It’s interesting that 1995 was the last time the A-10 added a Northeastern school and both ended up being duds.

It’s also curious that among the northeastern old guard, only Temple has left.

Lately, it’s been all the expansion members from outside the northeast, not the old guard, who are doing all the heavy lifting.

(03-14-2022 06:15 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  It’s interesting that 1995 was the last time the A-10 added a Northeastern school and both ended up being duds.

It’s also curious that among the northeastern old guard, only Temple has left.

Lately, it’s been all the expansion members from outside the northeast, not the old guard, who are doing all the heavy lifting.

Well according to you the Big Ten and Big East tried to kill the A10.

(03-14-2022 06:15 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  It’s interesting that 1995 was the last time the A-10 added a Northeastern school and both ended up being duds.

LaSalle and Fordham joined in 1995. Fordham has been a dud, but LaSalle has had a few good teams, including their 2012 and 2013 teams, which played in the 2012 NIT and 2013 NCAA (a team that advanced to the Sweet Sixteen).

If the northeastern quadrant includes the upper/middle atlantic region, which Temple, GW, and WVU are located in, VCU and Richmond are also in, that region, since Richmond is only 100 miles from Washington, D.C. To illustrate the point, the Philadelphia A10 teams can travel by bus to VCU and Richmond in 4 hours.

VCU is one of the most successful A-10 teams in recent years. Richmond advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2015, 2017, and 2021 NIT and is playing in the 2022 NCAA tournament.

(03-14-2022 06:15 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  It’s also curious that among the northeastern old guard, only Temple has left.

Actually four have left, since the "northeastern old guard" members of the Atlantic 10 in its first season (1982-83) were:

Rutgers, St. Joseph's, Temple, UMass, URI, WVU, St. Bonaventure, Penn State, Duquesne, and George Washington (Temple, GW, and WVU are in the northeastern quadrant of the U.S., broadly speaking, and more specifically in the upper/middle Atlantic region).

Four of them left to join other conferences: Rutgers, Temple, WVU, Penn State

(03-14-2022 06:15 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Lately, it’s been all the expansion members from outside the northeast, not the old guard, who are doing all the heavy lifting.

St. Bonaventure is certainly an exception.

They're one of the "old guard" members from the northeast, and they've been doing their share of the "heavy lifting," since they played in the 2018 and 2021 NCAA tournaments and are playing in this year's NIT.

In addition, Rhode Island went 25-10 in 2016-17 and 26-8 in 2017-18 and played in the 2017 and 2018 NCAA tournaments.

(03-14-2022 03:33 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 02:05 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 01:00 PM)Sitting bull Wrote:  No. This is a solution looking for a problem.

The A10 will likely lose Dayton and possibly SLU to the Big East. When that happens, I think Temple will return and you have a conference that is geographically tighter.

You mean Temple will go Independent in FB and join A-10 in Olympic sports?

I share your skepticism and think the chances of that are quite overstated. The AAC would essentially need to lose all of Memphis, Wichita State and SMU for Temple to even consider that prospect and, if that type of mass defection from the AAC were to happen, you may see UMass end up in the AAC for all-sports in a way that would entice Temple to stay. I don't think Temple would leave the AAC for football independence unless it's a Big East invite (which won't ever happen as long as Villanova is a member).

The AAC has a pretty big exit fee so I don't see Temple going anywhere unless they can get into a conference that is decidedly better than the AAC (P5 or BE).

A10 and AAC moving forward seem like a wash in basketball. A10 might have more "basketball schools" but the AAC pays more money so might end up just as deep in NCAAT bids when its said and done.

(03-14-2022 05:25 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 09:17 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(03-13-2022 10:05 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  East west you have Virginia & North Carolina, to Ohio to Kentucky to Illinois to Missouri to Kansas. A good geographical conference configuration.

No true NE schools and no true southern schools. Only the state of Indiana is left out.

Here's the thing that I think a lot of conference realignment observers miss: academic leaders at schools WANT to be associated with the Northeast. The Northeast is to academia as Texas and Florida are to football. That is always going to be the case. It's why SLU and Dayton haven't wanted to have anything to do with the MVC - the Midwestern focus is a *negative* to them and Loyola Chicago was thrilled with getting into a more Eastern-focused league. The East Coast is a big time feature for university presidents (as opposed to a bug) and the A-10 has poaching power over every league in the Eastern and Central Time Zones outside of the FBS leagues, Big East and Ivy League.

Yet the NE schools themselves aren’t very successful these days in sports. In fact, the Major NE schools have mostly joined midwestern conferences (Big 10 & Big 12) and southern conferences (ACC) to stay relevant. The schools that couldn’t get an invite like UConn, UMASS and Temple are terrible in football. 2 of 3 of those schools plus Buffalo would take a FB only invite to the AAC in a second. A southern conference. Temple’s already there. I’ll take your word on the academics part of this as I don’t know as much on that as you.

UConn, Temple, UMass and Buffalo would all jump to reincarnate BE Football in the event of a new division forming and requiring FB again for the BE.

They don't have interest in the AAC, including Temple who is stuck there because of AAC exit fees. Temple would pick to be Indy/A10 again if it were not for TV money.

(03-14-2022 08:31 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 05:25 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 09:17 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(03-13-2022 10:05 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  East west you have Virginia & North Carolina, to Ohio to Kentucky to Illinois to Missouri to Kansas. A good geographical conference configuration.

No true NE schools and no true southern schools. Only the state of Indiana is left out.

Here's the thing that I think a lot of conference realignment observers miss: academic leaders at schools WANT to be associated with the Northeast. The Northeast is to academia as Texas and Florida are to football. That is always going to be the case. It's why SLU and Dayton haven't wanted to have anything to do with the MVC - the Midwestern focus is a *negative* to them and Loyola Chicago was thrilled with getting into a more Eastern-focused league. The East Coast is a big time feature for university presidents (as opposed to a bug) and the A-10 has poaching power over every league in the Eastern and Central Time Zones outside of the FBS leagues, Big East and Ivy League.

Yet the NE schools themselves aren’t very successful these days in sports. In fact, the Major NE schools have mostly joined midwestern conferences (Big 10 & Big 12) and southern conferences (ACC) to stay relevant. The schools that couldn’t get an invite like UConn, UMASS and Temple are terrible in football. 2 of 3 of those schools plus Buffalo would take a FB only invite to the AAC in a second. A southern conference. Temple’s already there. I’ll take your word on the academics part of this as I don’t know as much on that as you.

UConn, Temple, UMass and Buffalo would all jump to reincarnate BE Football in the event of a new division forming and requiring FB again for the BE.

They don't have interest in the AAC, including Temple who is stuck there because of AAC exit fees. Temple would pick to be Indy/A10 again if it were not for TV money.

Serious, but another odd question: would SMU look at joining the A10 if it couldn't get in the Big XII???

(03-14-2022 10:44 AM)Ridge1982 Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 09:17 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(03-13-2022 10:05 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  East west you have Virginia & North Carolina, to Ohio to Kentucky to Illinois to Missouri to Kansas. A good geographical conference configuration.

No true NE schools and no true southern schools. Only the state of Indiana is left out.

Here's the thing that I think a lot of conference realignment observers miss: academic leaders at schools WANT to be associated with the Northeast. The Northeast is to academia as Texas and Florida are to football. That is always going to be the case. It's why SLU and Dayton haven't wanted to have anything to do with the MVC - the Midwestern focus is a *negative* to them and Loyola Chicago was thrilled with getting into a more Eastern-focused league. The East Coast is a big time feature for university presidents (as opposed to a bug) and the A-10 has poaching power over every league in the Eastern and Central Time Zones outside of the FBS leagues, Big East and Ivy League.

So true. Mizzou tried to become the Harvard of the Midwest in the 80’s while decimating the football program for 12 or so years before Pinkel came along.

The original Atlantic 10 could only be described as a "northeastern" conference in the sense of being located in the northeastern quadrant of the U.S., which includes the mid-Atlantic region.

For example, this map of the northeastern quadrant of the U.S. includes Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia:

https://east-usa.com/maps-of-northeaster...tates.html

The Atlantic 10 has always had a mixture of teams from the northeastern and mid-atlantic regions

7 of the original Atlantic 10 schools were located in the middle-atlantic region:

Pennsylvania: Temple, St. Joseph's, Duquesne, & Penn State
New Jersey: Rutgers
Washington D.C.: George Washington
West Virginia: WVU

Only 3 were located in NY or New England (long considered the "northeast").

Massachusetts: UMass
New York: St. Bonaventure (NY is both a northeastern and mid-atlantic state).
Rhode Island: URI

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Virginia is located in the nation's northeastern quadrant, and VCU and Richmond are 100 miles from Washington, D.C. It's only a 4 hour drive from the Philadelphia A-10 schools to VCU and Richmond. Another Virginia A-10 school, George Mason U., is located just outside of D.C.

Since VCU and Richmond are within driving distance 5 A-10 schools, it would make no sense for them to join a midwestern conference.

(03-14-2022 08:48 PM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 08:31 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 05:25 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 09:17 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(03-13-2022 10:05 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  East west you have Virginia & North Carolina, to Ohio to Kentucky to Illinois to Missouri to Kansas. A good geographical conference configuration.

No true NE schools and no true southern schools. Only the state of Indiana is left out.

Here's the thing that I think a lot of conference realignment observers miss: academic leaders at schools WANT to be associated with the Northeast. The Northeast is to academia as Texas and Florida are to football. That is always going to be the case. It's why SLU and Dayton haven't wanted to have anything to do with the MVC - the Midwestern focus is a *negative* to them and Loyola Chicago was thrilled with getting into a more Eastern-focused league. The East Coast is a big time feature for university presidents (as opposed to a bug) and the A-10 has poaching power over every league in the Eastern and Central Time Zones outside of the FBS leagues, Big East and Ivy League.

Yet the NE schools themselves aren’t very successful these days in sports. In fact, the Major NE schools have mostly joined midwestern conferences (Big 10 & Big 12) and southern conferences (ACC) to stay relevant. The schools that couldn’t get an invite like UConn, UMASS and Temple are terrible in football. 2 of 3 of those schools plus Buffalo would take a FB only invite to the AAC in a second. A southern conference. Temple’s already there. I’ll take your word on the academics part of this as I don’t know as much on that as you.

UConn, Temple, UMass and Buffalo would all jump to reincarnate BE Football in the event of a new division forming and requiring FB again for the BE.

They don't have interest in the AAC, including Temple who is stuck there because of AAC exit fees. Temple would pick to be Indy/A10 again if it were not for TV money.

Serious, but another odd question: would SMU look at joining the A10 if it couldn't get in the Big XII???

Nah because the A10 doesn't have any TV money.

If things got bad enough they would go MWC.

I doubt they'll have a problem getting into the XII though if they go 16.

(03-14-2022 09:02 PM)Milwaukee Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 10:44 AM)Ridge1982 Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 09:17 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(03-13-2022 10:05 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  East west you have Virginia & North Carolina, to Ohio to Kentucky to Illinois to Missouri to Kansas. A good geographical conference configuration.

No true NE schools and no true southern schools. Only the state of Indiana is left out.

Here's the thing that I think a lot of conference realignment observers miss: academic leaders at schools WANT to be associated with the Northeast. The Northeast is to academia as Texas and Florida are to football. That is always going to be the case. It's why SLU and Dayton haven't wanted to have anything to do with the MVC - the Midwestern focus is a *negative* to them and Loyola Chicago was thrilled with getting into a more Eastern-focused league. The East Coast is a big time feature for university presidents (as opposed to a bug) and the A-10 has poaching power over every league in the Eastern and Central Time Zones outside of the FBS leagues, Big East and Ivy League.

So true. Mizzou tried to become the Harvard of the Midwest in the 80’s while decimating the football program for 12 or so years before Pinkel came along.

The original Atlantic 10 could only be described as a "northeastern" conference in the sense of being located in the northeastern quadrant of the U.S., which includes the mid-Atlantic region.

For example, this map of the northeastern quadrant of the U.S. includes Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia:

https://east-usa.com/maps-of-northeaster...tates.html

The Atlantic 10 has always had a mixture of teams from the northeastern and mid-atlantic regions

7 of the original Atlantic 10 schools were located in the middle-atlantic region:

Pennsylvania: Temple, St. Joseph's, Duquesne, & Penn State
New Jersey: Rutgers
Washington D.C.: George Washington
West Virginia: WVU

Only 3 were located in NY or New England (long considered the "northeast").

Massachusetts: UMass
New York: St. Bonaventure (NY is both a northeastern and mid-atlantic state).
Rhode Island: URI

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Virginia is located in the nation's northeastern quadrant, and VCU and Richmond are 100 miles from Washington, D.C. It's only a 4 hour drive from the Philadelphia A-10 schools to VCU and Richmond. Another Virginia A-10 school, George Mason U., is located just outside of D.C.

Since VCU and Richmond are within driving distance 5 A-10 schools, it would make no sense for them to join a midwestern conference.

Also as I've mentioned from time to time VCU has Richmond cross town and GMU/GWU are universities they want to be associated with.

AAC at one time I would have given it a shot to land St. Louis but not now since the MVC has added Loyola and after what happened to the AAC with its expansion.

(03-14-2022 07:33 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 06:15 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  It’s interesting that 1995 was the last time the A-10 added a Northeastern school and both ended up being duds.

It’s also curious that among the northeastern old guard, only Temple has left.

Lately, it’s been all the expansion members from outside the northeast, not the old guard, who are doing all the heavy lifting.

Well according to you the Big Ten and Big East tried to kill the A10.

I’m not sure what point you’re trying to get at.

When Penn St wasn’t able to use the Eastern 8 as a platform to create their eastern all sports conference they bailed and join the Big 10. The Big 10 didn’t go after the conference and try to tear it apart piecemeal.

Now the Big East, that’s another story. The two leagues were set up to be in direct competition with one another—rivals from their very inception. Just look at the geography of the early members:

New England: UMass, URI vs UConn, Providence, BC
NYC/NJ: Rutgers (later Fordham) vs St John’s, Seton Hall
W NY: St Bonaventure vs Syracuse
Pittsburgh: Duquesne vs Pitt
Philadelphia: Temple, St Joe’s (later LaSalle) vs Villanova
DC: G Washington vs Georgetown

They even followed each other’s lead by both carving up fiefdoms in the Midwest (Dayton, Xavier, St Louis vs DePaul & Marquette)

The Big East ended up the victor in the East Coast basketball wars.

(03-14-2022 09:34 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 07:33 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 06:15 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  It’s interesting that 1995 was the last time the A-10 added a Northeastern school and both ended up being duds.

It’s also curious that among the northeastern old guard, only Temple has left.

Lately, it’s been all the expansion members from outside the northeast, not the old guard, who are doing all the heavy lifting.

Well according to you the Big Ten and Big East tried to kill the A10.

I’m not sure what point you’re trying to get at.

When Penn St wasn’t able to use the Eastern 8 as a platform to create their eastern all sports conference they bailed and join the Big 10. The Big 10 didn’t go after the conference and try to tear it apart piecemeal.

Now the Big East, that’s another story. The two leagues were set up to be in direct competition with one another—rivals from their very inception. Just look at the geography of the early members:

New England: UMass, URI vs UConn, Providence, BC
NYC/NJ: Rutgers (later Fordham) vs St John’s, Seton Hall
W NY: St Bonaventure vs Syracuse
Pittsburgh: Duquesne vs Pitt
Philadelphia: Temple, St Joe’s (later LaSalle) vs Villanova
DC: G Washington vs Georgetown

They even followed each other’s lead by both carving up fiefdoms in the Midwest (Dayton, Xavier, St Louis vs DePaul & Marquette)

The Big East ended up the victor in the East Coast basketball wars.

Agreed SMU will try to go MWC if Memphis and USF leave for big 12.

(03-14-2022 10:37 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 09:34 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 07:33 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 06:15 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  It’s interesting that 1995 was the last time the A-10 added a Northeastern school and both ended up being duds.

It’s also curious that among the northeastern old guard, only Temple has left.

Lately, it’s been all the expansion members from outside the northeast, not the old guard, who are doing all the heavy lifting.

Well according to you the Big Ten and Big East tried to kill the A10.

I’m not sure what point you’re trying to get at.

When Penn St wasn’t able to use the Eastern 8 as a platform to create their eastern all sports conference they bailed and join the Big 10. The Big 10 didn’t go after the conference and try to tear it apart piecemeal.

Now the Big East, that’s another story. The two leagues were set up to be in direct competition with one another—rivals from their very inception. Just look at the geography of the early members:

New England: UMass, URI vs UConn, Providence, BC
NYC/NJ: Rutgers (later Fordham) vs St John’s, Seton Hall
W NY: St Bonaventure vs Syracuse
Pittsburgh: Duquesne vs Pitt
Philadelphia: Temple, St Joe’s (later LaSalle) vs Villanova
DC: G Washington vs Georgetown

They even followed each other’s lead by both carving up fiefdoms in the Midwest (Dayton, Xavier, St Louis vs DePaul & Marquette)

The Big East ended up the victor in the East Coast basketball wars.

Agreed SMU will try to go MWC if Memphis and USF leave for big 12.

SMU has close institutional ties with Rice, Tulane, and Tulsa, likes being in the same conference with Navy, would have 5 nearby travel partners in the AAC, and seems more likely to be scooped up by the Big 12, instead of, or along with USF.

(03-14-2022 11:03 PM)Milwaukee Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 10:37 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 09:34 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 07:33 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 06:15 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  It’s interesting that 1995 was the last time the A-10 added a Northeastern school and both ended up being duds.

It’s also curious that among the northeastern old guard, only Temple has left.

Lately, it’s been all the expansion members from outside the northeast, not the old guard, who are doing all the heavy lifting.

Well according to you the Big Ten and Big East tried to kill the A10.

I’m not sure what point you’re trying to get at.

When Penn St wasn’t able to use the Eastern 8 as a platform to create their eastern all sports conference they bailed and join the Big 10. The Big 10 didn’t go after the conference and try to tear it apart piecemeal.

Now the Big East, that’s another story. The two leagues were set up to be in direct competition with one another—rivals from their very inception. Just look at the geography of the early members:

New England: UMass, URI vs UConn, Providence, BC
NYC/NJ: Rutgers (later Fordham) vs St John’s, Seton Hall
W NY: St Bonaventure vs Syracuse
Pittsburgh: Duquesne vs Pitt
Philadelphia: Temple, St Joe’s (later LaSalle) vs Villanova
DC: G Washington vs Georgetown

They even followed each other’s lead by both carving up fiefdoms in the Midwest (Dayton, Xavier, St Louis vs DePaul & Marquette)

The Big East ended up the victor in the East Coast basketball wars.

Agreed SMU will try to go MWC if Memphis and USF leave for big 12.

SMU has close institutional ties with Rice, Tulane, and Tulsa, likes being in the same conference with Navy, would have 5 nearby travel partners in the AAC, and seems more likely to be scooped up by the Big 12, instead of, or along with USF.

SMU has deep pockets. Will spend $5 million FB or BB coaches no problem.

They'd be at the top of my draft board for the XII.

(03-13-2022 09:34 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  With another NCAA tournament team coming in next year to the A-10 from Chicago, is it time the top midwesternish plus Virginia/NC teams from the A-10 breakaway and try to bring Wichita St along with them? A great way to drop the dregs who are draining them.
Thoughts?

With another former NCAAT team. The Conference needs to do something. They are adding another mouth to feed and only getting 2 bids per year.

(03-14-2022 11:03 PM)Milwaukee Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 10:37 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 09:34 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 07:33 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 06:15 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  It’s interesting that 1995 was the last time the A-10 added a Northeastern school and both ended up being duds.

It’s also curious that among the northeastern old guard, only Temple has left.

Lately, it’s been all the expansion members from outside the northeast, not the old guard, who are doing all the heavy lifting.

Well according to you the Big Ten and Big East tried to kill the A10.

I’m not sure what point you’re trying to get at.

When Penn St wasn’t able to use the Eastern 8 as a platform to create their eastern all sports conference they bailed and join the Big 10. The Big 10 didn’t go after the conference and try to tear it apart piecemeal.

Now the Big East, that’s another story. The two leagues were set up to be in direct competition with one another—rivals from their very inception. Just look at the geography of the early members:

New England: UMass, URI vs UConn, Providence, BC
NYC/NJ: Rutgers (later Fordham) vs St John’s, Seton Hall
W NY: St Bonaventure vs Syracuse
Pittsburgh: Duquesne vs Pitt
Philadelphia: Temple, St Joe’s (later LaSalle) vs Villanova
DC: G Washington vs Georgetown

They even followed each other’s lead by both carving up fiefdoms in the Midwest (Dayton, Xavier, St Louis vs DePaul & Marquette)

The Big East ended up the victor in the East Coast basketball wars.

Agreed SMU will try to go MWC if Memphis and USF leave for big 12.

SMU has close institutional ties with Rice, Tulane, and Tulsa, likes being in the same conference with Navy, would have 5 nearby travel partners in the AAC, and seems more likely to be scooped up by the Big 12, instead of, or along with USF.

Big 12 already has a team in Dallas - TCU

(03-14-2022 09:34 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 07:33 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 06:15 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  It’s interesting that 1995 was the last time the A-10 added a Northeastern school and both ended up being duds.

It’s also curious that among the northeastern old guard, only Temple has left.

Lately, it’s been all the expansion members from outside the northeast, not the old guard, who are doing all the heavy lifting.

Well according to you the Big Ten and Big East tried to kill the A10.

I’m not sure what point you’re trying to get at.

When Penn St wasn’t able to use the Eastern 8 as a platform to create their eastern all sports conference they bailed and join the Big 10. The Big 10 didn’t go after the conference and try to tear it apart piecemeal.

Now the Big East, that’s another story. The two leagues were set up to be in direct competition with one another—rivals from their very inception. Just look at the geography of the early members:

New England: UMass, URI vs UConn, Providence, BC
NYC/NJ: Rutgers (later Fordham) vs St John’s, Seton Hall
W NY: St Bonaventure vs Syracuse
Pittsburgh: Duquesne vs Pitt
Philadelphia: Temple, St Joe’s (later LaSalle) vs Villanova
DC: G Washington vs Georgetown

They even followed each other’s lead by both carving up fiefdoms in the Midwest (Dayton, Xavier, St Louis vs DePaul & Marquette)

The Big East ended up the victor in the East Coast basketball wars.

The Eastern 8 existed before the Big East, and the Big East definitely wanted to kill the Eastern 8/Atlantic 10.

Save your crocodile tears for the Big East football conference that was never destined to work after they shunned Penn State. Stop blaming the ACC for evolution every chance you get when you’re not looking at history. Realignmentologist? Is that like a weather man that is wrong half the time?

(03-15-2022 08:54 AM)Scoochpooch1 Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 11:03 PM)Milwaukee Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 10:37 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 09:34 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 07:33 PM)esayem Wrote:  Well according to you the Big Ten and Big East tried to kill the A10.

I’m not sure what point you’re trying to get at.

When Penn St wasn’t able to use the Eastern 8 as a platform to create their eastern all sports conference they bailed and join the Big 10. The Big 10 didn’t go after the conference and try to tear it apart piecemeal.

Now the Big East, that’s another story. The two leagues were set up to be in direct competition with one another—rivals from their very inception. Just look at the geography of the early members:

New England: UMass, URI vs UConn, Providence, BC
NYC/NJ: Rutgers (later Fordham) vs St John’s, Seton Hall
W NY: St Bonaventure vs Syracuse
Pittsburgh: Duquesne vs Pitt
Philadelphia: Temple, St Joe’s (later LaSalle) vs Villanova
DC: G Washington vs Georgetown

They even followed each other’s lead by both carving up fiefdoms in the Midwest (Dayton, Xavier, St Louis vs DePaul & Marquette)

The Big East ended up the victor in the East Coast basketball wars.

Agreed SMU will try to go MWC if Memphis and USF leave for big 12.

SMU has close institutional ties with Rice, Tulane, and Tulsa, likes being in the same conference with Navy, would have 5 nearby travel partners in the AAC, and seems more likely to be scooped up by the Big 12, instead of, or along with USF.

Big 12 already has a team in Dallas - TCU

TCU is in Fort Worth while SMU is in Dallas. "Po-tay-toh, Po-tah-toh" to some but these are vastly different cities and cultures. Looking at populations, Dallas is #9 and Fort Worth is #13. Their combined MSA is ranked #4. I've lived in Texas my whole life, born and raised. I've lived on the Gulf Coast, Houston, East Texas, Austin, and DFW. These are very different cities and a school in each would not be the overlap that many seem to believe.

(03-15-2022 11:00 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  

(03-15-2022 08:54 AM)Scoochpooch1 Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 11:03 PM)Milwaukee Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 10:37 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  

(03-14-2022 09:34 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I’m not sure what point you’re trying to get at.

When Penn St wasn’t able to use the Eastern 8 as a platform to create their eastern all sports conference they bailed and join the Big 10. The Big 10 didn’t go after the conference and try to tear it apart piecemeal.

Now the Big East, that’s another story. The two leagues were set up to be in direct competition with one another—rivals from their very inception. Just look at the geography of the early members:

New England: UMass, URI vs UConn, Providence, BC
NYC/NJ: Rutgers (later Fordham) vs St John’s, Seton Hall
W NY: St Bonaventure vs Syracuse
Pittsburgh: Duquesne vs Pitt
Philadelphia: Temple, St Joe’s (later LaSalle) vs Villanova
DC: G Washington vs Georgetown

They even followed each other’s lead by both carving up fiefdoms in the Midwest (Dayton, Xavier, St Louis vs DePaul & Marquette)

The Big East ended up the victor in the East Coast basketball wars.

Agreed SMU will try to go MWC if Memphis and USF leave for big 12.

SMU has close institutional ties with Rice, Tulane, and Tulsa, likes being in the same conference with Navy, would have 5 nearby travel partners in the AAC, and seems more likely to be scooped up by the Big 12, instead of, or along with USF.

Big 12 already has a team in Dallas - TCU

TCU is in Fort Worth while SMU is in Dallas. "Po-tay-toh, Po-tah-toh" to some but these are vastly different cities and cultures. Looking at populations, Dallas is #9 and Fort Worth is #13. Their combined MSA is ranked #4. I've lived in Texas my whole life, born and raised. I've lived on the Gulf Coast, Houston, East Texas, Austin, and DFW. These are very different cities and a school in each would not be the overlap that many seem to believe.

The OBE already had a Midwestern presence in Notre Dame. Additionally, Syracuse isn't Western NY. If the BE wanted a WNY team they would have gone with Canisius or Niagara.

(03-14-2022 07:18 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  I would go with Bellarmine over Murray (just won their conference, ineligible for NCAA tourney/NIT during transition).

IUPUI would help bridge the Indiana gap. They might not have the history of Murray but the Jaguars have location and potential going for them.

Both programs play in large, storied arenas and are good institutional fits.

(03-14-2022 08:32 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  If you’re making a “best of the rest” conference, you have to replace AP #19 Murray St with NET #358 IUPUI.

(03-15-2022 11:00 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  TCU is in Fort Worth while SMU is in Dallas. "Po-tay-toh, Po-tah-toh" to some but these are vastly different cities and cultures. Looking at populations, Dallas is #9 and Fort Worth is #13. Their combined MSA is ranked #4. I've lived in Texas my whole life, born and raised. I've lived on the Gulf Coast, Houston, East Texas, Austin, and DFW. These are very different cities and a school in each would not be the overlap that many seem to believe.

Well said.

IMHO, weather aside, Dallas and Houston are much more alike than Dallas and Fort Worth.

Veering slightly off topic and since you've lived all over the Lone Star State, how would you rate the cities/regions?

Listing the ones I've in which spent at least a little time:

Thumbs Up

1. East Texas

2. San Antonio

3. El Paso

4. Lubbock and Amarillo

5. Fort Worth

Not Bad

1. Waco

2. College Station

3. Austin

Thumbs Down

Dallas and Houston