Column: Leaving Big East a Disaster for Syracuse (and others)

[HOFCeluck]

Just a little fun w my coffee.

Are you a proud card carrying ACC member?

As am I!

“Proud” is not the word I would use, but I would rather that than the American, or Big East* or independent.

 

[UpstateSM]

Did you still feel bad for Buddy after he hit those two, basically game winning, threes?

Or were you feeling bad for yourself?

Are you okay, Nathan? I clearly upset you in the game thread and you didn't accept either of my apologies

 

[NateW]

Are you okay, Nathan? I clearly upset you in the game thread and you didn't accept either of my apologies

I’m fine son.

Just keeping tabs on the Jim and Buddy Boeheim haters around here.

 

[ForCuseSake]

I can't get that annoying Taco Bell commercial out of my head after reading the back & forth between NateW and HOFCeluck ...

 

[UpstateSM]

I’m fine son.

Just keeping tabs on the Jim and Buddy Boeheim haters around here.

Yeah except I'm not a "hater." I felt bad for Buddy because the kid couldn't make a shot to save his life and has clearly been struggling. Nobody here wants Buddy or JB to fail but if that's the narrative you want to create in your head then go ahead.

You, Runner, and the UConn fan should make a group chat about it

 

[HOFCeluck]

lol what did I just watch

 

[NateW]

Yeah except I'm not a "hater." I felt bad for Buddy because the kid couldn't make a shot to save his life and has clearly been struggling. Nobody here wants Buddy or JB to fail but if that's the narrative you want to create in your head then go ahead.

You, Runner, and the UConn fan should make a group chat about it

I prefer to hold light on those that don’t know what they’re watching.

 

[UpstateSM]

I prefer to hold light on those that don’t know what they’re watching.

Ahhh I didn’t realize the W stood for Wooden

 

[Kolumbo]

Conference realignment just corrected the market from the 1990s.

When UConn joined the Big East football league they jumped the front of the line on all the non power conference Division 1 football teams.

This last round of realignment just corrected that and made UConn do the independent thing all the Eastern teams had to do before them.

Just for the nostalgia of the Big East tournament. I don’t blame them for saving their basketball program but the entire process played out exactly as it should have.
The team that jumped the line got put where it should have.
Every team in the original Big East football conference except Temple is in a P5 conference.

ACC
Syracuse
Boston College
Miami
Pittsburgh
Virginia Tech

Big XII
West Virginia

Big Ten
Rutgers

Temple got screwed more than UConn did but that program didn’t invest in football till after they kicked out of the BE the first time.

UConn fans completely ignore this.
They should get their shineboxs and enjoy playing Providence and St. John’s.

That's a fair point about football. UConn was only Indie for 4 years before joining the BCS Big East and it only took 7 years to win the conference. It'll cut its teeth on a mix of B1G, ACC, MAC, Indie until the inevitable shifts occur.

Moving basketball to the Big East was an unexpected move but the best move for basketball, football and the athletic department. Basketball in the AAC was a disaster so UConn corrected it. UConn is back to playing in its home away from home and the football program has many more options than playing in the AAC. It's not nostalgia, its playing our rivals, it's recruiting, and it's playing at MSG. It's returning to the early successes of the premier basketball conference with St. Johns, Georgetown, Villanova. You are welcome to visit any time you like or stop by www.syracuse.nyc.

 

[NateW]

I can't get that annoying Taco Bell commercial out of my head after reading the back & forth between NateW and HOFCeluck ...

View attachment 195837

I prefer Bojangles

 

[OttoinGrotto]

We should have held out for an offer to join the PAC-12 imo.

 

[jdubs30]

That's a fair point about football. UConn was only Indie for 4 years before joining the BCS Big East and it only took 7 years to win the conference. It'll cut its teeth on a mix of B1G, ACC, MAC, Indie until the inevitable shifts occur.

Moving basketball to the Big East was an unexpected move but the best move for basketball, football and the athletic department. Basketball in the AAC was a disaster so UConn corrected it. UConn is back to playing in its home away from home and the football program has many more options than playing in the AAC. It's not nostalgia, its playing our rivals, it's recruiting, and it's playing at MSG. It's returning to the early successes of the premier basketball conference with St. Johns, Georgetown, Villanova. You are welcome to visit any time you like or stop by www.syracuse.nyc.

It is literally nostalgia. You made fun of us for us hanging our hat on our final four in 2016 yet you mention “premiere basketball conference” in the same sentence with UConn, StJohns and Georgetown.

Going to the Big East does not seem like a good move for football or the financial health of the AD

 

[NateW]

We should have held out for an offer to join the PAC-12 imo.

The handful of 9PM starts that have befouled us East coasters in the ACC are bad enough.

 

[Alsacs]

It is literally nostalgia. You made fun of us for us hanging our hat on our final four in 2016 yet you mention “premiere basketball conference” in the same sentence with UConn, StJohns and Georgetown.

Going to the Big East does not seem like a good move for football or the financial health of the AD

The Big East is a legit top 6 conference probably top 4 ahead of the PAC-12 and SEc
That said the top 3 conferences are the ACC, Bjg Ten and Big XII.

Only Villanova has made the Final Four since the new Big East started in 2014.
UConn made it in 2014 but they were American.

The ACC has had 3 teams win a NC and a 4th make the Final Four.
Hell in 2016 4 of the Elite 8 were from the ACC.

The Big Ten has been really good just not winning a NC
Same for the Big XII.

Big East basketball has been like ACC football. Competitve but the Big Dogs do all the real winning Clemson-FB and Villanova-BB

We don’t act like the ACC is the premiere football conference.

 

[Kolumbo]

It is literally nostalgia. You made fun of us for us hanging our hat on our final four in 2016 yet you mention “premiere basketball conference” in the same sentence with UConn, StJohns and Georgetown.

Going to the Big East does not seem like a good move for football or the financial health of the AD

Of course it doesn't seem like a good move to you but for UConn fans, it's great. 4 or 5 Big East teams are currently ranked higher than SU, Pitt, and ND, the subjects of the article. If that is your interpretation of nostalgia, it works for me.

 

[OrangeDW]

Moving basketball to the Big East was an unexpected move but the best move for basketball, football and the athletic department. Basketball in the AAC was a disaster so UConn corrected it. UConn is back to playing in its home away from home and the football program has many more options than playing in the AAC. It's not nostalgia, its playing our rivals, it's recruiting, and it's playing at MSG. It's returning to the early successes of the premier basketball conference with St. Johns, Georgetown, Villanova. You are welcome to visit any time you like or stop by www.syracuse.nyc.

St. John’s and Georgetown stink though. I imagine it will quickly get old hearing the commentators reminisce about some game from 1998 because the game they’re calling is so boring and meaningless.

 

[Alsacs]

St. John’s and Georgetown stink though. I imagine it will quickly get old hearing the commentators reminisce about some game from 1998 because the game they’re calling is so boring and meaningless.

UConn went to the Big East because their football program was an anchor around basketball.
Plain and simple.

They went to their safe space. The problem for them is we are gone from the Big East. Calhoun always considered Syracuse their biggest rival. When the Big East basketball did East/West splits Syracuse said just keep us with Georgetown for the rivalry. We didn’t care we lost an annual game with UConn. Calhoun complained about it because he wanted UConn to play us.

UConn has their history we have ours.
If their football program was valuable enough they wouldn’t be in the Big East either.

It’s not so because their fanbase isn’t as loyal or rapid as ours and go to games no matter the opponent they have to play names their fanbase remembers to fill up their arena.

 

[HOFCeluck]

The Big East is a fine conference. Playing games at MSG from March is a big deal. I get it.

But it’s not worth it for me to completely give up on football. And make no mistake, unless you’re Notre Dame or a service academy, or Mormon, that’s precisely what it is.

 

[jdubs30]

Of course it doesn't seem like a good move to you but for UConn fans, it's great. 4 or 5 Big East teams are currently ranked higher than SU, Pitt, and ND, the subjects of the article. If that is your interpretation of nostalgia, it works for me.

Yet those teams have done nothing in the NCAAT... you keep moving the goal posts.

The Big East since 2013 (when Syracuse left) other than Villanova has 16 total NCAAT wins, and 12 of those wins came from Butler and Xavier. So the remainder of the conference has 4 NCAAT wins in 6 years ... you must love that nostalgia.

Meanwhile Syracuse has 8 wins in the NCAA since leaving the Big East - more than everyone except Nova. And more than all the “original” Big East schools combined.

 

[NKR1978]

The Big East is a fine conference. Playing games at MSG from March is a big deal. I get it.

But it’s not worth it for me to completely give up on football. And make no mistake, unless you’re Notre Dame or a service academy, or Mormon, that’s precisely what it is.

Those years from 09-13 when Pitt, UConn, Georgetown, Louisville, Syracuse, Villanova, Marquette, Cincinnati were all good to great - there was a legitimate buzz in NYC for the BET. If there's a year where Nova, UConn, SJU, Georgetown and SH are all good to great - then there will be buzz for the tournament again. Otherwise right now it's Villanova and everyone else for excitement.

 

[jdubs30]

Those years from 09-13 when Pitt, UConn, Georgetown, Louisville, Syracuse, Villanova, Marquette, Cincinnati were all good to great - there was a legitimate buzz in NYC for the BET. If there's a year where Nova, UConn, SJU, Georgetown and SH are all good to great - then there will be buzz for the tournament again. Otherwise right now it's Villanova and everyone else for excitement.

WVU and ND used to send a crap load of fans too. I honestly can’t recall seeing many PC, Hall, DePaul or Providence fans back in those times.

Right now I’m sure it would be 70% UConn fans, 20% Nova, 10% “everyone else”. The buzz clearly won’t be what it was. Especially when half the teams are in the Midwest

 

[NKR1978]

WVU and ND used to send a crap load of fans too. I honestly can’t recall seeing many PC, Hall, DePaul or Providence fans back in those times.

Right now I’m sure it would be 70% UConn fans, 20% Nova, 10% “everyone else”. The buzz clearly won’t be what it was. Especially when half the teams are in the Midwest

I knew I was forgetting big teams.

 

[Alsacs]

Those years from 09-13 when Pitt, UConn, Georgetown, Louisville, Syracuse, Villanova, Marquette, Cincinnati were all good to great - there was a legitimate buzz in NYC for the BET. If there's a year where Nova, UConn, SJU, Georgetown and SH are all good to great - then there will be buzz for the tournament again. Otherwise right now it's Villanova and everyone else for excitement.

They lost their largest fanbases.
It will never reach even the 2013 finale level.

 

[jdubs30]

I knew I was forgetting big teams.

I get why UConn fans are looking forward to it. But they’re delusional if they think it’ll be like it was in the 2000s

 

[Alsacs]

I swear I should just take a sabbatical and write a book on conference realignment.

I don’t because it would take a lot of work to do 100% right and I don’t think their is a market for it.

Sports viewers for the most part aren’t big readers. Of course there is some overlap.