Possible Big East Expansion

[NYGFan_Section208]

No one is discussing URI? I wish they were.

Not catholic

me either

[rambone 78]

URI isn't just not Catholic, they are a state school and too close to PC.

Zero chance.

[rjsuperfly66]

The odds of Gonzaga coming are small, but I don't think it's an automatic rule out because of travel. It'll be a consideration, but I bet it'll be a consideration more from the remaining 10 than it will be from Gonzaga. Regardless of what is trying to be sold here, the WCC is just not a good conference. In the last 4 years, the conference has averaged 1.5 tournament teams, 1.5 NIT teams, and 7 "bad" losses. This year the conference has a nice resume to date, but it's the outlier, not the norm. No team is going to draw their baseline on the fact that right now this year, the WCC has 5 top 100 teams. If offered enough money and another conference was 100% invested, Gonzaga would absolutely leave.

[NYGFan_Section208]

The odds of Gonzaga coming are small, but I don't think it's an automatic rule out because of travel. It'll be a consideration, but I bet it'll be a consideration more from the remaining 10 than it will be from Gonzaga. Regardless of what is trying to be sold here, the WCC is just not a good conference. In the last 4 years, the conference has averaged 1.5 tournament teams, 1.5 NIT teams, and 7 "bad" losses. This year the conference has a nice resume to date, but it's the outlier, not the norm. No team is going to draw their baseline on the fact that right now this year, the WCC has 5 top 100 teams. If offered enough money and another conference was 100% invested, Gonzaga would absolutely leave.

...but not for the BE. Travel is absolutely an easy rule-out. There might be talk about it, and some at some point may say it's not about the travel, but it is. There are some scattered conferences out there with probably some nutty travel already, but Gonzaga to the BE would set the bar for ridiculous, wouldn't it?

[Obadiah]

Also while a realignment of the basketball only BE is possible and immune from other conference realignments, the truth is that football rules the roost and what happens in the Big Ten will dictate any domino effect. Assuming that the Big Ten maintains its rule they will only expand to states contiguous to its current borders - previously Penn State was added because that state borders Ohio, Rutgers was then added because it borders PA, and Maryland was added because it borders Pa - that rule precludes the B10 adding Texas and Oklahoma. But then where do they go - Kansas, Missouri, etc. Given these lurking questions, the truth is the Big 12 is in the most tenuous position. The American most likely will be affected by any B12 shake-up. But really who knows.

Back to basketball and any realignment impact on URI, the only factors URI can control is to continue to strengthen it basketball program and all its Olympic sports. URI needs to do that in a big and comprehensive way, but right now I do not see significant progress on that front. We still have a high school football stadium, no basketball practice facility, no lacrosse program, no NCAA ice hockey program, no outdoor track facility, a baseball stadium that has a great playing surface but little else, barely passable facilities for softball, no indoor football facility, a so-so swimming pool, etc. The Ryan Center and Mackal are our two stars. You have to admire the approach of the southern schools of all levels when it comes to sports facilities as our upcoming rival - Middle Tennessee - so aptly shows.

[rjsuperfly66]

...but not for the BE. Travel is absolutely an easy rule-out. There might be talk about it, and some at some point may say it's not about the travel, but it is. There are some scattered conferences out there with probably some nutty travel already, but Gonzaga to the BE would set the bar for ridiculous, wouldn't it?

There are ways to structure the travel patterns in a way that are not so overbearing. You aren't going to send Gonzaga from Spokane-Providence-Spokane, just like you would not do the same to Providence. You would find geographic partners for certain road trips, and pair them accordingly. Gonzaga could pair with Creighton and Marquette/DePaul/Butler for one "extended" trip. I'd have to imagine that would almost be better than the fact that PC traveled to those four locations on separate trips last year.

If the conference is locking in it's programs to two more games, they are going to make sure the team they select is a quality team, a team that can flirt with the NCAA Tournament with consistency and be a quality game on the schedule. A sexy name should also lock them into another advantageous TV extension with Fox. Sure, if there is a team in the heart of the footprint that qualifies for that, you'd take them over Gonzaga. Personally, I don't think any team but Gonzaga fills the need at this time. But that doesn't mean I think it happens right now.

[ramster]

There is like a dumb and dumber “million to one” “you mean there’s a chance” that Gonzaga would leave the West Coast Catholic School Conference for the East Coast Catholic School Conference. It’s not just the travel but the Time zone change to boot.
Just not enough of an advantage to leave long-standing rivalries to have to create new rivalries. But it sounds good to Big East fans and to sports writers.
St Louis goes to slot 11 imho.

[rjsuperfly66]

There is like a dumb and dumber “million to one” “you mean there’s a chance” that Gonzaga would leave the West Coast Catholic School Conference for the East Coast Catholic School Conference. It’s not just the travel but the Time zone change to boot.
Just not enough of an advantage to leave long-standing rivalries to have to create new rivalries. But it sounds good to Big East fans and to sports writers.
St Louis goes to slot 11 imho.

Ramster, Gonzaga was ready to leave the WCC last year. There was a deal on the table with the MWC. Gonzaga leveraged the WCC for a $1 million payment in back-dated tournament shares and a reduced conference schedule (18 games to 16) to stay. The reality is, neither conference is producing any real TV revenue for a basketball-program. Both conferences will stretch to get 3 tournament teams. Both conferences will offer a ton of "landmine" games. So Gonzaga got their money from the WCC and stayed. Good play on their part. They aren't staying with the WCC because of "long-standing rivalries." Right now they have stayed because there hasn't been a quality opening. The Big East has almost half of their membership in the midwest, it's not a purely "East Coast Catholic School Conference." Gonzaga already travels the entire country for games because they need to build their schedule out because of their poor conference resume. They are playing at UNC, they have played at Creighton, they've played in OOC Tournaments. Some might remember a double-header in Boston back in 2007 that featured Gonzaga/UCONN and PC/BC. They join a quality conference, they are just altering their travel patterns from Nov/Dec to Jan/Feb. I fully believe if the Big East 10 offered Gonzaga, they would join in a heartbeat given TV money, shared tournament shares (yes, the WCC shares most of their tournament shares, shares won predominately by Gonzaga), etc. I just think the BE10 will wait for a quality candidate to emerge locally first. St. Louis makes sense, but they have some ebbs and flows that makes them a potentially unreliable 11th.

[section(105)]

The odds of Gonzaga coming are small, but I don't think it's an automatic rule out because of travel. It'll be a consideration, but I bet it'll be a consideration more from the remaining 10 than it will be from Gonzaga. Regardless of what is trying to be sold here, the WCC is just not a good conference. In the last 4 years, the conference has averaged 1.5 tournament teams, 1.5 NIT teams, and 7 "bad" losses. This year the conference has a nice resume to date, but it's the outlier, not the norm. No team is going to draw their baseline on the fact that right now this year, the WCC has 5 top 100 teams. If offered enough money and another conference was 100% invested, Gonzaga would absolutely leave.

...but not for the BE. Travel is absolutely an easy rule-out. There might be talk about it, and some at some point may say it's not about the travel, but it is. There are some scattered conferences out there with probably some nutty travel already, but Gonzaga to the BE would set the bar for ridiculous, wouldn't it?

.......then, they could become “The Zags of the East......”

[ramster]

True,
Gonzaga travels a lot already with their OCC schedule which is a very good one. All the more reason why they would not want to pile on 3-time zone travel for their Big East Conference Schedule. The situation they are in now works very well for them. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

St Louis is the best option for the Big East plus it meets their fav pastime of raiding the A10

[rjsuperfly66]

True,
Gonzaga travels a lot already with their OCC schedule which is a very good one. All the more reason why they would not want to pile on 3-time zone travel for their Big East Conference Schedule. The situation they are in now works very well for them. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

St Louis is the best option for the Big East plus it meets their fav pastime of raiding the A10

It works, ish. Teams are tired of playing in conferences where they need to dominate their OOC and avoid bad losses in their conference play. In 2016, Gonzaga finished 28-8 and got an 11 seed. They were 1-5 against Top 50 teams and the 1 win was to win the WCC. They barely made the tournament, and that left a mark. Same happened to Wichita St in 2016 and 2017 which directly impacted their move to the AAC. They finished 26-9 and 31-5 and got an 11 seed and a 10 seed. These teams are tired of playing in conferences that require OOC perfection to get a solid seed because of lack of quality wins during conference play. If they don't shine during the OOC, hard to build that resume during conference play. Minimal room for mistakes in that model.

[Obadiah]

Gonzaga in the BE would be a killer on the Olympic sports. That Gonzaga may be interested in leaving the WCC is not enough because they have to land somewhere reasonable and there is no clearcut landing site. Also to say the MWC and the WCC are equivalent ignores the future and the growth potential aspects and that wedge issue clearly favors the MWC. What makes a conference zing is the existence of bitter rivalries among its members and in a new place Gonzaga is faced with having to build those and helpful to that construction is geographic proximity.

[rjsuperfly66]

What makes a conference zing is the existence of bitter rivalries among its members and in a new place Gonzaga is faced with having to build those and helpful to that construction is geographic proximity.

I think that is a very simplistic approach. For example, if URI was invited to the Big East (and let's say Providence was not apart of the Big East and was replaced by generic team X -- say Cincinnati), would they be disappointed about leaving all of their old A10 partners behind? Or would they be excited about being in a conference with several very good teams that would elevate their NET? There are other things at play but let's not throw in rivalries as a significant reason. If you really care about a rival, you keep playing them in the OOC. Money talks.

[NYGFan_Section208]

I don't find the Big East that attractive WITH PC. Can't remember the last time I said, "big game tonight in the Big East, must check it out."

[bigappleram]

The no brainer landing place for Gonzaga is as a basketball-only member of the Pac 12. Gonzaga to the BE isn't happening, but not because of old WCC rivalries, those didn't hold together any other conferences. It's just too difficult to pull off.

[Rhody72]

URI isn't just not Catholic, they are a state school and too close to PC.

Zero chance.

URI is never being discussed as an addition candidate to any major conference-why not? Is URI satisfied with being at best a mid-major program forever?

When we have positioned ourselves to be an attractive school during the Harrick and Hurley eras we immediately take a step back by not going after a big-time coach using the money from our NCAA tournament success.

This is what frustrates me as a long-long-long time URI basketball fan.

[RhowdyRam02]

URI isn't just not Catholic, they are a state school and too close to PC.

Zero chance.

URI is never being discussed as an addition candidate to any major conference-why not? Is URI satisfied with being at best a mid-major program forever?

When we have positioned ourselves to be an attractive school during the Harrick and Hurley eras we immediately take a step back by not going after a big-time coach using the money from our NCAA tournament success.

This is what frustrates me as a long-long-long time URI basketball fan.

I didn't think this would be confusing, but we're not a candidate for a major conference because we never have had, do not currently have, and will never have FBS football. Then when you get to basketball conferences, we're not welcome in the Big East due to PC's presence. The Atlantic 10 is the best we can get

[RhowdyRam02]

There is like a dumb and dumber “million to one” “you mean there’s a chance” that Gonzaga would leave the West Coast Catholic School Conference for the East Coast Catholic School Conference. It’s not just the travel but the Time zone change to boot.
Just not enough of an advantage to leave long-standing rivalries to have to create new rivalries. But it sounds good to Big East fans and to sports writers.
St Louis goes to slot 11 imho.

Ramster, Gonzaga was ready to leave the WCC last year. There was a deal on the table with the MWC. Gonzaga leveraged the WCC for a $1 million payment in back-dated tournament shares and a reduced conference schedule (18 games to 16) to stay. The reality is, neither conference is producing any real TV revenue for a basketball-program. Both conferences will stretch to get 3 tournament teams. Both conferences will offer a ton of "landmine" games. So Gonzaga got their money from the WCC and stayed. Good play on their part. They aren't staying with the WCC because of "long-standing rivalries." Right now they have stayed because there hasn't been a quality opening. The Big East has almost half of their membership in the midwest, it's not a purely "East Coast Catholic School Conference." Gonzaga already travels the entire country for games because they need to build their schedule out because of their poor conference resume. They are playing at UNC, they have played at Creighton, they've played in OOC Tournaments. Some might remember a double-header in Boston back in 2007 that featured Gonzaga/UCONN and PC/BC. They join a quality conference, they are just altering their travel patterns from Nov/Dec to Jan/Feb. I fully believe if the Big East 10 offered Gonzaga, they would join in a heartbeat given TV money, shared tournament shares (yes, the WCC shares most of their tournament shares, shares won predominately by Gonzaga), etc. I just think the BE10 will wait for a quality candidate to emerge locally first. St. Louis makes sense, but they have some ebbs and flows that makes them a potentially unreliable 11th.

There's a massive difference between joining the MWC and the BE, namely at least 520 miles. That's the difference between the team furthest east in the MW and the team furthest west in the BE. Gonzaga to the BE isn't happening. Right now BE fans want it because Gonzaga would instantly be a top two school in the conference, but the BE probably couldn't offer enough to make the change worthwhile. The second Gonzaga slips and making the change becomes worth it for Gonzaga it ceases to be worth it for Big East members to add them unless they slip a ton as a conference, and if that happens can they still offer enough to make a deal palatable?

[woodennickel1]

I don't find the Big East that attractive WITH PC. Can't remember the last time I said, "big game tonight in the Big East, must check it out."

Then you obviously have not been paying attention because they have had a number of top 10 and top 25 matchups over the last few years.

[rhodylaw]

I don't find the Big East that attractive WITH PC. Can't remember the last time I said, "big game tonight in the Big East, must check it out."

I agree with this - BE is a very good league but no must watch matchups. If they added for instance Dayton and IRI there would now be bad blood which I think the league needs.

Similar issue with the AAC. Goodish league (at least at the top) no teams that hate each other or any real great matchups that make must watch TV.

I think what we are seeing is the old conference USA team just aren’t that big of a draw (despite being good teams). This of course is shocking to no one who has a brain, conference USA had no appeal before those teams were taken.

[rjsuperfly66]

I don't find the Big East that attractive WITH PC. Can't remember the last time I said, "big game tonight in the Big East, must check it out."

I agree with this - BE is a very good league but no must watch matchups. If they added for instance Dayton and IRI there would now be bad blood which I think the league needs.

Similar issue with the AAC. Goodish league (at least at the top) no teams that hate each other or any real great matchups that make must watch TV.

I think what we are seeing is the old conference USA team just aren’t that big of a draw (despite being good teams). This of course is shocking to no one who has a brain, conference USA had no appeal before those teams were taken.

Bad blood doesn't always sell nationally. Who cares about PC and URI besides the people who live in RI or are affiliated with either school? There have been plenty of matchups in the last 5 years featuring Top 10/25 teams, so while the average fan might not gain any interest in it, there has been plenty of national attention. If they are inviting any team for bad blood purposes, the move will be UCONN because of their prior history with the old BE7 and their potential to be a Top 25 team. Their issue has and will always be their football program. I've firmly been on board for several years for saying IDGAF about their football team because it's one football school against ten basketball schools, and if they left for a P5 school one day to chase football dreams, it doesn't destabilize the conference from a membership standpoint, but it's been a non-negotiable for the conference to date. We'll see what happens ...

[CHICO 78]

Expanding the big east could be difficult without going far away geographically . The Boston market
would make sense but there aren't any worthwhile candidates. Holy Cross isn't going to spend the
money needed to compete in the BE. UCONN would be a good fit obviously but their Football
program is a poison pill. URI wouldn't gain BE the Boston Market and in reality has nothing to
more bring to the table as far as increased market coverage or increased revenue than it did
at the Big Easts inception. We had little or nothing then and we have little or nothing now.
Of everything out there VCU would probably be the most attractive to add or maybe go
steal Memphis. Dayton would piss off Xavier , Temple would piss of Villanova.
Hopefully they don't come and steal any top teams from the A-10.

[RhowdyRam02]

Temple and Memphis have the same football issues as UConn

[steviep123]

My guess is the Big East 2.0 wants nothing to do with accommodating football even if only 1 team and 1 team only so that keeps UConn out.

[NYGFan_Section208]

I don't find the Big East that attractive WITH PC. Can't remember the last time I said, "big game tonight in the Big East, must check it out."

Then you obviously have not been paying attention because they have had a number of top 10 and top 25 matchups over the last few years.

Maybe so, but please name a couple in the last two years that you would consider 'must see'.

[URI2006_Andy]

I think there are only 2 programs that move the needle. UConn and Gonzaga. I don’t see either one wanting to go to the Big East. UConn would lose football money and Gonzaga would have to travel for all sports.

The AAC schools should agree to dissolve the AAC and start a new football only conference. They would get the same football money and maybe could attract Boise St. And agree to all go their separate ways for all other sports. That would make all the programs free agents. The big basketball programs would wind up in a better basketball spot, one way or another. The weaker basketball schools could get hurt but they have no leverage. The only leverage for any AAC school would be a P-5 invitation and that’s not really leverage because if anyone got one, they’d be gone no matter what.

[ramster]

My guess is the Big East 2.0 wants nothing to do with accommodating football even if only 1 team and 1 team only so that keeps UConn out.

UCONN has FBS Football and is not a Catholic and/or Private School - 2 strikes
Dayton and St Louis don’t have FBS Football and they are Catholic.
They fit with DePaul, Marquette, Butler and Creighton
Plus the Big East gets the pleasure of grabbing yet another A10 school
The BE just wants to paint the picture that the Gonzagas of the world are lined up begging for an invite.

[rjsuperfly66]

The BE just wants to paint the picture that the Gonzagas of the world are lined up begging for an invite.

I mean if Gonzaga was located in Texas and not Washington, it would be a no-brainer.
Any team from a basketball-only conference would die to be in a conference like the Big East.
That's not being conceited, it comes from the fact that again this year, you have a team like PC playing 18 conference games and 9 of those are Q1 and another 6 are Q2 (as of right now anyway), and it's like that pretty much every year (and ironically, this is a "terrible" year for the Big East and that's what the breakdown looks like right now).
Some schools make a lot more sense than others, but if the Big East was the "Big West," the marriage would be instantaneous.
Gonzaga has remained in the WCC because there is not another basketball conference that has fully made sense.

[ramster]

The BE just wants to paint the picture that the Gonzagas of the world are lined up begging for an invite.

I mean if Gonzaga was located in Texas and not Washington, it would be a no-brainer.
Any team from a basketball-only conference would die to be in a conference like the Big East.
That's not being conceited, it comes from the fact that again this year, you have a team like PC playing 18 conference games and 9 of those are Q1 and another 6 are Q2 (as of right now anyway), and it's like that pretty much every year (and ironically, this is a "terrible" year for the Big East and that's what the breakdown looks like right now).
Some schools make a lot more sense than others, but if the Big East was the "Big West," the marriage would be instantaneous.
Gonzaga has remained in the WCC because there is not another basketball conference that has fully made sense.

Sure it would be different if Gonzaga was in Texas. That’s two time zones closer. Flying the red eye is not easy or fun, especially for basketball players. 10 games all for the Big East would require more travel than today.

To 208’s question about exciting Big East Matchups I’d agree with him. Big East lost a lot with Syracuse, Louisville, West Virginia, UCONN, Miami, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Cinncinnati, South Florida, BC, etc leaving. It’s still the best Non P5 but the gap has lessened and continues to lessen as the AAC improves.

But the biggest change has come with technology. When the BE signed the huge contract with Fox Sports to have designated Big East exclusive nights it was big but now everybody is streaming. It’s the exception now if a URI game is not televised/streamed. So many options to watch games now it’s amazing. So while the BE is not what it was it is very far from being the “only show in town”. You see the impact of streaming on all sports....NFL, College Football, MLB, NBA, College Basketball.....there are a ton of choices out there.

The other thing Dave Gavitt did with the Big Eastnis he broke up a great New England rivalry base. We used to have the New England Ranking s that we all looked forward to every Monday. Not any more. Closest thing we have is URI and UMASS and who knows how long UMASS stays in the A10.

[NYGFan_Section208]

If Gonzaga was in TX, wouldn't they already be in a P5?

[rjsuperfly66]

Ramsteer, the thing you Are missing about the TV/Streaming is that it all doesn’t matter. It’s about the TV contract. It’s about the $$ back to the program. It’s great that URI games can be found on ESPN+, but A10 teams are still receiving $400K per season and BE teams are receiving 10x more. It’s why any team will throw away their roots to join the BE. They’d do it for $4 million. They’d do it for $3 million. Heck they probably do it for $2 million. Not only is the BE a strong conference top to bottom, but they offer a huge capital injection to every program. It’s a win win all around for any program that cares about basketball. Heck compare St. Louis’ conference schedule at 20 games in the Big East or 18 games in the A10. In the Big East, they would currently have 9 Q1 games and 7 Q2 games. In the A10, they have 5 Q2 games. Just about the visibility?

[ramster]

I agree with you RJ. But the question 208 raised to woodennickel was what Big East game could he name that was something exciting he would want to watch? 208 couldn’t think of one and neither can I. It’s just not the same now that hundreds of D1 games can be watched on a Saturday.
And because of this the money spent will gradually decrease by the networks. Supply of options greatly exceeds demand

[rambone 78]

It will be interesting to see what Fox offers the BE to renew their contract when the time comes.

Will it still be in the 4 mil a year range, or something less? I doubt they will get more, like ramster said there are so many more options out there, and the viewership numbers aren't exactly what Fox hoped for when they signed the original deal.

As for the A10, will they get more than they are getting now when their deal is up for renewal? I also doubt it will be for much more though.

The A10 needs to get back to being the 8th or 9th best conference and soon.....12th isn't going to cut it.

[BleedBlue87]

I can't think of anything positive a Big East expansion would do for URI. Once again, the Big East would poach another one of our conference teams. They won't be getting UConn because of football and any talk of Zaga heading to BE is a joke.

I agree with what Truepoint said about the A-10 and AAC taking their best and merging. It's the best for both conferences. Only problem is football. AAC could have a completely different landscape with the end of their media deal in 2020. UCF, USF, Memphis, Cincinnati, Houston could all bolt for P5 programs which doesn't exactly make for an attractive marriage.

At this point, the A-10 should set minimum standards for their member teams and recruit other mid-major teams to the conference. In my dream universe you would actually have conferences with team in close geographical proximity but media money gets in the way of that.

[ramster]

A10 is a Basketball centric conference and has all sports with the exception that Football is played at the FCS Level represented by:
Colonial Athletic Conference - URI, Villanova, Richmond
Northeast Conference - Duquesne
Patriot League - Fordham
Pioneer League - Dayton, Davidson
UMASS plays FCS

The AAC is a FBS Football and Basketball Conference and was built for that purpose

I do not see the AAC and the A10 merging because of the difference in FBS Football

If the A10 loses St Louis to the BE and/or Dayton then there will be schools lined up to join the A10 - Albany, Stony Brook, Northeastern, Vermont, NJIT, College of Charleston, Hofstra, Delaware, Drexel, William and Mary, Iona, Quinippiac,

If the AAC loses a team or teams there are a number of schools that would want to join that have up and coming facilities for Basketball and/or for Football: Geogia State, Georgia Southern from the Sunbelt, Buffalo from the Mid-Amereican or any number of teams from that FBS Conference, any number of teams from Conference USA including Florida international, Old Dominion, North Texas, Louisiana Tech, Alabama Birmingham

The A10 and the AAC have plenty of candidates in waiting.

[rambone 78]

I can see UMass to the AAC. They've got nowhere else to go.

[Ramulous]

If St Louis leaves for the Catholic East, and UMass goes to AAC for football and rivalry with UConn......I would strongly explore the logistics of disbanding the current A10 in favor of the new A10...with certain core programs making up the new conference...and without LaSalle and Fordham....the jury is out on Duquesne as of now......and maybe GW being out

....I would add some of the teams to make up the 6 teams out.....UMass, StLou, Duquesne, LaSalle, Fordham, and GW gone.....add in teams mentioned by ramster above ...pay the departees their shares of NCAA money from the tournament shares earned while they were here....over a 3 year period...

[rjsuperfly66]

If St Louis leaves for the Catholic East, and UMass goes to AAC for football and rivalry with UConn......I would strongly explore the logistics of disbanding the current A10 in favor of the new A10...with certain core programs making up the new conference...and without LaSalle and Fordham....the jury is out on Duquesne as of now......and maybe GW being out

....I would add some of the teams to make up the 6 teams out.....UMass, StLou, Duquesne, LaSalle, Fordham, and GW gone.....add in teams mentioned by ramster above ...pay the departees their shares of NCAA money from the tournament shares earned while they were here....over a 3 year period...

The new wave model is that you are probably best off with 10 or 11, and getting guaranteed double round robin against quality teams, especially with the way the new quadrants work. The last thing you want is playing a team once and because you get a certain team at home, they are Q3 versus playing them on the road and them being Q2. What Conference USA did was smart in forcing the Top 5 teams in conference to play eachother twice, I think that is a genius scheduling tactic. The problem is, if your teams aren't very good, doesn't make a huge difference. The top 5 teams in Conference USA currently have NET's of 54, 77, 91, 132, 165. Not super helpful.

[Rhodymob05]

A10 is a Basketball centric conference and has all sports with the exception that Football is played at the FCS Level represented by:
Colonial Athletic Conference - URI, Villanova, Richmond
Northeast Conference - Duquesne
Patriot League - Fordham
Pioneer League - Dayton, Davidson
UMASS plays FCS

The AAC is a FBS Football and Basketball Conference and was built for that purpose

I do not see the AAC and the A10 merging because of the difference in FBS Football

If the A10 loses St Louis to the BE and/or Dayton then there will be schools lined up to join the A10 - Albany, Stony Brook, Northeastern, Vermont, NJIT, College of Charleston, Hofstra, Delaware, Drexel, William and Mary, Iona, Quinippiac,

If the AAC loses a team or teams there are a number of schools that would want to join that have up and coming facilities for Basketball and/or for Football: Geogia State, Georgia Southern from the Sunbelt, Buffalo from the Mid-Amereican or any number of teams from that FBS Conference, any number of teams from Conference USA including Florida international, Old Dominion, North Texas, Louisiana Tech, Alabama Birmingham

The A10 and the AAC have plenty of candidates in waiting.

Although some of those teams waiting to join the A10 have had success, none on that list will help this league reputation-wise. In my opinion.

[section(105)]

......some folks have suggested Sienna on that list to get into that Capital District market, for me neither Albany or Sienna offer much......

[rjsuperfly66]

......some folks have suggested Sienna on that list to get into that Capital District market, for me neither Albany or Sienna offer much......

The argument for Siena would be the facilities (outside of geography). They play in the Times Union Center which from a size component would be one of the larger arenas in the A10 and has been updated in the last decade. Many of the other schools listed do not have easily upgraded facilities. They are playing mostly in arenas that hold less than 5k and that look and feel tired. Can you picture URI playing at Patrick Gym at UVM? I would think one venue looking like Rose Hill Gymnasium would be one too many, forget adding a second.

[urirx]

The Big East has its choice of basketball first schools when and if it wants to expand.

Football drives realignment. As URI doesn't play football at the right level, URI doesn't control its destiny at this point. No other sports matter (please remember during one hot week of realignment during the last negotiation cycle, Kansas, the defending national MBB champion, didn't have a conference to call home)

the A10 will never force out members, reorganize without current members or any other such fantasy. Members may choose to leave, but the A10 will not kick them out the door.

[urirx]

......some folks have suggested Sienna on that list to get into that Capital District market, for me neither Albany or Sienna offer much......

The argument for Siena would be the facilities (outside of geography). They play in the Times Union Center which from a size component would be one of the larger arenas in the A10 and has been updated in the last decade. Many of the other schools listed do not have easily upgraded facilities. They are playing mostly in arenas that hold less than 5k and that look and feel tired. Can you picture URI playing at Patrick Gym at UVM? I would think one venue looking like Rose Hill Gymnasium would be one too many, forget adding a second.

The feeling of this quote is correct, and while I always appreciate when Yankee Conference schools play each other, it wouldn't be the best basketball conference (though not the worst). UVM did build a new gym that opens this year I believe?

[RhowdyRam02]

UVM's new gym isn't going to open until probably about 2020-21 and will only seat about 3400-3500. Looks like construction should be starting anytime.

BU is intriguing to me even though they've never been traditionally good. I just think having a team in MA or CT to replace UMass if and when they go will be nice, having a team right in Boston would be good, and I look at Agganis Arena and think if they ever got into a better conference and played all their games there they could be a decent program. They have more upside to me than Northeastern and are more intriguing than a small Catholic college in Albany.

Edited to add: Though I agree we're better off downsizing than adding programs

[bigappleram]

To me if we have to replace the schools I would look at would be:

Siena - talent rich upstate area, pretty good tradition, great arena

Stony Brook - committed to winning in athletics, good talent in LI, rising program in all sports

Belmont - similar to a Davidson, have had some decent streaks of success albeit a small school in the south is a bit less ideal IMO

Hofstra - talent rich area, decent history, facilities are MEH

[ramster]

......some folks have suggested Sienna on that list to get into that Capital District market, for me neither Albany or Sienna offer much......

The argument for Siena would be the facilities (outside of geography). They play in the Times Union Center which from a size component would be one of the larger arenas in the A10 and has been updated in the last decade. Many of the other schools listed do not have easily upgraded facilities. They are playing mostly in arenas that hold less than 5k and that look and feel tired. Can you picture URI playing at Patrick Gym at UVM? I would think one venue looking like Rose Hill Gymnasium would be one too many, forget adding a second.

Vermont has approved $95 million for a new sports complex for basketball
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states ... orts-arena

My point again is that there is not need to feel sorry for the A10 if St Louis goes as I expect they will.
For memVal Ackerman should have expanded the Big East years ago. Lost opportunity. About time she started talking about 11 teams. I think they should go to 12 teams but fine for me if they stay at 10 forever.

I’m also good with the A10 at 14. I agree with some who say that the A10 will not kick out any school, especially any flagship schools. Wasting breath thinking that will happen. Best case would be that Fordham decides on the Patriot League on it’s own and that the Patriot league will take them at that time.

[rjsuperfly66]

Vermont has approved $95 million for a new sports complex for basketball
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states ... orts-arena

Sure but their estimates are that the new place will be able to hold 3,200 for basketball. The images of the facility are nicer than the current set-up, but I wouldn't look at it and say "Wow, beautiful." If you can't make a computer diagram of your new facility look sexy, what do you think it's going to really look like?

https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/sto ... 813933002/

[NYGFan_Section208]

......some folks have suggested Sienna on that list to get into that Capital District market, for me neither Albany or Sienna offer much......

The argument for Siena would be the facilities (outside of geography). They play in the Times Union Center which from a size component would be one of the larger arenas in the A10 and has been updated in the last decade. Many of the other schools listed do not have easily upgraded facilities. They are playing mostly in arenas that hold less than 5k and that look and feel tired. Can you picture URI playing at Patrick Gym at UVM? I would think one venue looking like Rose Hill Gymnasium would be one too many, forget adding a second.

I love Rose Hill...don't knock it!

[Rhodymob05]

Vermont's arena definitely looks nice, but 3200 screams small major, not high major.

[hrstrat57]

Let’s hope SLU and/or Dayton don’t bolt.

The options y’all are tossing about in this thread are grim.

Siena, UVM, Belmont?

Damn we better bolt too.....