Denver is joining the New Big East as a Lacross Affiliate

http://www.collegecrosse.com/2013/5/29/4...providence

Big Ten relevance?

Maybe nothing. But on the other hand, the ECAC Lacross conference that the Buckeyes and That School Up North play in are losing Loyola of Maryland. Denver is the other recent powerhouse of the ECAC ~ when the Buckeyes took out the ECAC tournament by beating Denver and Loyola, both of those wins were upsets, both teams went anyway as at-large bids, and Denver was still in the tournament after Cornell bounced the Buckeyes out.

And if the Big Ten Lacrosse competition is being formed in 2014/2015, that would push the ECAC down to five members and lose their AQ status ...

... while it would also mean that the New Big East would be down to five, since Rutgers would be moving to the Big Ten ...

... so Denver moving from the ECAC to the New Big East could very well be a move triggered on both sides by continued movement behind the scenes toward a sixth team for Big Ten Lacrosse, to allow the formation of a Big Ten-sponsored Lacrosse competition.

Big Ten lacrosse was one of the stipulations for maryland joining. If it's not hopkins, it's likely to be MSU or Minnesota.

(05-30-2013 07:18 PM)AtlanticLeague Wrote:  Big Ten lacrosse was one of the stipulations for maryland joining.

Source? I'd not seen that in newspaper reporting.

Quote: If it's not hopkins, it's likely to be MSU or Minnesota.

Its unlikely to be Northwestern, despite having the facilities, due to the challenge that a school that size has in expanding their athletic budget by the odd $1m or so per year.

(05-30-2013 08:02 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(05-30-2013 07:18 PM)AtlanticLeague Wrote:  Big Ten lacrosse was one of the stipulations for maryland joining.

Source? I'd not seen that in newspaper reporting.

Quote: If it's not hopkins, it's likely to be MSU or Minnesota.

Its unlikely to be Northwestern, despite having the facilities, due to the challenge that a school that size has in expanding their athletic budget by the odd $1m or so per year.

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-...issioner/4

Quote:As afternoon turned into evening, hotel staff replaced a depleted sandwich tray and cheese plate with a hot dinner. The group worked through what the Big Ten’s divisions might look like, because that would have an impact on the travel for Maryland’s teams. Loh and Anderson needed to hear about plans for lacrosse in the Big Ten, where the sport isn’t a mainstay as it is in College Park. Loh asked his questions about the future of the conference, its expansion plans and mission and the academic perks.

The B1G has already delivered on geographic divisions, looks like lax is next.

(05-30-2013 09:49 PM)AtlanticLeague Wrote:  

Quote:Loh and Anderson needed to hear about plans for lacrosse in the Big Ten, where the sport isn’t a mainstay as it is in College Park.

The B1G has already delivered on geographic divisions, looks like lax is next.

That's the kind of thing I had recalled seeing. That's not as definitive as what you said, but hopefully its enough to allow the commissioner to offer enough juice to JHU to get them to agree.

(05-31-2013 02:19 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  That's the kind of thing I had recalled seeing. That's not as definitive as what you said, but hopefully its enough to allow the commissioner to offer enough juice to JHU to get them to agree.

That quote combined with the fact that it would be unthinkable to leave our lax teams homeless, is what convinces me that B1G lax was part of the deal. Add in the rumblings about adding an associate member and hopkins announcing intent to join "a" conference and it all points to Hopkins in the B1G for the sixth team.

My guess is that it's John Hopkins which is deciding now. The Big Ten and ACC are both wooing and also deciding if they can/want to meet their demands.

(05-31-2013 07:51 AM)AtlanticLeague Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 02:19 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  That's the kind of thing I had recalled seeing. That's not as definitive as what you said, but hopefully its enough to allow the commissioner to offer enough juice to JHU to get them to agree.

That quote combined with the fact that it would be unthinkable to leave our lax teams homeless, is what convinces me that B1G lax was part of the deal. Add in the rumblings about adding an associate member and hopkins announcing intent to join "a" conference and it all points to Hopkins in the B1G for the sixth team.

Thing is, for many Big Ten Presidents, having Maryland lacrosse join the same home as the Buckeyes and That School Up North presently inhabit would be eminently thinkable.

Hence the Hopkins strategy: it squares that circle, if they can pull it off.

So, yes, it does make it look like that's the plan. What's ambiguous (and with luck will never be known) is what happens if that falls through.

(05-31-2013 11:45 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  Thing is, for many Big Ten Presidents, having Maryland lacrosse join the same home as the Buckeyes and That School Up North presently inhabit would be eminently thinkable.

Hence the Hopkins strategy: it squares that circle, if they can pull it off.

I don't understand what you're saying here. Having Maryland join the ECAC would be unthinkable?

(05-31-2013 01:33 PM)AtlanticLeague Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 11:45 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  Thing is, for many Big Ten Presidents, having Maryland lacrosse join the same home as the Buckeyes and That School Up North presently inhabit would be eminently thinkable.

Hence the Hopkins strategy: it squares that circle, if they can pull it off.

I don't understand what you're saying here. Having Maryland join the ECAC would be unthinkable?

That's how you seemed to describe any situation other than Maryland playing in a Big Ten Lacrosse league ~ unthinkable. That would obviously include joining the ECAC and playing two of their new conference mates there.

I said that for many Big Ten Presidents, it seems like it would be thinkable.

(05-31-2013 08:52 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 01:33 PM)AtlanticLeague Wrote:  

(05-31-2013 11:45 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  Thing is, for many Big Ten Presidents, having Maryland lacrosse join the same home as the Buckeyes and That School Up North presently inhabit would be eminently thinkable.

Hence the Hopkins strategy: it squares that circle, if they can pull it off.

I don't understand what you're saying here. Having Maryland join the ECAC would be unthinkable?

That's how you seemed to describe any situation other than Maryland playing in a Big Ten Lacrosse league ~ unthinkable. That would obviously include joining the ECAC and playing two of their new conference mates there.

I said that for many Big Ten Presidents, it seems like it would be thinkable.

I get it now. Yeah, Maryland wouldn't go for something like that and fans would be pissed.

(05-31-2013 09:51 PM)AtlanticLeague Wrote:  I get it now. Yeah, Maryland wouldn't go for something like that and fans would be pissed.

Which I'm sure Maryland's AD would explain to people, but I can easily imagine Indiana's AD answering, "Well, sometimes we do something that piss off the handful of field hockey fans, but what of it? What's the big deal?" Its a coming together of different sporting cultures.

If the JHU strategy works out, it won't come up, since JHU's academics justifies trying to get them for some form of relationship with the CIC, and once they are an associate, six Big Ten schools with teams means the Big Ten sponsors the sport ~ that is far too long established for anybody to think of questioning.