Quote:The Big East has tabled any expansion talk and clearly won’t be growing beyond 10 members anytime soon. The reasons are simple: 10 is the perfect basketball scheduling number, the 10-member Big 12 has shown that that number of schools can work splendidly in hoops, and TV partner Fox isn’t demanding any change in inventory.
What PC’s Driscoll says the league is planning on doing is juicing up Fox’s offerings in the nonconference portion of the season. The recently announced Gavitt Tipoff series with the Big Ten is a great start, and sources said Fox was working to broker a similar partnership between the Pac 12 and Big East.
“Instead of expanding, we want to emphasize playing more high-profile games that will help us with TV and get more teams into the NCAA Tournament,” Driscoll said.
The Big East isn’t too small to succeed in basketball. It just had a very average first season with only four teams — Villanova, Creighton, Xavier, PC — making the NCAA Tournament. But Georgetown and Marquette won’t stay down for long. The 10-school Big 12 offered the perfect template last season by finishing first in the RPI with seven top-50 teams and earning seven NCAA bids.

http://www.providencejournal.com/sports/...etball.ece

im torn about this. I really like the home and home schedule but i honestly thought SLU was going to be announced as a new member soon

If the A10 has another good year I think you'll hear a lot of grumbling from the Big East about taking their top 2 teams. I'm honestly shocked that SLU and Dayton weren't added already. Something happened late last summer that put a stop to it... maybe it was when Majerus stepped down (before he died).

It ain't happening.

That round robin schedule is too much to give up.

Thanks, Biondi.

I'm a huge fan of round robin scheduling (think the Big 12 has far and away the best overall set-up football/basketball). That said, I think the Big East would be better to at least add St. Louis (no reason an even number has to be used, this isn't football). The market, support, and right type of school are there. Even if it doesn't add money in the short term, it just feels like a good long term move.

So, has Providence re-emerged as the defacto "kingmaker" of this conference again?

I think if Big East has another year similar or even gasp worse than this year, could easily see Big East being forced to expand.

Also, btw, odd number doesn't work even in basketball. Odd number=not every team can play on same day. Weekend byes just isn't good.

Also, with anything in the college expansion game, you can take anything anyone says with a grain of salt. Seen way too many times where someone says x and y happens 2 months later.

(06-16-2014 06:43 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  So, has Providence re-emerged as the defacto "kingmaker" of this conference again?

"Again"?

(06-17-2014 03:05 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  

(06-16-2014 06:43 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  So, has Providence re-emerged as the defacto "kingmaker" of this conference again?

"Again"?

Seems to me that he is referring to the PCM that has run the home office since day one.

(06-12-2014 01:54 PM)mlb Wrote:  If the A10 has another good year I think you'll hear a lot of grumbling from the Big East about taking their top 2 teams. I'm honestly shocked that SLU and Dayton weren't added already. Something happened late last summer that put a stop to it... maybe it was when Majerus stepped down (before he died).

I think part of the problem is the lack of an obvious expansion candidate in the Boston-DC corridor that is the historic core of the conference. Adding SLU and Dayton would mean 7 of 12 members were from the midwest. Such a midwest-centric lineup would make it hard to justify locking the ACC and B1G out of MSG when the current BE-MSG contract expires.

(06-22-2014 02:33 PM)mikeinsec127 Wrote:  

(06-17-2014 03:05 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  

(06-16-2014 06:43 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  So, has Providence re-emerged as the defacto "kingmaker" of this conference again?

"Again"?

Seems to me that he is referring to the PCM that has run the home office since day one.

With the re-formation of the BE, it was a bit of a question as to which school(s) would be the "powerbroker." I guess that Providence is it.

I'd love to see them add Notre Dame, Saint Louis, and Dayton.

7 of the 15 ACC schools are former Big East members.

(08-08-2014 08:54 PM)gtmoBlue Wrote:  

if the BE ever expands, UConn and Temple are the Best fits. They just need to park their football elsewhere. Another team, a long shot would be BC. BC's experiment in the ACC has been an utter failure and they would be an excellent addition - again...park football elsewhere.

I agree with UConn. That's the team the conference needs to restore its profile to P5 level.

(08-08-2014 08:54 PM)gtmoBlue Wrote:  

if the BE ever expands, UConn and Temple are the Best fits. They just need to park their football elsewhere. Another team, a long shot would be BC. BC's experiment in the ACC has been an utter failure and they would be an excellent addition - again...park football elsewhere.

Villanova would block Temple. UConn is not joining the BE. If they were they would have left with the C7 when they pulled the plug on the Old BE and left their FB team in the American as a FB only.

UConn will be in the ACC or the B-10 before rejoining the BE. Temple will remain in the AAC where it finally has all of its sports in one conference.

(06-23-2014 08:24 AM)orangefan Wrote:  

(06-12-2014 01:54 PM)mlb Wrote:  If the A10 has another good year I think you'll hear a lot of grumbling from the Big East about taking their top 2 teams. I'm honestly shocked that SLU and Dayton weren't added already. Something happened late last summer that put a stop to it... maybe it was when Majerus stepped down (before he died).

I think part of the problem is the lack of an obvious expansion candidate in the Boston-DC corridor that is the historic core of the conference. Adding SLU and Dayton would mean 7 of 12 members were from the midwest. Such a midwest-centric lineup would make it hard to justify locking the ACC and B1G out of MSG when the current BE-MSG contract expires.

I'd love to see Saint Louis (rival of DePaul and Marquette for their C-USA days) and Dayton (Xavier arch rival) added but they should add at least one more Eastern school if they do that. I one of the following would be a good add for the East: Siena, Duquesne, Saint Joseph's (Villanova would likely block), Canisius, Niagara, and Iona. I honestly think Butler was added so no one can say the Big East is an only Catholic conference. I'd love to see SLU, UD, Siena and Duquesne added or if they can only add 2 SLU and Duquesne (Pittsburgh Market). SLU needs to be added ASAP.

(08-12-2014 09:24 PM)Boyee Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:24 AM)orangefan Wrote:  

(06-12-2014 01:54 PM)mlb Wrote:  If the A10 has another good year I think you'll hear a lot of grumbling from the Big East about taking their top 2 teams. I'm honestly shocked that SLU and Dayton weren't added already. Something happened late last summer that put a stop to it... maybe it was when Majerus stepped down (before he died).

I think part of the problem is the lack of an obvious expansion candidate in the Boston-DC corridor that is the historic core of the conference. Adding SLU and Dayton would mean 7 of 12 members were from the midwest. Such a midwest-centric lineup would make it hard to justify locking the ACC and B1G out of MSG when the current BE-MSG contract expires.

I'd love to see Saint Louis (rival of DePaul and Marquette for their C-USA days) and Dayton (Xavier arch rival) added but they should add at least one more Eastern school if they do that. I one of the following would be a good add for the East: Siena, Duquesne, Saint Joseph's (Villanova would likely block), Canisius, Niagara, and Iona. I honestly think Butler was added so no one can say the Big East is an only Catholic conference. I'd love to see SLU, UD, Siena and Duquesne added or if they can only add 2 SLU and Duquesne (Pittsburgh Market). SLU needs to be added ASAP.

I don't know many at Marquette who would consider SLU a rival.

I would tend to agree with the previous poster. A little bit of mention of Marquette, but nothing that rises to rivalry.

No former BE school is coming back. That holds particularly true for BC. BC was unhappy and floundering in the ACC. But seemed quite content to cash the big conference revenue sharing checks. Now that it has been reunited wirh former conference mates and old buddies cuse and pitt; there is really no reason to return. The same now also holds true for cus and pitt.
UConn and Temple ate also both non starters. They have invested too much in football to return. As noted other posters, UConn would have stayed with the C7, but didn't and Nova will forever block Temple's inclusion.
Out of the other schools listed StL and Dayton seem like no brainers. Duquesne is an option to get back into Pittsburgh, but that athletic department was a mess for a long time. I'd only consider it if there has been great steps to improve. Siena plays in a big arena and would be a nice add to get a second NY school. The other Upstate schools mentioned are all too small, too far out or don't have access to a large arena.
For other Eastern markets, why aren't schools such as Boston U or Elon considered?