(05-16-2017 09:45 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  

(05-15-2017 05:52 PM)MU88 Wrote:  

(05-12-2017 02:06 PM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  Dayton is one of the top (if not the top) expansion candidate(s) for the Big East. They are a like-minded institution (Catholic) with an athletic program driven and geared towards successful men's basketball. They have one of the top and most loyal fan bases in the country. Not only would they bring fans to all of their away conference games, they also would sell out almost all of their home games in a huge arena (13k). If Dayton and Xavier were in competition for the same fans, it would be a genuine concern - but they don't. Both programs have strong individual fan bases, and do not pick one another off. Thanks to Archie Miller, they have elevated their program to the top of the A-10, and would relish the opportunity to be in the top non-FBS conference in the country.

Adding Dayton may, or may not, cause the removal of the round-robin, but there will be a point in time where the round-robin is no longer valuable to the growth of the conference. The Big East should aim to get as many tournament bids every year, and adding successful, quality basketball programs can only strengthen that cause.

I truly feel that once Travis Ford and SLU right their ship, UD and SLU come aboard for a 12-team Big East. It would add more content for Fox and the Big East, not to mention adding two natural fits that could blossom even more under the Big East banner.

Yuck. No desire to reform the MCC.

Well, if Dayton continues to get into the tournament under Grant, the decision will be easy to make. As of now, only DePaul has been unable to make it into the NCAA tournament (and they appear to be turning things around with recent recruiting developments). If Dayton continues its strong basketball performance over the next few years, there is little doubt that they aren't getting invited.

SLU hit rock bottom towards the end of Crews' tenure, but he was an awful recruiter. Ford already has improved recruiting at SLU and will be noticeably better next year. If they hit a stride (like they did with Majerus), they will likely come along as well.

The institutional-fit, athletic programs and commitment to men's basketball align perfectly with what the Big East is now today. They would strengthen the middle of the league, possibly even elevate the number of total bids we receive. It would also add more content for the conference, as well push us even farther ahead as the top non-FBS conference in the country.

I have not done research on this but I'm having a hard time believing this is an accurate statement.

Are you claiming to be the most profitable non-fbs conference? Because claiming to be the best non-fbs conference makes it seem like you guys are winning national championships in Olympic sports left and right.