The Big East basketball-first schools (Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova, Georgetown, Marquette and DePaul) now seriously outnumber the football-playing members (UConn, Cincinnati, South Florida) that remain. In fact, the basketballers have the two-thirds majority they would need to dissolve the league, as Kevin McNamara first reported in the Providence Journal-Bulletin.
Successfully dissolving the league would make departing less punitive. No one would need to pay an exit fee, and the members probably would be able to recover their share of NCAA Tournament revenues and the like. They might even be able to retain the Big East brand name, although that would be tricky, and could attempt to negotiate a new deal with Madison Square Garden for their postseason tournament.
It’s not all that simple, though. It’s kind of like growing up in a wealthy but dysfunctional family, harboring anger toward parents and siblings... but being aware that rebelling cuts you off from the cash. There still appears to be far more money in being affiliated with the slap-dash version of Big East football than going it alone as a basketball league. There also are political advantages within the NCAA structure.
It’s not an easy choice.
New Big East commissioner Mike Aresco has a heck of a challenge negotiating a new TV deal with, it seems, core members departing every week. He also must assure that the league he is selling remains in one piece.
I don't think they dissolve. The DePaul president was quoted last night at the DePaul vs Auburn game that they were supporting the BE. I like the title of the article that was poseted: "Basketball schools better off sticking with Big East"
"We will play man to man and we will pick you up at the airport." - Larry Brown
If these schools, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova, Georgetown, Marquette and DePaul, did vote to dissolve the BE, where would they go and what would they do?
Conference realignment is being dictated today by football and television. Isn't it in their best interest to be associated with a football-related conference? I know these schools cover important east-coast markets, but wouldn't they be hurt if they vote to dissolve the BE?
Just asking the question.
Last edited by OR-See-Nee on Sat Dec 01, 2012 3:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
OR-See-Nee wrote:If these schools, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova, Georgetown, Marquette and DePaul, did vote to dissolve the BE, where would they go and what would they do?
Conference realignment is being dictated today by football and television. Isn't in their best interest to be associated with a football-related conference? I know these schools cover important east-coast markets, but wouldn't they be hurt if they vote to dissolve the BE?
If ESPN wants to truly kill the BE, offer the bball schools a tv contract that makes them happy... still sucks hope we can actually have a season in the BE.
None of those schools have an FBS football program and the catholic schools have traditionally always voted in a block. They have also traditionally not liked the other's football programs. I can imagine them voting to dissolve the BE because they get their revenues from hoops anyway. They have nothing in common with SMU, UH, SDST, OR BSU. Nobody is going to rush to court these schools. I can imagine them creating a basketball only conference and creating a TV deal to provide winter content for Fox or NBC sports. These schools are also located in/around major media markets. I wouldn't be surprised if someone is having quiet conversations looking to see if a deal is out there. It all comes down to the next TV deal.
If they can make more money with their own TV deal they will walk away. Further, there are several good catholic basketball teams in the Philly area. That would give them a footprint in the Chicago area, DC/Baltimore, strong representation in Philly, Jersey, NY City, and NE. There might be 50 million + TV sets.
This goes back to the original ESPN model. The BE sold their TV rights to hoops to ESPN when ESPN first started because the network needed content. There are a lot more channels now that all need content. For example, Fox Sports just bought 49% of the YES Network. The YES network is covered in the summer with Yankees baseball, but doesn't really have anything for after that.
The Big East’s basketball-first schools now have the ability to dissolve the league and form a new basketball-centric conference but are not inclined to follow that course so long as no additional defections occur, a source in the league told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
"If the bleeding stopped here, the seven schools would be happy," a source from a Big East basketball-first school told Zagoria.
There is a strong feeling the "Catholic" basketball league eventually will happen because more conference movement is expected, with UConn and Cincinnati now possible targets for the ACC to replenish its membership if it were to have additional losses-and USF, as well, if one of those to depart were Florida State.
Such programs as Xavier, Dayton and Saint Joseph’s have long been identified as potential targets for such a league, and Butler’s rise has placed it into the speculation.
"I think there is a sense of inevitability to it," the source said. "And there is a belief that they could form a really great basketball conference."
