2021-22 Basketball happenings around the American Athletic!

[BostonWu]

I'd suspect they would only add one as they currently sit at 11. And UCon was a special circumstance as they have a lot of history with most of the conference.

Yeah like being a charter member.

[BostonWu]

A lot on here fail to comprehend the BE footprint. Small private mostly Catholic is a real thing and the biggest box to check for prospective members. Not everyone has the SEC mindset in which money drives all decisions. The individuals driving the bus for BE strategic decisions are literally priests making consensus decisions among themselves. That's a very high hurdle for public institutions in flyover country to surpass.

Now I hope I'm dead wrong on all of this but I doubt it.

[Shockm]

A lot on here fail to comprehend the BE footprint. Small private mostly Catholic is a real thing and the biggest box to check for prospective members. Not everyone has the SEC mindset in which money drives all decisions. The individuals driving the bus for BE strategic decisions are literally priests making consensus decisions among themselves. That's a very high hurdle for public institutions in flyover country to surpass.

Now I hope I'm dead wrong on all of this but I doubt it.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but you do speak of history, and your history is incomplete.

• Not all in the BE are Catholic. Several aren't, and weren't under the past BE
• Not all in the BE are Private currently or historically
• There is a History of Bigger Public and Private Schools, in the BE that these schools didn't mind being a part of at that time
• The BE is basketball-centric, and the current schools want their conference to be basketball-centric. This is a match with us. That seemed to be the biggest hurdle that they had with the bigger football playing Institutions (Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida, West Virginia, Syracuse, Pittsburgh) None of these schools were Catholic schools. If not for football, they would all probably still be together, and maybe no Creighton or Butler.

I'm not saying that Wichita State is going to be asked anytime soon into the BE nor do I know if that is even being pursued by WSU. But I think to close the door on it in the future is not smart. Our leadership (President on down the the AD) needs to build relationships with these schools and other schools, and discuss/pursue future possibilities. We do have some common ground to do that because we don't consider our school to be a football school. That would also make sense with the A10.

[SubGod22]

I'm not saying you're wrong, but you do speak of history, and your history is incomplete.

• Not all in the BE are Catholic. Several aren't, and weren't under the past BE
• Not all in the BE are Private currently or historically
• There is a History of Bigger Public and Private Schools, in the BE that these schools didn't mind being a part of at that time
• The BE is basketball-centric, and the current schools want their conference to be basketball-centric. This is a match with us. That seemed to be the biggest hurdle that they had with the bigger football playing Institutions (Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida, West Virginia, Syracuse, Pittsburgh) None of these schools were Catholic schools. If not for football, they would all probably still be together, and maybe no Creighton or Butler.

I'm not saying that Wichita State is going to be asked anytime soon into the BE nor do I know if that is even being pursued by WSU. But I think to close the door on it in the future is not smart. Our leadership (President on down the the AD) needs to build relationships with these schools and other schools, and discuss/pursue future possibilities. We do have some common ground to do that because we don't consider our school to be a football school. That would also make sense with the A10.

1. He didn't say all, but most are. The religious aspect is pretty strong and important amongst the members.
2. They have one public school and we've established their long history with the conference and its members.
3. That was a different time and place.
4. SLU still fits that mold as well. Plus they have better academics, a better market, a similar student enrollment and goals. Are we better at basketball than SLU? Yes. Is SLU better at everything else that matters to BE membership? Most definitely yes.

The A10 would make zero sense for us. Outside of being non-football, it would be insanely more expensive to travel for the athletic department and they make pennies in their media deal. The BE at least has the financial backing to make up for the travel, but we're so far down their list of options it's not going to happen. I don't even think that they'd take VCU who is at least in their footprint, or close to it. Dayton would be the pick if it weren't for Xavier. Davidson is going to be higher on the list than we are as well. Maybe even Loyola or hell, even Drake. You can't simply throw out the obvious of what kind of institutions they want to be associated with. And who in the BE is going to push for us? I don't see any that would care to. The old CU administration maybe, but they're gone. UCon doesn't give a **** about us. None of the others have any relationship with us and again, we are not a similar school to any of them outside of being a basketball school. That's not going to get it done.

[SubGod22]

I don't know much at all about SLU so it was an honost question. Money seems to be the driver of the expansion bus, so with academics aside, seems to me their are much more relevant national brands that would be asked to join before SLU.

You have to remember that these school presidents are still going to want a school or schools that they see as like minded and with similar visions. I think the only school that could be ahead of SLU is Dayton, but Xavier doesn't want them because they essentially share a market, or are close enough. Dayton would be a HR grab for the BE otherwise. I don't see who else fits the BE mold that would be higher up than SLU.

If Temple were willing to go Independent in football they would be a top consideration, but I don't see that happening. They seem to care more about their football program than UCon does.

Of course, they could pull a rabbit out of their ass and somehow get Gonzaga, but that seems very unlikely.

[Shockm]

1. He didn't say all, but most are. The religious aspect is pretty strong and important amongst the members.
2. They have one public school and we've established their long history with the conference and its members.
3. That was a different time and place.
4. SLU still fits that mold as well. Plus they have better academics, a better market, a similar student enrollment and goals. Are we better at basketball than SLU? Yes. Is SLU better at everything else that matters to BE membership? Most definitely yes.

The A10 would make zero sense for us. Outside of being non-football, it would be insanely more expensive to travel for the athletic department and they make pennies in their media deal. The BE at least has the financial backing to make up for the travel, but we're so far down their list of options it's not going to happen. I don't even think that they'd take VCU who is at least in their footprint, or close to it. Dayton would be the pick if it weren't for Xavier. Davidson is going to be higher on the list than we are as well. Maybe even Loyola or hell, even Drake. You can't simply throw out the obvious of what kind of institutions they want to be associated with. And who in the BE is going to push for us? I don't see any that would care to. The old CU administration maybe, but they're gone. UCon doesn't give a **** about us. None of the others have any relationship with us and again, we are not a similar school to any of them outside of being a basketball school. That's not going to get it done.

Everything that I stated is true. I don't know for sure what will happen, and you don't know either.

Practically speaking, I just said that no one should close the door at this time, and the plan for the future, even though we can't predict it, but you can if you choose.

[C0|dB|00ded]

Cold... I have to say I'm one of the few on this board that agrees with a good amount of your posts. But what are you talking about? Marquette has a richer basketball history compared to WSU, and the rest are at the very least only a few steps behind us. Aside from DePaul and St. John's, all those programs you listed have history along with at least somewhat recent success too.

When the Big East folded and all the power basketball programs left, what remained were the dregs... plus Villanova. Then they added a bunch of mid-majors like Xavier, Butler, Creighton, etc.

That's history of the Big Pee.

[C0|dB|00ded]

5 of the 7 programs you named are no strangers to the top 25. I gotta be honest with you man, the idea that the AAC has ever been a better basketball conference than the new BE is almost into the realm of absurdity.

They've done well with what they had to work with. They essentially hacked the system. Nobody is really ever outstanding, but then nobody is really ever total **** either. They end up with a bunch of mid-low NCAA seeds every year. They're like the greatest mid-major league of all time.

Now that UConn is back they've added a bit more cachet. Still, they are but a faint whisper of that great old league of which they share the same name.

And yes, I would like for the Shockers to be invited. Just getting the trolling started ahead of time. It might be worth it to the Pee to exclude us just to keep me off their conference message board.

[C0|dB|00ded]

I'm not saying you're wrong, but you do speak of history, and your history is incomplete.

• Not all in the BE are Catholic. Several aren't, and weren't under the past BE
• Not all in the BE are Private currently or historically
• There is a History of Bigger Public and Private Schools, in the BE that these schools didn't mind being a part of at that time
• The BE is basketball-centric, and the current schools want their conference to be basketball-centric. This is a match with us. That seemed to be the biggest hurdle that they had with the bigger football playing Institutions (Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida, West Virginia, Syracuse, Pittsburgh) None of these schools were Catholic schools. If not for football, they would all probably still be together, and maybe no Creighton or Butler.

I'm not saying that Wichita State is going to be asked anytime soon into the BE nor do I know if that is even being pursued by WSU. But I think to close the door on it in the future is not smart. Our leadership (President on down the the AD) needs to build relationships with these schools and other schools, and discuss/pursue future possibilities. We do have some common ground to do that because we don't consider our school to be a football school. That would also make sense with the A10.

You're conflating the Big East and the Big Pee. There's a massive difference.

When the Big East disbanded, all the power programs left to the ACC. What remained rebranded themselves as the Catholic 7. Then they started adding mid-majors to fill in the massive vacuum. What resulted is an upgraded Catholic Missouri Valley Conference.

[Dan]

Big East is nothing close to anything Missouri Valley, other than their admittance of Creighton. Villanova, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Xavier? Not even close, unless by "upgrade" you mean 1000% upgrade.

[WeWillShockU2]

You are delusional if you think we will ever be in the Big East. Never happen.

[C0|dB|00ded]

Big East is nothing close to anything Missouri Valley, other than their admittance of Creighton. Villanova, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Xavier? Not even close, unless by "upgrade" you mean 1000% upgrade.

Georgetown: Had a good brand LONG ago when the Big East was around. They suffered after the big boys left.
Villanova: I've already said they are a power.
Seton Hall: lol? Historical garbage.
Xavier: Good mid-major out of the A-10.

[C0|dB|00ded]

You are delusional if you think we will ever be in the Big East. Never happen.

Because of communion? You're probably correct. But if we were admitted, we'd be a top 4 perennial program in their league. Creighton would once again be sniffing our gym socks.

[WeWillShockU2]

Because of communion? You're probably correct. But if we were admitted, we'd be a top 4 perennial program in their league. Creighton would once again be sniffing our gym socks.

We would be fine in athletics but we don’t check any of the other boxes.

[Dan]

Georgetown: Had a good brand LONG ago when the Big East was around. They suffered after the big boys left.
Villanova: I've already said they are a power.
Seton Hall: lol? Historical garbage.
Xavier: Good mid-major out of the A-10.

or

Loyola
Northern Iowa
Indiana State
Bradley

You do make a compelling argument