Conference Choice?

[bbaker06]

I can't believe anyone would rather stay in the A-10. Here are great reasons to leave:

#1. The league would likely be more profitable. Xavier could possibly get over a million a year from the new league instead of $300,000. Think that will help pay coaches more and prevent them from leaving?

#2. Greater exposure. We would have more nationally televised games and we'd get to play games in New York City. It's true that St. Johns hasn't been good for a little while, but they sit in a great recruiting area.

Why would we play hardball when we have teams like Fordham, Duquesne, Lasalle, and St. Bonaventure in a league? Are you nuts?

[bbaker06]

I can't believe anyone would rather stay in the A-10. Here are great reasons to leave:

#1. The league would likely be more profitable. Xavier could possibly get over a million a year from the new league instead of $300,000. Think that will help pay coaches more and prevent them from leaving?

#2. Greater exposure. We would have more nationally televised games and we'd get to play games in New York City. It's true that St. Johns hasn't been good for a little while, but they sit in a great recruiting area.

Why would we play hardball when we have teams like Fordham, Duquesne, Lasalle, and St. Bonaventure in a league? Are you nuts?

[xu39]

1. If you add the BE7, you can still negotiate for a better deal.

2. Same thing, if you add the BE7, you are still in those same markets.

3. If you go to 16, you get rid of the bottom of the A10, and you also aren't potentially stuck in a bad situation if one or more teams leave.

If you go to the new conference, if you lose one or more members, you are going to have to backfill, probably with teams from the A10. The very same teams that you just left behind. I'm not sure if those left behind would be interested in partnering up with you again since you just left them behind. And if they won't partner up with you, then you are in a bad situation being in a league looking for new members.

[southernmuskie]

I think XU39 makes some valid points but I took Marquettes comments about the A-10 to be about the league in general. I think they hold the top tier of the A-10 to a higher level then the remainder of the league. Also, I don't know why they would consider bolting to the ACC as a basketball only school when that was exactly the problem with them in the Big East. Why would they want to go back to that situation.

Oh and Marquette has won a national championship. 1977 they beat North Carolina. I think that might have been the year Al McGuirer retired.

XU and whoever else joins the BE7 needs to make sure they all have equal voting rights when and if this new league is formed.

[Jesseandrippers]

1. If you add the BE7, you can still negotiate for a better deal.

2. Same thing, if you add the BE7, you are still in those same markets.

3. If you go to 16, you get rid of the bottom of the A10, and you also aren't potentially stuck in a bad situation if one or more teams leave.

If you go to the new conference, if you lose one or more members, you are going to have to backfill, probably with teams from the A10. The very same teams that you just left behind. I'm not sure if those left behind would be interested in partnering up with you again since you just left them behind. And if they won't partner up with you, then
you are in a bad situation being in a league looking for new
members.

What are you talking about? You cant just kick the bottom
feeders from a conference.

[N67ER]

'39 makes a couple good points - but I disagree with his conclusion. Joining the
B7 is the right thing to do for Xavier now. There will always be some movement in the league affiliations as time goes on - but that is no reason to pass up this opportunity to play on a truely national stage. In addition to more revenue, which is a virtual certainty, the exposure will give us the last piece we need to convince top players that Xavier can and will win the National Championship. It will be impossible for Xavier to dominate the new league like we have the A10 - but it will be nice, after all these years, to be considered a major league team! How sweet will it be to lose the "mid-major" label once and for all?

[xuhoopsking]

I honestly think this 14 team league is the way to go. I just have a bad feeling that the BE7 are going to go with 8, 10 or 12 schools only. I hope not, I think Butler, VCU, and Creighton will add a lot to this league and will help with signing a profitable tv contract.

As much as the A-10 has been a wonderful place for Xavier to live and grow, that is the problem. Not all of our conference foes have put an emphasis on growing and now it is time to grow again. This move is not about Xavier putting butts in the seats at Cintas, it is about bring in the best possible recruit so Xavier can win it all. That is the goal. Period. Playing Georgetown, Marquette, and Villanova easily trumps Fordham, LaSalle, and St. Bonaventure. It is a move of perceived power and prestige along with a larger and more lucrative tv deal. As I have said earlier, the league wants school with good and potentially good fan bases, so here is my take:
the seven:
Georgetown (washington)
Marquette (milwaukee)
Villanova (philadelphia)
St.John's (new york)
Seton Hall (new jersey)
Depaul (chicago)
Providence (rhode island, connecticut)
the next three:
Xavier (cincinnati)
Butler (indianapolis)
St.Louis (st.louis)
the possible next two or four:
Creighton (omaha, nebraska)
Duquesne (pittsburgh)
VCU (richmond, virginia)
Dayton (dayton)

The new league will have the Big East name plus an estimated 1.5 million per team tv payout.

[xu39]

What are you talking about? You cant just kick the bottom
feeders from a conference.

The A10 could come up with some new standards such as minimum arena size, performance standards, attendance standards, something to maybe force out the bottom of the A10. Maybe give those schools a time frame to comply, or else they're out.

The ideal solution would be to just add Georgetown, Villanova, and Marquette and maybe tell some or all of the other 4 that you aren't interested, while also dropping the bottom of the A10.

Maybe it isn't realistic to worry about having to go back to the A10 teams, that you just left behind, asking them to join your conference, if you need replacements in the future. The new conference would still be attractive, I'm just a little worried about the rejected teams holding a grudge.

Also, I don't know why they would consider bolting to the ACC as a basketball only school when that was exactly the problem with them in the Big East. Why would they want to go back to that situation.

There have already been reports of Georgetown and Villanova working behind the scenes to try to get into the ACC. I assume Marquette and the other 5 might be doing the same thing.

Georgetown and Villanova wanted out of the BE not because the BE was a hybrid conference but because they didn't like the conference being watered down, and they didn't like the additional travel that was coming into play.

[madness31]

X should work with Butler and VCU. The 3 should stay together. Those two schools will win a championship before any of the B7 get another. The three should either leave together or demand the A10 remove teams from the bottom. If the trash is removed the A10 will be plenty strong. Add some of the B7 if they are interested or look to Creighton and Wichita St to add strength. Just removing the bottom will greatly improve the conference so it doesn't matter if the league is successful in adding any others. Tourney revenue will come with a stronger league and that will eventually lead to better TV revenue.

[wkrq59]

Ban me then.
I want to stay in the A10. Make the BE7 join the A10 or tell them to take a hike.I want either a 16 team A10 or a 21 or 22 team A10. I don't trust Georgetown, Villanova, and Marquette not to bolt as soon as they get a better offer(like joining the ACC for basketball only).The BE7 needs schools to join with them, a 7 or 8 team league won't work, unless you play the other teams in the league around 3 times/season, and I doubt anybody wants to play the same teams 3 times/season.
I want the A10 schools to maintain control of this situation by maintaining the majority.The BE7 needs the A10, the A10 doesn't need the BE7.

You have the right idea. They definitely need the A10 but taking the crea of the A10 and merging with those 7 catholic schools could really create the strongest basketball conference in the nation and make scheduling and the money-power grab of the now Big 5 conferences to come almost a moot point.