(03-12-2020 04:22 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote: Did coronavirus cost Dayton the Big East?
I would say no.
With UConn returning to the Big East, how many programs are out there that could hypothetically move the needle? Gonzaga is one. Any others?
If/when the BE expands again, it will do so at a time when the round robin is no longer valued or as valuable, and/or there is value in expanding to create more content for a TV deal, as well as creating more games for the BET in MSG.
What criteria would the league look for, if no elite programs are available (considering what the landscape is at the moment)? It needs to be a basketball-first institution, it needs to have a NYC presence, it needs to have strong fan support and an ability to travel well. Dayton, whether it is a top-5 team or a top-50 team, remarkably, always provides that.
The knock against Dayton is its current proximity to Cincinnati (Xavier). However, neither really impacts the ability for the other to be competitive or its ability to have fans at games. If Dayton were in Detroit, they would already be in the BE.
As previously stated, look for both UD and SLU as expansion targets in 2024, a year before the current BE TV deal with Fox expires. However, if the rumors about an extension being announced when UConn joins in July are true, then that timeline probably gets extended to '26-'27 timeframe. 14 is an ideal league number; UMass could also be paired with UConn to round everything out.