With news that the Big East basketball schools are thinking of breaking away, what should UC do? The bball schools will get to keep the Big East name (due to BE bylaws that the name stays with founding members).

I think UC and UConn will work together and make the same decision, so we'll be with them either way. Here are our options:

A) Stay the course - all sports in a C-USA type league with Memphis, Tulane, ECU, UCF, etc.
B) UC and UConn should join the C-USA type league for football-only. Join the bball schools for all other sports.
C) UC and UConn should join the MAC for football only. Join the bball schools for all other sports.
D) UC and UConn should go independent in football. Join the bball schools for all other sports.
E) Something else.

If you pick E and have other suggestions, leave them here.


Remember, the C-USA type league will be:
UCF / USF
Houston / SMU
Tulane / Memphis
ECU / Temple
+ 2 more (Tulsa? Southern Miss? Marshall? Rice?)

The new Big East basketball conference will be:
Georgetown / Villanova
Seton Hall / St. John's
Providence
Marquette / Depaul
Xavier - almost certainly
Dayton - probably
Butler - probably
and maybe VCU, SLU, Creighton, or some other A-10 teams

I vote D-

I think UC can join this new league under the impression that they are trying to leave. As soon as they leave, Xavier gets the spot.

Independent will be hard, but I dont think it's impossible, especially with our new coach and (supposedly) new stadium.

I vote for a multi step plan:

1. Tell the basketball-only members of the Big East to go **** themselves. In fact, tell them that regardless.
2. Regularly call the Big Ten, SEC, Big XII, and ACC, telling them it would be a fantastic idea if they expanded to 16 teams each.
3. Cross fingers.

(12-11-2012 09:47 AM)cincybearcatsgo Wrote:  Independent will be hard, but I dont think it's impossible, especially with our new coach and (supposedly) new stadium.

It's impossible.

Six of one, half dozen of the other. We should do everything in our power to show a continued commitment to athletics and parlay that into an invite to a better conference. We need to make ourselves the most attractive school not currently in a big five conference.

This is a long shot IMO, but hypothetically I'd go B.

I'm all for Hypothetical B if it is possible, while hopefully getting out of this dumpster fire. But who knows if it is.

National all sports conference. At that point you need to kill off the Mountain West and C-USA to be in position to earn the BCS bid for the Group of Five. As the leader of an all sports league Cincinnati will be the most attractive school during conference realignment, splitting up sports make things more complicated when Big 12 or ACC needs a school.

(12-11-2012 10:15 AM)bearcatlawjd Wrote:  National all sports conference. At that point you need to kill off the Mountain West and C-USA to be in position to earn the BCS bid for the Group of Five. As the leader of an all sports league Cincinnati will be the most attractive school during conference realignment, splitting up sports make things more complicated when Big 12 or ACC needs a school.

Do you think we'd get enough out of a television contract to make the travel costs work?

I think we would be forced to stick with the other all sports teams that are currently in/slated to join the Big East and fight like hell to get an ACC or Big 12 invite.

(12-11-2012 10:15 AM)bearcatlawjd Wrote:  National all sports conference. At that point you need to kill off the Mountain West and C-USA to be in position to earn the BCS bid for the Group of Five. As the leader of an all sports league Cincinnati will be the most attractive school during conference realignment, splitting up sports make things more complicated when Big 12 or ACC needs a school.

The problem is that the longer Cincinnati is on a level playing field in terms of conference affiliation, the higher the chances that another program coming up to their level passes them on the expansion list.

UC needs expansion to continue NOW, they can't afford to wait around and hope they don't lose any position.

I don't think a national league, assuming you mean with teams all over the map, would be much of a financial boost.

(12-11-2012 10:34 AM)Coopdaddy67 Wrote:  

(12-11-2012 10:15 AM)bearcatlawjd Wrote:  National all sports conference. At that point you need to kill off the Mountain West and C-USA to be in position to earn the BCS bid for the Group of Five. As the leader of an all sports league Cincinnati will be the most attractive school during conference realignment, splitting up sports make things more complicated when Big 12 or ACC needs a school.

The problem is that the longer Cincinnati is on a level playing field in terms of conference affiliation, the higher the chances that another program coming up to their level passes them on the expansion list.

UC needs expansion to continue NOW, they can't afford to wait around and hope they don't lose any position.

I don't think a national league, assuming you mean with teams all over the map, would be much of a financial boost.

I felt that way a week ago until we paid our new football coach a ton of jack.

(12-11-2012 10:24 AM)subflea Wrote:  I think we would be forced to stick with the other all sports teams that are currently in/slated to join the Big East and fight like hell to get an ACC or Big 12 invite.

Me too.

Will people stop throwing out the MAC as an option...gawd its a horrible idea.

(12-11-2012 02:36 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  Will people stop throwing out the MAC as an option...gawd its a horrible idea.

x2. Just because all the cards fell right for NIU this season doesn't mean it's a quality football conference. It's suicide to our chances of moving up.

If it was truly possible, I'd rather UC be an independent than be in the Big East or MAC.

(12-11-2012 02:36 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  Will people stop throwing out the MAC as an option...gawd its a horrible idea.

Absolutely right. If you drill down into the numbers the MAC pretty much occupies the bottom rung of the ladder in D-1 football. Granted, they had some very good individual team performances this season but it's not sustainable because of small athletic budgets, limitations on salaries for coaches, small stadiums/arenas and little TV coverage. Bottom line, they just are out of sight and out of mind from a national perspective. I spoke with a business colleague last week who is a Florida State fan and attends all their bowl games. He said they won't even go this year to see a game against NIU.
I'm hoping the ACC beckons soon for UC but if not they're still better off with programs such as UCONN, Boise, SMU and Houston than Eastern Michigan and Akron.

From one of the biggest Big East haters

Quote:Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN
BIg East hoops schools expected to release statement on future plans in coming days. Source told @espn would be an "upset" if they remained

The thought of the C7 leaving the Big East and adding Xavier along with other top tier A-10 schools makes me sick. Could you imagine Xavier playing at MSG while Cincinnati basketball is left in a train wreck of a coast to coast all sports league like the one I suggested on the BE board? I'm really not sure what I want to happen quite honestly...I don't want to choose between football and basketball but we might have too

(12-13-2012 03:19 AM)UCbball21 Wrote:  The thought of the C7 leaving the Big East and adding Xavier along with other top tier A-10 schools makes me sick. Could you imagine Xavier playing at MSG while Cincinnati basketball is left in a train wreck of a coast to coast all sports league like the one I suggested on the BE board? I'm really not sure what I want to happen quite honestly...I don't want to choose between football and basketball but we might have too

This is what the Xavier and Dayton fanboys have been wishing for since it was announced that UC was going to the Big East.

It may not be pretty in the short run, but after last week, I have zero doubts about Whit and Ono taking care of UC.