American Athletic Conference

[CBB_Fan]

I think you're biggest problem, CBB fan, is that you overreact to pretty much everything, i.e. the Tennessee game, the conference's future in 5 years that may be different.. (so far, according to the twitter rumor mill, UE's move was proven wrong. Creighton has yet to say anything. Yet, both were reported as facts by a Valley school's media member about 12 hours ago.)

Those are two entirely different scenarios. It may seem like I overreacted to the same extent, but my level of worry over the conference alignment makes a few fouls against Tennessee completely insignificant. The fact of the matter is that if we lose Creighton, UNI and Illinois State will bolt, and nobody else in the Valley is even halfway decent.

If we are in a conference consisting of us, Bradley, Drake, Indiana State, Missouri State, and SIU, we have made a HUGE mistake. None of those schools is willing to invest in athletics and become a quality team, and none of them are even a top 100 team. We should be willing to do anything and everything to avoid getting involved with that. We would be forced to win the tournament every year to go to the NCAA tournament (0 chance of ever getting an at-large bid against that conference), and we lose tons of money and national recognition.

This is not a matter of potentially losing one or two important games a year because we foul too much, it is about the entire future of our athletic program.

[pogo]

Over react? Why I've never read anyone over reacting on this board....perhaps the mvc board but not here.:)

[ShockTalk]

Larger Populations = Larger TV markets = Larger Recruiting Territories.

Being the farthest east wouldn't we be the only team in the Central Time Zone? That would have road games starting at 8-9pm Central and would give us even less of a chance for Eastern Time Zone viewers and media highlights (ESPN).

And then what about Baseball? Again, we want to be the farthest west, not the farthest east.

Good points. Counterepoint: Currently the MWC is the #4 basketball conference, C-USA #10 behind the Valley. This is how it usually is, MWC higher than C-USA. Much larger potential bid conference. We would recruit from our hot beds which would not compete with other MWC teams. Being in a top ranked basketball conference would counter locale. If we can get players from NY, the east, the southeast, playing in the Valley, I don't see it being harder in the MWC. In fact, playing in a better conference (MWC vs C-USA), it would be easier yet.

Larger population yes, not sure about a larger TV following. The east doesn't follow C-USA, it follows the ACC, SEC, Big 10, Big Priest, before C-USA. Less population, but in their areas, the MWC is the walking dog.

Not sure about the east vs west thing. Yes, it would be later for us viewing games in Wichita, but the players are gaining an hour (or 2) not losing an hour when they travel to play (they losing it traveling back).

Highlights on ESPN. Outside of Memphis, what highlights do you see for C-USA.

Explain your baseball answer (C-USA is probably better).

Fan travel: Ft. Collins, Las Vegas, San Diego, Colorado Springs, Reno, Albuquerque, even Laramie vs Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, Tulsa (all assuming current teams). Yes, Tulsa is close (I wouldn't have to stay over night forunately), but for me, many of the MWC locations are places I'd like to go to.

[tropicalshox]

I've appreciate your input on this matter CBB. What I've read elsewhere is CU has a fair chance of going with the 7 if they go to ten. When and if they go to 10 would make it a good probability.

[Kung Wu]

Assuming we fly every athlete on all of our rosters to every single event outside of Wichita (not counting track, for reasons I'll explain later), we would have ~2000 flight-seats a year. In other words, an increase of $1 million a year would pay for flights for non-revenue sports. We'd get at least that from a Big East media deal alone, not even counting other sources of money.

However, you have to consider the fact that a lot of sports have far less interplay with the conference. The only sports we have where conference affiliation is really important are football, basketball, baseball, softball, and volleyball. Other sports go to invitationals or tournaments, not direct competitions against conference members, so we wouldn't have to have any increase for those sports. With this in mind, the real costs (again, assuming we send every athlete on every trip) would be about 1300 flights, a large portion of those coming outside of conference play.

Basically, what I'm saying is that the numbers tell us costs would go up, but we'd be able to pay for it.

Uh dude. When you travel east you lose an hour. That means your 1300 to 2000 round trip tickets also have overnight stays. You can more than double your pie in the eye (not sky) estimates for lodging and meals.

[CBB_Fan]

I've appreciate your input on this matter CBB. What I've read elsewhere is CU has a fair chance of going with the 7 if they go to ten. When and if they go to 10 would make it a good probability.

I think two teams are pretty much locks at this point assuming a 10-team conference picked from the midmajor conferences. Those teams are Xavier and Butler.

After that, it gets trickier. I think Creighton is competing with Saint Louis, Dayton, and VCU. The problem is that all of those teams have larger media markets than Creighton. I'd give them a 33% chance of getting into a 10-team Big Priest conference. What they will argue is that they control more of their media market than the other teams do and will be the best Catholic basketball team left.

A 12-team Big East is a different animal though. I'd give Creighton a 85% chance of getting into that conference.

Uh dude. When you travel east you lose an hour. That means your 1300 to 2000 round trip tickets also have overnight stays. You can more than double your pie in the eye (not sky) estimates for lodging and meals.

I wasn't trying to give a complete cost breakdown, just trying to throw out a ballpark estimate. If it would cost 10X what we would make from moving, it really would be ineffective. However, I could try and breakdown the costs if you really want me to try.

[SB Shock]

Pretty much what I read is that the Big East 7 will go to either 10 or 12 based on what will bring in the biggest $$ per school when they negotiate TV contract.

[Kung Wu]

I wasn't trying to give a complete cost breakdown, just trying to throw out a ballpark estimate. If it would cost 10X what we would make from moving, it really would be ineffective. However, I could try and breakdown the costs if you really want me to try.

Please don't. We are not going to join the Big East. You analyzing and typing about it, and me reading about it, is only going to waste my precious brain juice.

[1979Shocker]

The Presidents of the C7 have officially informed the Big East of their intent to withdraw.

It appears they will not try to keep the name Big East.

Here's a link.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/15/us-big-east-basketfall-idUSBRE8BE0CO20121215

DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova
will leave the Big East on June 30, 2015. They will pursue another framework for
their basketball teams.

[CBB_Fan]

Please don't. We are not going to join the Big East. You analyzing and typing about it, and me reading about it, is only going to waste my precious brain juice.

I'm glad you are convinced. I hope our athletic department is not as near-sighted.

Yes, it is a longshot. But it is the best shot.
Yes, we should plan other moves. The MWC move is a probably the most realistic one.

However, I would be disappointed if we don't give every effort to show that we belong in the new Big East conference.

[tropicalshox]

We have an outside shot at it if and they go 14. It's the best senario and we should let it be known we would accept.

[GoShockers89]

We have an outside shot at it if and they go 14. It's the best senario and we should let it be known we would accept.

I think we all agree with this 100%. It's just that we're kinda sick of CBB's 1300 word novella posts that beat dead horses with clubs made out of dead horses.

[CBB_Fan]

I think we all agree with this 100%. It's just that we're kinda sick of CBB's 1300 word novella posts that beat dead horses with clubs made out of dead horses.

Wow, that may set the record for something becoming a dead horse. Has it been a full day since the Big east officially broke up?

Should I contact Guinness?

[shox1989]

A lot of the dead weight of "a new conference" is within the 7 breaking away. Seton Hall, DePaul, Providence, St. Johns, and even Villanova of late. Adding more quality members than just one can turn them from a 2-3 bid to a 5-6 bid conference. Xavier, Butler, Creighton, VCU.

The problem I see is that at the beginning the only ncaa basketball money that you have is whatever the Catholic 7 can bring with them from the Big East. Which from some of the articles I read, even that could be contested in court. The other new members in all likely hood would have to forfeit all of the ncaa money they had earned to their old conferences.

That is why I could see them proceeding very slowly only adding one member to balance the conference at 8. I really can't see them starting out with more than 10.

So while Butler, VCU, Dayton, St. Louis, Creighton, Xavier might add value down the road, they start off bringing no money with them to the table. So the Catholic 7 during the first few years would be spliting their Big East ncaa basketball money (assuming they get to take the Big East ncaa money with them which does seem likely but possibly messy) with 3 or more additional schools. I am not sure programs like Seton Hall and Providence can afford to do that. It would take 6 years for the new schools to completely earn their keep (ncaa basketball tourney money is paid out over 6 years) Now I suppose a brand new TV contract that would pay more than the old Big East one might make that more doable.

I am just having a hard time figuring out how the Catholic 7 come out ahead financially the first few years. And maybe they don't, but they feel it is better in the long run. Which is probably true. So maybe they are willing to take some short term losses in exchange for some long term gains.

[shox1989]

And since a new better paying TV contract seems to be the most important thing right now to the Catholic 7, the one and only member I would try to add right now if I were them would be Notre Dame. I really don't see how St. Louis, Butler,Xavier, VCU or Creighton add much to a national TV contract. But ND would.

Getting Notre Dame to join in Basketball only would be my top priority if I were them. I don't know how doable that is, but as long as ND doesn't have to share a dime of their football money, I could see them at least being open to looking at something like this.