What do you think about this Big East expansion proposal?

[Orangeyes]

I took this article out of today's "Around The Big East"

Lenn Robbins shows an interesting lineup to get the conference to 12 football teams & 20 basketball with 2 football divisions and 4 for basketball.

Given the sentiment that Kansas & Kansas State want to stay in the same conference and fellow Big 12 member & rival Missouri is included I kind of like it.

What do you think?

Big East looking for 12 teams in football

WVU not a given

 

[jasjr]

This is OK. Has been talked about before, with the exception of the bball divisions.
I would get to 16 teams in football and if they follow the four division format in bball whats the difference if each division has 6 instead of 5 teams??
If a team leaves the ACC (FSU?) go after BC. Would ND follow at this point?? Would other ACC teams be available?
I still think another FLA and TEX team should/could be added for local rivalry with USF (Miami, UCF? )and TCU (Houston, another Big 12?).
I understand the BE/ACC union...but the BE is not in a bad place now - basically the same as many other conferences...

 

[007]

This proposal makes the most sen$e. Regardless, in the long run, I strongly believe that SU will absolutely stay loyal to the BE, and that the viability of the BE is inherently tied to the value of the new TV rights negotiations.

The league's goal is to be able to present such a solid, far-reaching and valuable product that it lands a deal in the neighborhood of the $4 billion package recently signed by the Pac-12.

It would not surprise me at all to see the BE grow to 20-24 team hybrid conference with multiple divisions (4-5) for basketball, and at least 2 divisions for football. It's VALUE will be the television markets it will control and, in a strange way, it's "uniqueness."

 

[Townie72]

This proposal makes the most sen$e. Regardless, in the long run, I strongly believe that SU will absolutely stay loyal to the BE, and that the viability of the BE is inherently tied to the value of the new TV rights negotiations.

It would not surprise me at all to see the BE grow to 20-24 team hybrid conference with multiple divisions (4-5) for basketball, and at least 2 divisions for football. It's VALUE will be the television markets it will control and, in a strange way, it's "uniqueness."

Does it bother you at all that this future TV contract is based, not on the current value of the Big East package but on a theory of scarcity of sports programming that will somehow provoke a bidding war?

Sounds highly speculative to me and seems more based on a willingness or a desire to believe than anything concrete. The networks can only pay what they can charge plus a profit margin.

As far as I can tell, the Big East doesn't control any markets for football. In fact, to get any viewership they have had to move games to weeknights.

If the very viability of the Big East is, as you say, tied to a new TV contract, I'd say the viability of the Conference is in significant doubt.

 

[44PRIDE]

My #1 choice would be to leave for the stability of an "All Sports" conference. If that doesn't happen, the 12/20 league listed there wouldn't be a bad option.

 

[All4SU]

Missouri is made for the Big10. I think the B10 will realize this and make a move for the Tigers. After that, who the hell knows.

 

[SU2NASA]

SU will absolutely stay loyal to the BE

And so said Boston College in 2004...

 

[OrangeZone]

None of us knows how this expansion thing will play out. We need to be positioned so that we listen to all ideas and then go with what overs us the best long-term deal. Continuing to expand schools to the Big East without divisional alignment is just crazy though. IMO, the best Big East realignment will be to have the football playing members in one conference and the basketball only schools in another. Cross-over games can be scheduled to keep the natural rivalries going.
IMO, the best way for The Big East to continue after all is said and done is to move to this alignment and offer additional football playing institutions that opportunity to come on board to enhance our television package and thus revenue.

 

[rrlbees]

People have to remember that if we go to superconferences (which i believe we will and have said so for years) it will be because of revenue and the big schools do not want to share with the small (non-football) schools. Any model that has superconferences will not include basketball onlies. Sure, there could be some agreements that some games will be played with the Gtowns but there will not be a 16/20 type thing.

 

[Chip]

Missouri is made for the Big10. I think the B10 will realize this and make a move for the Tigers. After that, who the hell knows.

I assume it's because things aren't always as easy as they look, but it seems like the Big 10 would be a Kansas State problem away from their 16. Add OU, Okie State, Mizzou, Kansas, be done with it. But maybe Kansas can't go without KSU? (given that OU may not move without T Boone, T Boone is a much better choice than Little Manhattan). Texas doesn't want to be anywhere but the Big 12. So let them try to form a new conference with TT, Baylor, Iowa State, KSU and whoever else they can convince to come aboard for much less than equal share of revenues.

Big 10 would get another football heavyweight (not to mention OU - Nebraska rivalry going again), get a Top 3 hoops program, get St. Louis, and a tag along school as well funded as any of them.

 

[SU2NASA]

People have to remember that if we go to superconferences (which i believe we will and have said so for years) it will be because of revenue and the big schools do not want to share with the small (non-football) schools. Any model that has superconferences will not include basketball onlies. Sure, there could be some agreements that some games will be played with the Gtowns but there will not be a 16/20 type thing.

I, for one, welcome Georgetown, Villanova, and the basketball-onlies becoming the next-coming of the Atlantic 10. Not just schadenfreude, but good for recruiting.

 

[All4SU]

I assume it's because things aren't always as easy as they look, but it seems like the Big 10 would be a Kansas State problem away from their 16. Add OU, Okie State, Mizzou, Kansas, be done with it. But maybe Kansas can't go without KSU? (given that OU may not move without T Boone, T Boone is a much better choice than Little Manhattan). Texas doesn't want to be anywhere but the Big 12. So let them try to form a new conference with TT, Baylor, Iowa State, KSU and whoever else they can convince to come aboard for much less than equal share of revenues.

Big 10 would get another football heavyweight (not to mention OU - Nebraska rivalry going again), get a Top 3 hoops program, get St. Louis, and a tag along school as well funded as any of them.

Agree with all of that. But I think the B10 really covets more penetration into the Northeast markets. Just adding more midwest isn't their ultimate objective, IMHO. Of course, ND is always their #1 priority, and they probably feel that ND would bring a strong northeast presence -- if ND were to ever join up.

 

[arbitragegls]

I took this article out of today's "Around The Big East"

Lenn Robbins shows an interesting lineup to get the conference to 12 football teams & 20 basketball with 2 football divisions and 4 for basketball.

Given the sentiment that Kansas & Kansas State want to stay in the same conference and fellow Big 12 member & rival Missouri is included I kind of like it.

What do you think?

Big East looking for 12 teams in football

WVU not a given

Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!

 

[VaSaltine]

Is twelve teams the ultimate goal or do we go to 16? I read your logic bees but I'm not smart enough to understand it. Adding a couple more texas partners for TCU, say Houston and Baylor, gets us into the huge Texas markets. Can you consider Waco the Dallas Fort Worth market alng with TCU? Wonder if Central FL is still being considered, or were they ever.

 

[rrlbees]

Is twelve teams the ultimate goal or do we go to 16? I read your logic bees but I'm not smart enough to understand it. Adding a couple more texas partners for TCU, say Houston and Baylor, gets us into the huge Texas markets. Can you consider Waco the Dallas Fort Worth market alng with TCU? Wonder if Central FL is still being considered, or were they ever.

Eventually it will be 4x16 or 5x16.

 

[All4SU]

Eventually it will be 4x16 or 5x16.

I really believe it will be 5 x 16 -- One of those will be a hodgepodge of teams. I want SU to be in one that is NOT a hodgepodge.

 

[Orangeyes]

I really believe it will be 5 x 16 -- One of those will be a hodgepodge of teams. I want SU to be in one that is NOT a hodgepodge.

Kirk says it will be 4x16 so that would be Pac-16, Big (10)16, ACC-16 & SEC-16

The rest of D1 would be in the toilet bowl

 

[SU2NASA]

Kirk says it will be 4x16 so that would be Pac-16, Big (10)16, ACC-16 & SEC-16

The rest of D1 would be in the toilet bowl

I think this is the most plausible. Completely agree with the poster that said that a B-12/BE merger would only be a band-aid until someone else came calling and it explodes.