Hartford Courant: Aresco Not Backing Away

[Water Pony]

Aresco Not Backing Away From Big East Challenge

"It's been challenging, it's been difficult," Aresco said. "But there's now clarity. Boise was the biggest source of instability in the sense that people would ask us, 'Are they in, are they out?' Now with that clarified, we can move ahead."

Support and comments from other schools, including an SMU spokeman who reports we will play in the BE this coming year.

http://www.courant.com/sports/hc-big-ea ... ory?page=1

[SMU_Alumni11]

Well moving forward Aresco needs to be calling everyone who is interested in putting college football on their network and working night and day to find the most money to bring to this conference. Hell with all the exit money, they should go out wining and dining to get network execs into making a risky decision.

[FIVE-O-FAN]

Anybody know the exit fee total now that Boise just ponied up for $5 million more?

[mustangxc]

No one knows because the Catholic 7 is still negotiating amicably with the Big East.

[PoconoPony]

No one knows because the Catholic 7 is still negotiating amicably with the Big East.

4 out of the Catholic 7 are totally irrevelant without the Big East. This is a coalition that is on very shakey grounds IMO.

[mustangxc]

No one knows because the Catholic 7 is still negotiating amicably with the Big East.

4 out of the Catholic 7 are totally irrevelant without the Big East. This is a coalition that is on very shakey grounds IMO.

No question, but it is still unknown when they will leave. It is also unknown who will keep the Big East name, MSG as the site of their conference tournament, and whether the two leagues may form a scheduling arrangement in order to create value for both leagues in exchange for accelerated departure and reduced exit fees.

[fifty]

They will leave July 2014. Their departure still makes no sense to me.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nc ... k/1807735/

[Water Pony]

"So as he plots his next move, commissioner Mike Aresco needs to bring his constituency together. Aresco told The Courant last week that he is looking for a consensus from his members and he needs to hear ideas."

http://www.courant.com/sports/college/h ... 3231.story

[EastStang]

I suspect that had the Catholic 7 been more supportive of their football playing brethren, they would not have lost VT, U, BC, ND, Syracuse, Rutgers, Pitt, WVU, Louisville. Its kind of like being married to spouse who threatens divorce if the trash is not taken out timely. Yes, Georgetown, Villanova and Marquette have won the dance (but so did UConn, Syracuse and Louisville). St. John's, Seton Hall, Providence, and DePaul are just there. The BE died when Syracuse decided to leave. Also note that two Catholic schools left for the ACC (BC and ND). I suspect that there was a lot of griping and complaining about having to support bad football from the gang of 7 and the other schools just got tired of it and started hitting the door. The ACC now is about to be the bloated body that's about to be gnawed upon by scavengers and the same schools that left the BE may find themselves right back where they were anyway, with the exception that they have UVA, NCS, Duke and WF now in their midst (any football powers there?). The ACC will become what the BE was 10 years ago. The BE will become the new CUSA. This is classic deck chair rearrangement. The question is will the NBE and the ACC decide to find a lifeboat together when the boat sinks.

[Digetydog]

I suspect that had the Catholic 7 been more supportive of their football playing brethren, they would not have lost VT, U, BC, ND, Syracuse, Rutgers, Pitt, WVU, Louisville. Its kind of like being married to spouse who threatens divorce if the trash is not taken out timely. Yes, Georgetown, Villanova and Marquette have won the dance (but so did UConn, Syracuse and Louisville). St. John's, Seton Hall, Providence, and DePaul are just there. The BE died when Syracuse decided to leave. Also note that two Catholic schools left for the ACC (BC and ND). I suspect that there was a lot of griping and complaining about having to support bad football from the gang of 7 and the other schools just got tired of it and started hitting the door. The ACC now is about to be the bloated body that's about to be gnawed upon by scavengers and the same schools that left the BE may find themselves right back where they were anyway, with the exception that they have UVA, NCS, Duke and WF now in their midst (any football powers there?). The ACC will become what the BE was 10 years ago. The BE will become the new CUSA. This is classic deck chair rearrangement. The question is will the NBE and the ACC decide to find a lifeboat together when the boat sinks.

Back in the day, the Big East turned down Penn State b/c they didn't play BB well enough for the BB schools. Idiotic.

[MustangStealth]

Back in the day, the Big East turned down Penn State b/c they didn't play BB well enough for the BB schools. Idiotic.

Yeah, the Big East has a long history of stupid decisions.

[SMU2007]

Agreed. Sure Marquette, Nova and Georgetown have some name appeal, but what the hell do St. John's, Seton Hall, Providence, and DePaul really bring to the table?

Offer Marquette and Georgetown a good deal, and the other teams have absolutely nothing to stand on.

[ponyboy]

Seems to me that eery one of those teams have storied basketball programs.

[SMU2007]

Depends on your definition of "storied" but do you think the average ncaa basketball fan would tune in to watch a DePaul game? or a Providence game?

No way.

[SMU_Alumni11]

Who's watches basketball anyways??... Just saying.