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(11-02-2022 09:52 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:28 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  Please tell me what Gonzaga was before Few??? They were the answer to a trivia question of where John Stockton went.

They made the NCAA all of once before Few got there.

What was Duke before Coach K? How about Indiana before Bobby Knight? Gene Keady at Purdue? Syracuse before Jim Boeheim? There are more examples. Who cares what Gonzaga may become if Few leaves. What if Mike Gundy leaves Okie St? What if Luke Fickell leaves Cincinnati? What if Kelvin Sampson leaves Houston? I guess these programs/brands should just shut it down. Gonzaga in the B12 and in the best hoops conference in the land would attract a good coach. Can't worry about what ifs.

BTW, comparing Gonzaga to ECU if Few left is just hyperbole. You need to relax. This is about what the TV execs and our soon-to-be commish negotiate for future money and for ratings/viewers. Plain and simple.

Duke had 4 final fours in the 17 years before Coach K.

Indiana won 2 national titles before Bobby Knight.

Purdue won 15 Big Ten regular season titles before Keady. They went to 2 Final Fours before Gene Keady. One of the Final Fours was literally the year before he was hired. FWIW, Keady never made a Final Four.

Syracuse won 2 pre-Helms national titles. They also went to the Final Four two years before Boeheim became head coach.


Georgetown is a better example - they made only one NCAA tournament before JTIII was hired.

(11-02-2022 11:05 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:52 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:28 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  Please tell me what Gonzaga was before Few??? They were the answer to a trivia question of where John Stockton went.

They made the NCAA all of once before Few got there.

What was Duke before Coach K? How about Indiana before Bobby Knight? Gene Keady at Purdue? Syracuse before Jim Boeheim? There are more examples. Who cares what Gonzaga may become if Few leaves. What if Mike Gundy leaves Okie St? What if Luke Fickell leaves Cincinnati? What if Kelvin Sampson leaves Houston? I guess these programs/brands should just shut it down. Gonzaga in the B12 and in the best hoops conference in the land would attract a good coach. Can't worry about what ifs.

BTW, comparing Gonzaga to ECU if Few left is just hyperbole. You need to relax. This is about what the TV execs and our soon-to-be commish negotiate for future money and for ratings/viewers. Plain and simple.

Duke had 4 final fours in the 17 years before Coach K.

Indiana won 2 national titles before Bobby Knight.

Purdue won 15 Big Ten regular season titles before Keady. They went to 2 Final Fours before Gene Keady. One of the Final Fours was literally the year before he was hired. FWIW, Keady never made a Final Four.

Syracuse won 2 pre-Helms national titles. They also went to the Final Four two years before Boeheim became head coach.


Georgetown is a better example - they made only one NCAA tournament before JTIII was hired.

And look at them now.

And absolutely... Georgetown is a much better analogy in every way.

Though one could point out all the advantages Georgetown has that Gonzaga doesn't...and still can't seem to recapture the magic.

That being said, I like that the Big XII is being the hunter and not the hunted and I like Gonzaga more than Boise State. This is clearly meant to send a message to Colorado and Utah...the BIG XII isn't going to wait forever. Especially Utah...Gonzaga is a match for BYU. Utah becomes much less crucial with Gonzaga now in play.

(11-02-2022 05:26 PM)BcatMatt13 Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 05:15 PM)doss2 Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 04:12 PM)levydl Wrote:  "Gonzaga's athletic director met in person with the Big 12 commissioner last week as part of broader discussions about the Zags joining the Big 12, sources told ESPN."

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket...conference

Please NO. Having a less than full sport member is not big time!

The ACC does it. And let’s face it Big time moving forward in football is SEC and Big Ten. Why not be the big time conference in basketball?

ND has to play 1/2 of an FB schedule.

(11-02-2022 11:05 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:52 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:28 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  Please tell me what Gonzaga was before Few??? They were the answer to a trivia question of where John Stockton went.

They made the NCAA all of once before Few got there.

What was Duke before Coach K? How about Indiana before Bobby Knight? Gene Keady at Purdue? Syracuse before Jim Boeheim? There are more examples. Who cares what Gonzaga may become if Few leaves. What if Mike Gundy leaves Okie St? What if Luke Fickell leaves Cincinnati? What if Kelvin Sampson leaves Houston? I guess these programs/brands should just shut it down. Gonzaga in the B12 and in the best hoops conference in the land would attract a good coach. Can't worry about what ifs.

BTW, comparing Gonzaga to ECU if Few left is just hyperbole. You need to relax. This is about what the TV execs and our soon-to-be commish negotiate for future money and for ratings/viewers. Plain and simple.

Duke had 4 final fours in the 17 years before Coach K.

Indiana won 2 national titles before Bobby Knight.

Purdue won 15 Big Ten regular season titles before Keady. They went to 2 Final Fours before Gene Keady. One of the Final Fours was literally the year before he was hired. FWIW, Keady never made a Final Four.

Syracuse won 2 pre-Helms national titles. They also went to the Final Four two years before Boeheim became head coach.


Georgetown is a better example - they made only one NCAA tournament before JTIII was hired.

Your point is well taken, but you mean John Thompson, Jr. (JTIII’s father).

(11-02-2022 10:12 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:52 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:28 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  Please tell me what Gonzaga was before Few??? They were the answer to a trivia question of where John Stockton went.

They made the NCAA all of once before Few got there.

What was Duke before Coach K? How about Indiana before Bobby Knight? Gene Keady at Purdue? Syracuse before Jim Boeheim? There are more examples. Who cares what Gonzaga may become if Few leaves. What if Mike Gundy leaves Okie St? What if Luke Fickell leaves Cincinnati? What if Kelvin Sampson leaves Houston? I guess these programs/brands should just shut it down. Gonzaga in the B12 and in the best hoops conference in the land would attract a good coach. Can't worry about what ifs.

BTW, comparing Gonzaga to ECU if Few left is just hyperbole. You need to relax. This is about what the TV execs and our soon-to-be commish negotiate for future money and for ratings/viewers. Plain and simple.

Well you grooved that one right down the middle...

Duke was an NCAA finalist in 1978. Had a HOF coach before K.

Indiana only won two NCAA championships before Knight.

Purdue had some guy named Wooden coach there but he's no Gene Keady for sure.

Syracuse was in the 1975 final four. Had some HOF guy named Bing.

But yeah, I'm sure Gonzaga will still draw top of the line talent to Spokane, WA after Few packs it in.

I'm talking about those coaches made those programs into what they are today. They helped build the winning tradition and building of the brands in the modern era. When you think of those programs these are the coaches you associate with them. Few is no exception and maybe greater because not many had heard of Gonzaga hoops before he took it to new heights. Again, if you want to fuss over the Zags by all means. Fans don't decide who joins or doesn't join a league. University presidents and TV execs do.

(11-02-2022 10:12 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:52 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:28 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  Please tell me what Gonzaga was before Few??? They were the answer to a trivia question of where John Stockton went.

They made the NCAA all of once before Few got there.

What was Duke before Coach K? How about Indiana before Bobby Knight? Gene Keady at Purdue? Syracuse before Jim Boeheim? There are more examples. Who cares what Gonzaga may become if Few leaves. What if Mike Gundy leaves Okie St? What if Luke Fickell leaves Cincinnati? What if Kelvin Sampson leaves Houston? I guess these programs/brands should just shut it down. Gonzaga in the B12 and in the best hoops conference in the land would attract a good coach. Can't worry about what ifs.

BTW, comparing Gonzaga to ECU if Few left is just hyperbole. You need to relax. This is about what the TV execs and our soon-to-be commish negotiate for future money and for ratings/viewers. Plain and simple.

Well you grooved that one right down the middle...

Duke was an NCAA finalist in 1978. Had a HOF coach before K.

Indiana only won two NCAA championships before Knight.

Purdue had some guy named Wooden coach there but he's no Gene Keady for sure.

Syracuse was in the 1975 final four. Had some HOF guy named Bing.

But yeah, I'm sure Gonzaga will still draw top of the line talent to Spokane, WA after Few packs it in.

So K, Knight, Keady, and Boeheim all were able to capitalize on their programs' prior success?

(11-03-2022 12:24 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 11:05 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:52 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:28 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  Please tell me what Gonzaga was before Few??? They were the answer to a trivia question of where John Stockton went.

They made the NCAA all of once before Few got there.

What was Duke before Coach K? How about Indiana before Bobby Knight? Gene Keady at Purdue? Syracuse before Jim Boeheim? There are more examples. Who cares what Gonzaga may become if Few leaves. What if Mike Gundy leaves Okie St? What if Luke Fickell leaves Cincinnati? What if Kelvin Sampson leaves Houston? I guess these programs/brands should just shut it down. Gonzaga in the B12 and in the best hoops conference in the land would attract a good coach. Can't worry about what ifs.

BTW, comparing Gonzaga to ECU if Few left is just hyperbole. You need to relax. This is about what the TV execs and our soon-to-be commish negotiate for future money and for ratings/viewers. Plain and simple.

Duke had 4 final fours in the 17 years before Coach K.

Indiana won 2 national titles before Bobby Knight.

Purdue won 15 Big Ten regular season titles before Keady. They went to 2 Final Fours before Gene Keady. One of the Final Fours was literally the year before he was hired. FWIW, Keady never made a Final Four.

Syracuse won 2 pre-Helms national titles. They also went to the Final Four two years before Boeheim became head coach.


Georgetown is a better example - they made only one NCAA tournament before JTIII was hired.

And look at them now.

And absolutely... Georgetown is a much better analogy in every way.

Though one could point out all the advantages Georgetown has that Gonzaga doesn't...and still can't seem to recapture the magic.

That being said, I like that the Big XII is being the hunter and not the hunted and I like Gonzaga more than Boise State. This is clearly meant to send a message to Colorado and Utah...the BIG XII isn't going to wait forever. Especially Utah...Gonzaga is a match for BYU. Utah becomes much less crucial with Gonzaga now in play.

Bolded, well said.

With what we've witnessed this past week, I won't underestimate Yormark.

Maybe this is designed to be a far western partner for Arizona basketball if the Wildcats are the only four corners school still considering the B12 and it gets the conference basketball back to an even number. Or, better still perhaps, it's a bluff to draw Arizona State back into a future Big 12 with cross-state rival AZ. I can't imagine ASU fans would be too excited about remaining in a watered down Pac 12 if the University of Arizona gets out of Dodge.

Here again, I think we need to stay tuned. I feel we'll see movement on the Pac 12 schools sooner rather than later. We can count on Yormark having discussed such possibilities with ESPN and Fox when the deal was hammered out. The other possibility is Gonzaga comes on board now and makes the Big 12 the undisputed king of college basketball.

(11-03-2022 09:25 AM)levydl Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 10:12 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:52 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:28 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  Please tell me what Gonzaga was before Few??? They were the answer to a trivia question of where John Stockton went.

They made the NCAA all of once before Few got there.

What was Duke before Coach K? How about Indiana before Bobby Knight? Gene Keady at Purdue? Syracuse before Jim Boeheim? There are more examples. Who cares what Gonzaga may become if Few leaves. What if Mike Gundy leaves Okie St? What if Luke Fickell leaves Cincinnati? What if Kelvin Sampson leaves Houston? I guess these programs/brands should just shut it down. Gonzaga in the B12 and in the best hoops conference in the land would attract a good coach. Can't worry about what ifs.

BTW, comparing Gonzaga to ECU if Few left is just hyperbole. You need to relax. This is about what the TV execs and our soon-to-be commish negotiate for future money and for ratings/viewers. Plain and simple.

Well you grooved that one right down the middle...

Duke was an NCAA finalist in 1978. Had a HOF coach before K.

Indiana only won two NCAA championships before Knight.

Purdue had some guy named Wooden coach there but he's no Gene Keady for sure.

Syracuse was in the 1975 final four. Had some HOF guy named Bing.

But yeah, I'm sure Gonzaga will still draw top of the line talent to Spokane, WA after Few packs it in.

So K, Knight, Keady, and Boeheim all were able to capitalize on their programs' prior success?

Nice try. Word of the day... Context.

I don't think Gonzaga is doomed post-Few but I think it's an open question to what extent they can remain a powerhouse. Like most places it depends upon the coach(es) who replace him. I tend to look towards the small-ish Catholic basketball schools for parallels and it's a pretty mixed bag. Duke's been an exception by keeping the same coach so long. But I'm old enough to remember when DePaul was the king of the game. Marquette before them. ND isn't just basketball but they were also a very big deal around that time. St. John's, Georgetown, Seton Hall - heck pretty much all of the Big East teams were powerhouses in the Big East heyday. Villanova is arguably the only one who has kept it going with Wright and now that is changing. In the last couple of decades we've seen new schools arise like Gonzaga and if we're honest, Xavier. Loyola has had a nice run recently. They aren't doomed to oblivion as coaches move on, but they also can't be penciled in as annual contenders either.

Hire the right coaches (Xavier?) and you can maybe keep things at a pretty high level. Hire the wrong ones (DePaul?) and you are probably headed for a fall that won't necessarily be easy to recover from. That's somewhat true of every school but many large public bluebloods have an easier recovery (Kansas, NC, UCLA, UK, etc.) even after a bad or questionable hire. I don't see Gonzaga as being in that category.

All that considered, I'm pretty open to adding Gonzaga but not necessarily doing cartwheels over their long-term impact if we do. Then again what constitutes "long term" these days anyway?

(11-03-2022 11:55 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(11-03-2022 09:25 AM)levydl Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 10:12 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:52 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:28 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  Please tell me what Gonzaga was before Few??? They were the answer to a trivia question of where John Stockton went.

They made the NCAA all of once before Few got there.

What was Duke before Coach K? How about Indiana before Bobby Knight? Gene Keady at Purdue? Syracuse before Jim Boeheim? There are more examples. Who cares what Gonzaga may become if Few leaves. What if Mike Gundy leaves Okie St? What if Luke Fickell leaves Cincinnati? What if Kelvin Sampson leaves Houston? I guess these programs/brands should just shut it down. Gonzaga in the B12 and in the best hoops conference in the land would attract a good coach. Can't worry about what ifs.

BTW, comparing Gonzaga to ECU if Few left is just hyperbole. You need to relax. This is about what the TV execs and our soon-to-be commish negotiate for future money and for ratings/viewers. Plain and simple.

Well you grooved that one right down the middle...

Duke was an NCAA finalist in 1978. Had a HOF coach before K.

Indiana only won two NCAA championships before Knight.

Purdue had some guy named Wooden coach there but he's no Gene Keady for sure.

Syracuse was in the 1975 final four. Had some HOF guy named Bing.

But yeah, I'm sure Gonzaga will still draw top of the line talent to Spokane, WA after Few packs it in.

So K, Knight, Keady, and Boeheim all were able to capitalize on their programs' prior success?

Nice try. Word of the day... Context.

What context did I miss?

There are examples both ways, and I don't think the one really outweighs the other. I'd bet on Gonzaga doing fine after Few, who, it should be noted, is only 60.

(11-03-2022 01:21 PM)levydl Wrote:  

(11-03-2022 11:55 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(11-03-2022 09:25 AM)levydl Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 10:12 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 09:52 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  What was Duke before Coach K? How about Indiana before Bobby Knight? Gene Keady at Purdue? Syracuse before Jim Boeheim? There are more examples. Who cares what Gonzaga may become if Few leaves. What if Mike Gundy leaves Okie St? What if Luke Fickell leaves Cincinnati? What if Kelvin Sampson leaves Houston? I guess these programs/brands should just shut it down. Gonzaga in the B12 and in the best hoops conference in the land would attract a good coach. Can't worry about what ifs.

BTW, comparing Gonzaga to ECU if Few left is just hyperbole. You need to relax. This is about what the TV execs and our soon-to-be commish negotiate for future money and for ratings/viewers. Plain and simple.

Well you grooved that one right down the middle...

Duke was an NCAA finalist in 1978. Had a HOF coach before K.

Indiana only won two NCAA championships before Knight.

Purdue had some guy named Wooden coach there but he's no Gene Keady for sure.

Syracuse was in the 1975 final four. Had some HOF guy named Bing.

But yeah, I'm sure Gonzaga will still draw top of the line talent to Spokane, WA after Few packs it in.

So K, Knight, Keady, and Boeheim all were able to capitalize on their programs' prior success?

Nice try. Word of the day... Context.

What context did I miss?

There are examples both ways, and I don't think the one really outweighs the other. I'd bet on Gonzaga doing fine after Few, who, it should be noted, is only 60.

Oh come on. I'll give you credit that you're playing dumb.

Dude who was telling me I needed to relax cited all those guys in the CONTEXT that they started the winning traditions at those schools, which they clearly didn't.

My CONTEXT to them was that those schools yes, already had decent traditions... which Gonzaga did not before Few got there.

We all have been bi*ching for years on here about how ECU was sold to the AAC as a sleeping giant upon their admission to the conference and have basically been dead weight ever since. Same thing to some extent for Wichita.

While Gonzaga is a nice, shiny toy right now, in my estimation it does not have what it takes to sustain it after he leaves... which is what we would be stuck with.

I see Gonzaga as the Boise of basketball. Once Peterson left there they have just faded back into the crowd. Boise and Spokane aren't exactly recruiting hot spots to college kids.

We have finally got back to a conference where pretty much everyone pulls their weight. Who want's that mid February road trip to the pacific northwest when Gonzaga loses it's appeal and is just a small fish in a big pond.

Dear Lord. There always has to be that one guy. No one in the know, not even on the national sports writers list, are lamenting the possibility of Gonzaga joining the B12. No one, no one is worrying about what a top program may become if the current coach leaves. It's like...let's look under rocks to find things to complain about. FOR THE LAST TIME...this deal won't happen if IT DOESN"T MAKE THE FINANCIAL NUMBERS WORK FOR BOTH SIDES. You add Gonzaga to the B12 hoops league, along with the new adds, and you have arguably the top college basketball conference bar none. Think of what that does in terms of ratings and NCAAT credits. Oh, wait! Mark Few may leave and Gonzaga becomes ECU. SMDH.

(11-03-2022 01:58 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(11-03-2022 01:21 PM)levydl Wrote:  

(11-03-2022 11:55 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(11-03-2022 09:25 AM)levydl Wrote:  

(11-02-2022 10:12 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  Well you grooved that one right down the middle...

Duke was an NCAA finalist in 1978. Had a HOF coach before K.

Indiana only won two NCAA championships before Knight.

Purdue had some guy named Wooden coach there but he's no Gene Keady for sure.

Syracuse was in the 1975 final four. Had some HOF guy named Bing.

But yeah, I'm sure Gonzaga will still draw top of the line talent to Spokane, WA after Few packs it in.

So K, Knight, Keady, and Boeheim all were able to capitalize on their programs' prior success?

Nice try. Word of the day... Context.

What context did I miss?

There are examples both ways, and I don't think the one really outweighs the other. I'd bet on Gonzaga doing fine after Few, who, it should be noted, is only 60.

Oh come on. I'll give you credit that you're playing dumb.

Dude who was telling me I needed to relax cited all those guys in the CONTEXT that they started the winning traditions at those schools, which they clearly didn't.

My CONTEXT to them was that those schools yes, already had decent traditions... which Gonzaga did not before Few got there.

We all have been bi*ching for years on here about how ECU was sold to the AAC as a sleeping giant upon their admission to the conference and have basically been dead weight ever since. Same thing to some extent for Wichita.

While Gonzaga is a nice, shiny toy right now, in my estimation it does not have what it takes to sustain it after he leaves... which is what we would be stuck with.

I see Gonzaga as the Boise of basketball. Once Peterson left there they have just faded back into the crowd. Boise and Spokane aren't exactly recruiting hot spots to college kids.

We have finally got back to a conference where pretty much everyone pulls their weight. Who want's that mid February road trip to the pacific northwest when Gonzaga loses it's appeal and is just a small fish in a big pond.

Your response suggested that those coaches were able to build on prior success. Gonzaga's been good for 25 years now, and they've been elite for the last 10 or so.
I'd bet on it continuing rather than stopping once Few leaves.

Few took over a team that went to the Elite 8, btw. The program was on the rise when he became head coach. He picked it up and then elevated it.

(11-03-2022 02:26 PM)levydl Wrote:  

(11-03-2022 01:58 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(11-03-2022 01:21 PM)levydl Wrote:  

(11-03-2022 11:55 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(11-03-2022 09:25 AM)levydl Wrote:  So K, Knight, Keady, and Boeheim all were able to capitalize on their programs' prior success?

Nice try. Word of the day... Context.

What context did I miss?

There are examples both ways, and I don't think the one really outweighs the other. I'd bet on Gonzaga doing fine after Few, who, it should be noted, is only 60.

Oh come on. I'll give you credit that you're playing dumb.

Dude who was telling me I needed to relax cited all those guys in the CONTEXT that they started the winning traditions at those schools, which they clearly didn't.

My CONTEXT to them was that those schools yes, already had decent traditions... which Gonzaga did not before Few got there.

We all have been bi*ching for years on here about how ECU was sold to the AAC as a sleeping giant upon their admission to the conference and have basically been dead weight ever since. Same thing to some extent for Wichita.

While Gonzaga is a nice, shiny toy right now, in my estimation it does not have what it takes to sustain it after he leaves... which is what we would be stuck with.

I see Gonzaga as the Boise of basketball. Once Peterson left there they have just faded back into the crowd. Boise and Spokane aren't exactly recruiting hot spots to college kids.

We have finally got back to a conference where pretty much everyone pulls their weight. Who want's that mid February road trip to the pacific northwest when Gonzaga loses it's appeal and is just a small fish in a big pond.

Your response suggested that those coaches were able to build on prior success. Gonzaga's been good for 25 years now, and they've been elite for the last 10 or so.
I'd bet on it continuing rather than stopping once Few leaves.

Few took over a team that went to the Elite 8, btw. The program was on the rise when he became head coach. He picked it up and then elevated it.

You want 'em.

I don't.

I do not want a BB only. Risk is greater than the reward.

(11-03-2022 02:18 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  Dear Lord. There always has to be that one guy. No one in the know, not even on the national sports writers list, are lamenting the possibility of Gonzaga joining the B12. No one, no one is worrying about what a top program may become if the current coach leaves. It's like...let's look under rocks to find things to complain about. FOR THE LAST TIME...this deal won't happen if IT DOESN"T MAKE THE FINANCIAL NUMBERS WORK FOR BOTH SIDES. You add Gonzaga to the B12 hoops league, along with the new adds, and you have arguably the top college basketball conference bar none. Think of what that does in terms of ratings and NCAAT credits. Oh, wait! Mark Few may leave and Gonzaga becomes ECU. SMDH.

Don't forget it's also about more inventory. With Fox picking up XII basketball, the more attractive games, the more AD time they sell for the broadcasts, and putting in an elite west coast team, broadens appeal.

(11-03-2022 05:49 PM)rtaylor Wrote:  

(11-03-2022 02:18 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  Dear Lord. There always has to be that one guy. No one in the know, not even on the national sports writers list, are lamenting the possibility of Gonzaga joining the B12. No one, no one is worrying about what a top program may become if the current coach leaves. It's like...let's look under rocks to find things to complain about. FOR THE LAST TIME...this deal won't happen if IT DOESN"T MAKE THE FINANCIAL NUMBERS WORK FOR BOTH SIDES. You add Gonzaga to the B12 hoops league, along with the new adds, and you have arguably the top college basketball conference bar none. Think of what that does in terms of ratings and NCAAT credits. Oh, wait! Mark Few may leave and Gonzaga becomes ECU. SMDH.

Don't forget it's also about more inventory. With Fox picking up XII basketball, the more attractive games, the more AD time they sell for the broadcasts, and putting in an elite west coast team, broadens appeal.

Yormark is doing what he was hired to do...be aggressive and explore ALL options to build the B12 brand and to increase dollars in the members' coffers. I also think this is a "telegraph" to the P12 that continues to do...nothing. I'm so thankful we have this guy instead of, and with all due respect, Grandpa Bowlsby.

A good summary from Gonzaga beat writer Max Mandel...

Quote:We mentioned back before the Final Four in April that discussions with the Big East had been occurring, specifically with a focus around the new Big East media rights deal that expires at the end of the 2024/2025 season. Naturally, the draw to the Big East is very clear as it is a basketball first conference, which fits Gonzaga as an athletics program. It is also a similar situation in terms of the same type of institutions in terms of them being faith-based schools. However, the potential negative around the Big East comes down to travel, and more specifically travel for the sports outside of basketball.

Where the discussion got interesting was earlier this summer with USC and UCLA joining the Big 10. This created ripple effects across college athletics, especially with the Pac 12 and Big 12. It also eliminated some of the initial concern that existed around the travel previously mentioned in the conversation around the Big East. The reality is that conferences as many of us have known them, especially in terms of geographical alignment, are likely a thing of the past. In the future, conferences will be looking to maximize the number of time zones they can secure for broadcast rights and TV slots, and this is where Gonzaga can really maximize its position. While college football has been the driver, and will continue to drive all of this discussion, there are certain brands in college basketball that can move the needle from a TV perspective, and Gonzaga is one of probably three programs out West that can make that claim.

So, what should we make of the news the past week of open discussions around Gonzaga and the Pac 12 and the Big 12? The reality is that Gonzaga is in an advantageous position where it can be the first domino that moves outside of the college football driven decisions. What will be interesting is the timing with the Big 12 reportedly agreeing to a media rights deal with ESPN and Fox just a few days ago, while the Pac 12 is currently in the midst of its own negotiation that is rumored to include different partners like Apple TV and Amazon. Theoretically, Gonzaga, and its fit, would be part of any of these discussions, as was mentioned in the ESPN article from Pete Thamel. This would then lead to the financial discussions of how Gonzaga moves the needle with TV partners (it does, but not in a major way like football does), how it could contribute with NCAA Tournament Units (in a significant way) and what this would mean for all sports at the University in terms of travel and time.

Zags looking to move

The real target is Arizona in bball. For all we know Gonzaga is a bluff for some other Pac school the Big 12 has in its sites in addition to Arizona. This is all about moving chess pieces.