Will they be expanding to 12 anytime soon? Is 12 the limit or would they consider 14?

Looking at this map, the conference breaks down pretty evenly with 5 in the Midwest and 5 in the East.

This suggests Dayton, Saint Louis or Wichita St would be the logical choices for the 6th team in the Midwest, while VCU, Richmond, etc. would be the 6th team in the East.

(11-24-2013 11:22 AM)CougarRed Wrote:  Will they be expanding to 12 anytime soon? Is 12 the limit or would they consider 14?

Looking at this map, the conference breaks down pretty evenly with 5 in the Midwest and 5 in the East.

This suggests Dayton, Saint Louis or Wichita St would be the logical choices for the 6th team in the Midwest, while VCU, Richmond, etc. would be the 6th team in the East.

That's a decent summary. Saint Louis is usually regarded as a lock if the BE goes to 12, with the other spot subject to discussion and debate. Dayton is a cultural fit, but not a stellar acquisition. VCU has a lot of support from the ADs, while Richmond keeps getting mentioned. Wichita State is not likely--public, distant, small market, thin resume. Gonzaga gets mentioned, but is just too far away.

(11-24-2013 02:02 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  That's a decent summary. Saint Louis is usually regarded as a lock if the BE goes to 12, with the other spot subject to discussion and debate. Dayton is a cultural fit, but not a stellar acquisition. VCU has a lot of support from the ADs, while Richmond keeps getting mentioned.

Yeah, I reckon if VCU were private, they'd have the inside track. As it stands, the Presidents may be reluctant to have a public school in the conference, with exposure that brings to Freedom of Information requests for conference information from the public school.

(11-24-2013 02:02 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  Wichita State is not likely--public, distant, small market, thin resume.

I wonder if Wichita State would be interested in the A-10. OTOH the A-10 might just do nothing if Saint Louis and Richmond or VCU leave -- they would still have 11 hoops teams after losing two of those three. And the A-10 might want to shrink their footprint. With Saint Louis gone, the A-10's farthest-west team would be Dayton.

(11-24-2013 02:37 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(11-24-2013 02:02 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  Wichita State is not likely--public, distant, small market, thin resume.

I wonder if Wichita State would be interested in the A-10. OTOH the A-10 might just do nothing if Saint Louis and Richmond or VCU leave -- they would still have 11 hoops teams after losing two of those three. And the A-10 might want to shrink their footprint. With Saint Louis gone, the A-10's farthest-west team would be Dayton.

If the A-10 loses two to the BE and UMass I would get back to 12 with Siena and Bucknell. If they want to go to 14 id add BU and either Manhattan or Monmouth.

I don't know if the A-10 loses 2 to the BE and UMASS to the MAC- that takes them to 11(remember, they're adding Davidson next year). They could stay there or add 1 more team.

(11-24-2013 03:10 PM)stever20 Wrote:  I don't know if the A-10 loses 2 to the BE and UMASS to the MAC- that takes them to 11(remember, they're adding Davidson next year). They could stay there or add 1 more team.

Well in that case I'd go with my first two and BU

I don't know if they'd add anyone there or maybe more a team like a Towson in the middle of the conference.

(11-24-2013 02:37 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(11-24-2013 02:02 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  Wichita State is not likely--public, distant, small market, thin resume.

I wonder if Wichita State would be interested in the A-10.

The American will be negotiating a new TV deal in 2018-19. I suspect they may well pursue

Wichita St

plus perhaps 2 more not selected by the Big East

(Dayton and VCU?).

If UConn, Memphis, Temple and Cincy are still part of the league, I would think the American would be very attractive to those basketball schools.

(11-24-2013 03:50 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  The American will be negotiating a new TV deal in 2018-19. I suspect they may well pursue

Wichita St

plus perhaps 2 more not selected by the Big East

(Dayton and VCU?).

If UConn, Memphis, Temple and Cincy are still part of the league, I would think the American would be very attractive to those basketball schools.

But would The American want another unbalanced BBall/FB conference?

It would be one thing to add an Olympic-Sports school to balance the FB-only Navy add ~ but I would be a bit surprised if they started down Old Big East unbalanced conference journey again, with the most unpleasant part of that journey being the freshest in their minds.

(11-24-2013 03:50 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  

(11-24-2013 02:37 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(11-24-2013 02:02 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  Wichita State is not likely--public, distant, small market, thin resume.

I wonder if Wichita State would be interested in the A-10.

The American will be negotiating a new TV deal in 2018-19. I suspect they may well pursue

Wichita St

plus perhaps 2 more not selected by the Big East

(Dayton and VCU?).

If UConn, Memphis, Temple and Cincy are still part of the league, I would think the American would be very attractive to those basketball schools.

American minus Louisville and addition of Tulane, ECU and Tulsa probably won't garner much more money. Adding VCU, WSU etc....will just further split the pot. As for the Big East, I think SLU is #11 but there is no clear #12 so they will probably just wait a few years and see if #12 emerges unless UCONN is stuck in a depleted AAC and shelves football in the MAC or something.

(11-24-2013 03:05 PM)NJRedMan Wrote:  

(11-24-2013 02:37 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(11-24-2013 02:02 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  Wichita State is not likely--public, distant, small market, thin resume.

I wonder if Wichita State would be interested in the A-10. OTOH the A-10 might just do nothing if Saint Louis and Richmond or VCU leave -- they would still have 11 hoops teams after losing two of those three. And the A-10 might want to shrink their footprint. With Saint Louis gone, the A-10's farthest-west team would be Dayton.

If the A-10 loses two to the BE and UMass I would get back to 12 with Siena and Bucknell. If they want to go to 14 id add BU and either Manhattan or Monmouth.

BU has a really nice new arena, but they get about 900 people to come to their basketball games. Hockey is the opposite.

St. Louis and Dayton fit the best IMO - solid private schools with good basketball. WSU and VCU are also solid, but both are state schools. I think the new Big East should stick to their pattern.

(11-24-2013 03:50 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  The American will be negotiating a new TV deal in 2018-19. I suspect they may well pursue

Wichita St

plus perhaps 2 more not selected by the Big East

(Dayton and VCU?).

If UConn, Memphis, Temple and Cincy are still part of the league, I would think the American would be very attractive to those basketball schools.

I'm not sure the AAC makes it in its 2014 form to the ripe old age of 5.

Houston may not even be there if the 3 schools you mention bail. I'd expect UH t be part of the new MWC if that happened (where they've belonged for years IMO).

it appears likely that if the BE went to 12 they will look to the A10.
if the A10 decided to replace the 2 schools that would leave i think they should consider Siena and a school from Connecticut. Quinnipiac of maybe Fairfield could be a good fit

(11-24-2013 07:36 PM)Jet915 Wrote:  

(11-24-2013 03:50 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  

(11-24-2013 02:37 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(11-24-2013 02:02 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  Wichita State is not likely--public, distant, small market, thin resume.

I wonder if Wichita State would be interested in the A-10.

The American will be negotiating a new TV deal in 2018-19. I suspect they may well pursue

Wichita St

plus perhaps 2 more not selected by the Big East

(Dayton and VCU?).

If UConn, Memphis, Temple and Cincy are still part of the league, I would think the American would be very attractive to those basketball schools.

American minus Louisville and addition of Tulane, ECU and Tulsa probably won't garner much more money. Adding VCU, WSU etc....will just further split the pot. As for the Big East, I think SLU is #11 but there is no clear #12 so they will probably just wait a few years and see if #12 emerges unless UCONN is stuck in a depleted AAC and shelves football in the MAC or something.

Math isn't really a strong point around here. The difference in payout is peanuts considering what VCU could bring to the AAC via tournament revenue, reputation, new market and helping on travel. I really hope the Big East sticks with the private school route so maybe we could get VCU post A10 raid.

(11-24-2013 11:50 PM)blunderbuss Wrote:  

(11-24-2013 07:36 PM)Jet915 Wrote:  

(11-24-2013 03:50 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  

(11-24-2013 02:37 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(11-24-2013 02:02 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  Wichita State is not likely--public, distant, small market, thin resume.

I wonder if Wichita State would be interested in the A-10.

The American will be negotiating a new TV deal in 2018-19. I suspect they may well pursue

Wichita St

plus perhaps 2 more not selected by the Big East

(Dayton and VCU?).

If UConn, Memphis, Temple and Cincy are still part of the league, I would think the American would be very attractive to those basketball schools.

American minus Louisville and addition of Tulane, ECU and Tulsa probably won't garner much more money. Adding VCU, WSU etc....will just further split the pot. As for the Big East, I think SLU is #11 but there is no clear #12 so they will probably just wait a few years and see if #12 emerges unless UCONN is stuck in a depleted AAC and shelves football in the MAC or something.

Math isn't really a strong point around here. The difference in payout is peanuts considering what VCU could bring to the AAC via tournament revenue, reputation, new market and helping on travel. I really hope the Big East sticks with the private school route so maybe we could get VCU post A10 raid.

Completely agree. VCU and UMass Olympic sports would be excellent additions to the conference and would solidify the AAC as a power basketball conference.

I think its pretty crazy for the big east to stick with the catholic/private model. Nothing wrong with brining in a couple state school's. Jumping to 12 should be a lock with VCU and St Louis. I don't think going to 14 is a bad move either with Umass and dayton or even Wichita. The big east should try to create the best hoop league regardless of school profile.

(11-25-2013 11:07 AM)bluesox Wrote:  I think its pretty crazy for the big east to stick with the catholic/private model. Nothing wrong with brining in a couple state school's. Jumping to 12 should be a lock with VCU and St Louis. I don't think going to 14 is a bad move either with Umass and dayton or even Wichita. The big east should try to create the best hoop league regardless of school profile.

My take is this.

Big East has a really nice core. To make a good expansion for the league you throw TV dollars out the window and to some degree disregard past performance (ie. don't assume a successful team will remain so or an unsuccessful will remain so but ask whether is an institution fundamentally capable of competing with a commitment to do so).

Then pick schools you can see yourself affiliated with for the next 5 decades. Do you sufficently overlap in academic profile and approach to athletics.

St. Louis I think obviously passes the test. I am not extremely familiar with VCU but my impression of them is that despite being a public they are reasonably in tune.

The A-10 would be stupid to expand again even if they lose schools.

McGlade cut off the west with the last two expansion decisions, so you can more or less forget them going that direction. As a SLU fan, we know where we're not wanted.

After seeing today's AP poll, I hope the A-10 does kick us out.