board would sit up and take notice that there are many other sports at Georgetown worth the time and attention.
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 4,351
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Post by calhoya on Aug 27, 2014 8:39:27 GMT -5
So, we have over a year of the new Big East under our belt. Couple questions for the board since this was such a contentious issue leading up to our decision to create the new Big East. What do you like about the conference? What would you change to improve the conference? Are you satisfied with the Fox Sports television coverage? Do you prefer the old Big East with hoops and football schools mixed together? 1. I am happy that the conference is a basketball conference, but still not comfortable that it is yet anything but a mid-level conference. 2. Too many weak teams still. Need to make a big splash in the preconference season this year to attract national interest. Also need at least 4-5 teams considered in the Top 30 in college basketball. Proof that Creighton can survive and thrive without McDermott and that Butler is bouncing back. More growth necessary from DePaul, Seton Hall and Providence and a return to quality basketball from the Hoyas and St. Johns to compete with Villanova. Would like to eventually see the conference grow to 14 (yes I know it is not popular) with two 7 team divisions--12 games within a division and 7 against the other division. Alternatively, would like Fox to create some partnerships with the Big 12 and/or Pac 12,similar to the one with the Big 10. Anything to grow the footprint. Almost no one in SoCal talked Big East basketball this year--a major change from the past. 3. First year of television was fine. Great to televise all the games. Now they need to start on time and find a way to get someone other than league alumni to watch. Hate the late start during the week and the early start on Saturdays. 4. Yes. No one can yet be happy with the new Big East, because of what was lost. However, it is nice to no longer care about the greed of the football members and the constant threat to leave. It is always interesting to see who most Hoya fans miss from the "old" conference. Syracuse, Louisville, UConn and possibly Notre Dame. Who else though? Does anyone still think about West Virginia, Pitt, Miami, Boston College,Rutgers or South Florida? |
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Just Cos
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Eat 'em up Hoyas
Posts: 1,506
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Post by Just Cos on Aug 29, 2014 0:12:09 GMT -5
It was what I thought it was going to be. Not the Big East of prior and not the mid major some feared.
Pros
- We had more national exposure than anyone could hope
- The games and hype were great for a first year conference
- Most important, and most subjective, we stayed relevant
- We made money
- Our recruiting didn't suffer
- You could watch all games
- Bars are starting to put FS1 on the TV more regularly
- Decent marketing on the qualitative aspect of the teams in the Big East (could have been better but it could have been way worse)
- No more football in my basketball diet
- We did the respectfully with the small alumni base this conference has
- We have some of the best coaches
Cons
- Some big name programs didn't deliver and that's mostly on us
- Very few people know where to find FS1
- A Big East team didn't win it all
- Our alumni, and thus fan base, is small and will only grown through addition of new teams to the Big East
- More question marks this year than last year going into this season regarding story lines
- Our coaches aren't necessarily household names
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Post by Ranch Dressing on Aug 29, 2014 12:53:57 GMT -5
Three of the biggest Board disputes were around these issues:
1) Television contract - many said we would never be able sell the hoops-only conference. In reality, we got a relatively big television contract and have better than expected distribution of games. Huge validation of the new conference architecture.
2) Recruiting - some said it would dry up. Just hauled in our best class in years and have a great start to 2015. Can't argue new conference has hurt when recruiting has gotten better.
3) Relevancy/Success - some predicted a Holy Cross style future. While it is TBD on this because we will need some years to pass to know for sure, I don't think we are headed there.
Very, very, very glad to be in a hoops-only conference in relative control of our future and aligned with like-minded institutions.
Oh, and add me to the list who'd like to see strategic expansion over time. 12 teams seems like the right size if we can add a couple teams. Should not add teams too quickly. Never know who might deemphasize football over time -- be selective. St. Louis and Dayton will always be there. Maybe wait a few years to see who else might show interest if the conference takes off. Concussions are a serious issue and Division I teams with poor football history may not pursue the sport forever.
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