(08-22-2012 01:19 AM)ithacan_warrior Wrote:  My thoughts are that the Big East doesn't have the content to draw more revenue then the ACC. Just not enough eyes on the television set for football and the basketball product is severely injured by the departure of Syracuse. They are the standard bearer of Bog East basketball in many ways, with UConn, and possibly, historically, Georgetown a close second.

Also, the Orange Bowl draw and money alone make the ACC more revenue then any bowl alignment the Big East will get.

But I will say that I wouldn't mind flipping on a Boise-Louisville or USF-Cincy game when it's on. A lot of the rest, meh...

The Basketball product though isn't injured anywhere near severely. Yes, Syracuse and Pitt are losses-big ones. But, getting NCAA regulars Memphis and Temple are very capable replacements. Not to mention all of the others still in the conference. Big East will still be a top 3 conference with ACC and Big Ten.

As far as the bowls- if Big East goes NBC- wouldn't shock me to see NBC get rights to a bowl and make it a BCS level game. take Big East vs SEC #3 or something. Give Big East a huge payout.

Temple is a capable (and good!) replacement. Memphis? Meh.

(08-23-2012 03:03 PM)ecuacc4ever Wrote:  Temple is a capable (and good!) replacement. Memphis? Meh.

In basketball? Memphis is a very good replacement. Also easy to see rivalries building quickly with them and some of the current Big East schools.

We'll simply agree to disagree.

I grew up watching and anticipating "Georgetown vs. Syracuse", and now, I still looked forward to it. Under that context, "Georgetown v. Memphis" just doesn't move me.

(08-23-2012 03:19 PM)ecuacc4ever Wrote:  We'll simply agree to disagree.

I grew up watching and anticipating "Georgetown vs. Syracuse", and now, I still looked forward to it. Under that context, "Georgetown v. Memphis" just doesn't move me.

Well, Memphis is one of the top 50 programs in the last 50 years that ESPN is doing right now- #19.

I don't think folks realize quite how good Memphis has been over the last 40ish years. In those 40 years, they've had decades being t35, t19,t44, and 13. It's rating is no fluke at all. Meanwhile, Pitt and WV haven't appeared on the list yet at all(they're up to 11 right now)- and don't think they would(probably would be-in no order)
1 Duke
2 UNC
3 UCLA
4 Kentucky
5 Syracuse
6 Indiana
7 Connecticut
8 Louisville
9 Arizona
10 Kansas

So, new Big East will have 7 of the top 19 teams of the last 50 years still and 12 of the top 50. To say they're severely injured by losing Syracuse is just not accurate. Is it a loss, no doubt about that at all. But still, when 2/3 of your league is in the top 50 last 50 years, you're a very strong league.

If a tree falls in a forest and no one sees or hears it...

All one has to do is examine Memphis in the context of their C-USA membership when Louisville and Cincinnati departed. Now, Louisville and Cincinnati are basketball brands and I don't think anyone on this ACC board will dispute it.

However, C-USA's TV "stroke" dropped off significantly when Louisville and Cincinnati (and Charlotte!) departed.

Noone is going to argue about how good Memphis may (or may not) have been. It's just that relatively no one cared enough, and C-USA's recent TV deals reflect that.

To bring it home.. we can probably debate that Memphis has been at least as good, if not better than Georgetown basketball, but if any of us had to pick between Georgetown or Memphis any day of the week (or twice on Sundays), it's Georgetown.

Go ahead -- run a poll and test that theory.

In fact, I guarantee you ask any NC State fan which school they'd prefer to beat in order to reach the Sweet 16 between Georgetown and Memphis...? Georgetown. Wolfpack fans wouldn't have given a flip about a "post-Calipari era" Memphis outfit.

Thing you have to remember, Memphis hoops in early 00's was a shamble. Cincy and Louisville were both doing MUCH stronger in hoops at that point.

Georgetown would be over Memphis because they actually won a title, but you could make a case since the 80's, that Memphis was stronger. In the ESPN study, Memphis is about 40 points ahead of Georgetown since 1990.

Also frankly- I think you asked a lot of kids about it- they would see Georgetown and Memphis right about the same. Memphis gets great games all the time and does well with them.

Lastly, I think if you're going to have someone to complain about, it's Temple, not Memphis. Temple, with 0 final fours in the last 50 years, or any consensus all-americans. When one of your 3 best teams (according to the poll) is a team that got knocked out in the 2nd round of the NCAA tourney, that's not good.

Bottom line, Big East hoops is still right there with the ACC and Big Ten. And, Memphis and Temple are both pretty important cogs in that.