(03-13-2013 09:24 AM)HoyaAnt Wrote: I am really not happy with Dayton joining the conference. It's bad enough we have Seton Hall and Depaul, now you bring in Dayton who will bring the same results as the aforementioned schools.
I don't really have a dog in the fight here, but I think you are underestimating the value of teams like Seton Hall and DePaul. The very nature of playing in a conference means that some teams will end up at the top and some teams will end up at the bottom. In other words, every conference will have teams finishing last or next to last and if those teams improve, then someone else is going to have to take their place at the bottom of the pile.
That is where the true value of a school like DePaul is in my opinion. Even if they are finishing at the bottom of the league, they are still good for the conference because they give the league a strong bottom. First, look at the tradition DePaul brings to the conference. DePaul has the same number of final fours, more elite eights, more sweet sixteens, and more NCAA appearances than Butler. It has more final fours, elite eights, and sweet sixteens than either Creighton or Xavier. DePaul has been way down since it joined the Big East but that doesn't mean it was always or will always be terrible.
Second, look at DePaul's ability to still attract fans. The Blue Demons averaged 7,740 fans in 2012 (
link) which was more than Butler, UCLA, and Gonzaga averaged. In fact, it was nearly equal to Baylor and Notre Dame, two programs with a LOT more success over the last 5 years than DePaul.
DePaul might not be generating tons of NCAA credits at present but they do give the Big East something it can market going forward.
Every program from top to bottom has great basketball tradition.
Every program from top to bottom packs the house for games.
Every program from top to bottom lives and breathes basketball.