Hey Wichita State, wanna join us in the A-10?

[CBB_Fan]

A mega conference has yet to stand the test of time.

First the origianl Mega WAC that added Tulsat etc. They broke up after a few years. The mega Big East is breaking up after a few years and the mega A10 is breaking up after just one year.

Why does anyone think such a thing will work?

This is just the first year of a kinda Mega conf with the SEC and there is already talk of Mizzou going back to the Big 12.

Every mega-conference has faced issues because they have tried to work based on the idea that football is the king. However, an ultra-large football conference rapidly grows impractical, as the real money in football is made in the regular season (Bowls are Bowlshit, and even being corporately funded doesn't make up the difference).

With basketball, the logistics are different. Although the 32 team league probably would still be weak to football (from the FBS schools wanted to move up), there is far less push to change conferences in basketball. Additionally, a larger conference takes more advantage of the postseason.

Does anyone else think that college athletics, due to the extremely high financial costs, is a bubble that could burst in the next 8-10 years? The realignments are part of everyone trying to chase the presumed pot of gold, but I really wonder if the accelerating costs of a high level football and basketball program are really sustainable. It has always been expensive to run a college athletics program, but over the past couple of decades it seems to have become just astronomical in cost. Or am I off base with this thinking?

It depends. Sports have become extremely profitable because they are the best way to get a captive audience for advertisements. The invention of the DVR and other media sharing devices makes any conventional ad easy to skip, but sports are one of the few events that force people to watch the TV through commercials (basically, because you can't skip live entertainment). With their wide penetration, sports are profitable not because of fans, but because of marketers.

If that changes, you could easily see sports stop being profitable. I'm not sure what would make that change, but I could see al a carte programming making a big difference. The B1G, for instance, is extremely profitable because the Big Ten Network essentially works like a tax on every market they are (its a basic package, not an option). If people started paying only for the games they wanted to watch, teams like Rutgers and Maryland suddenly become leaking ships.

[OPShocker]

I like the idea of merging the two conferences but not taking all remaining schools from the two conferences. Too many politics involved, what would you have co-commissioners? Also, I think it would be a diluted conference, too many weak schools still clinging on. If you haven't had an average rpi of a certain level over the last five years you shouldn't be in, if your average attendance isn't a minimum of 6,000, then this league is not for you. There needs to some minimum requirements to enhance the perception that all schools are fully committed to basketball. Therefore, I think it will be incumbent upon the schools to do this, much like the C-7 did. Four or five from the MVC will have to say we are leaving, same with the A-10 and possibly a couple from CAA. This would create a much more attractive conference for TV, plus you could get close to round robin play and could start building a rivalary with the other schools.

[CBB_Fan]

I like the idea of merging the two conferences but not taking all remaining schools from the two conferences. Too many politics involved, what would you have co-commissioners? Also, I think it would be a diluted conference, too many weak schools still clinging on. If you haven't had an average rpi of a certain level over the last five years you shouldn't be in, if your average attendance isn't a minimum of 6,000, then this league is not for you. There needs to some minimum requirements to enhance the perception that all schools are fully committed to basketball. Therefore, I think it will be incumbent upon the schools to do this, much like the C-7 did. Four or five from the MVC will have to say we are leaving, same with the A-10 and possibly a couple from CAA. This would create a much more attractive conference for TV, plus you could get close to round robin play and could start building a rivalary with the other schools.

I did mention that it would very hard to get everything done with a super large conference (too many moving targets). But yes, I think the best option for the top of the A10, MVC, and WCC will be a merger, of some type. It would be very hard to accomplish though; more likely for everyone to just look for replacements and continue the status quo.

Still, I like the appeal of a merged conference. Yes, you have a lower chance of an automatic bid, but you also have a much better chance of getting media attention and good matchups in conference. Even if you just made a 24 team league, with 8 each from the MVC (minus Evansville...), WCC, and A10 you could make something greater than any of those conferences by themselves. I think you might also see some other teams in consideration from smaller leagues (teams like Denver, Detroit, Valpo, or Siena).

If only the MWC and Big East football schools realized that FBS football probably is the best thing to focus on, given the relative solidarity of the BCS conferences and the very likely chance of losing money from their football programs.

[ShockTalk]

I know the idea of this thread was an "invite" for WSU to join the Atl-10. Nevertheless, give the following some thought and consideration. I'm going to throw out some numbers regarding the "remaining" Atl-10 teams (VCU, Richmond, St Joe, GW, LaSalle, RI, St Bonnie, Dukes, and Fordham) and the Valley minus CU. I know it is hard to compare records of teams from two different conferences. I will be including records of the Atl-10 teams that happened in another conference. I'm aware that a lot of losses were inflicted by several of the leaving teams (Xavier, Temple, Dayton), however, without those teams, the Alt-10 would not have been a premiere conference.

Over the last 10 years:

Atl-10 record: 1418-1356 .511, 27 20 game winning seasons, 37 losing record seasons, 19 20+ game losing seasons, with 2 different teams making at least the S16 at the NCAAs while a part of the Atl-10.

Without VCU: 1175-1266 .481, 19 20 game winning seasons, 37 losing record seasons, 19 20+ game losing seasons.

Valley record: 1563-1306 .545, 32 20 game winning seasons, 33 losing record seasons, 10 20+ game losing seasons, with 4 different teams making the S16 5 times at the NCAAs.

The numbers get better for the Valley over 15 years with the Valley adding another team that made the S16 at the NCAA.

My point is, particularly not counting VCU, there are more quality, balanced teams in the Valley than the remaining Atl-10. Given the travel, there is not that much of a plus for WSU to go to the Atl-10. That is not to say that the Atl-10 should join the Valley, but if you do not make a mega conference, reduce some of the teams from both conferences, then merge one into the other based on what is financially best for all the "new" teams. The newly formed "Atl-10"/"MVC" would consist of 14-16 teams with sports, other than basketball, primarily playing within their "division". Such a league would be as strong, or stronger, than the either conference had before.

[SubGod22]

This megaconference thing would never work. However, if you could get these conferences to agree to some sort of challenge or scheduling alliance, it could work in a similar way without all the logistic issues for all the other sports.

[Rlh04d]

The mega Big East is breaking up after a few years

I don't think the mega Big East even made it into execution.

[DistrictBaller]

Bump.

Just saying.

[DistrictBaller]

I mean, I know geographically it's a stretch, but if the Big East is going to be all-private, I'd rather ally with the best public basketball schools out there and stick it to them by being awesome on our own. I definitely count Wichita State among those schools.

Wichita State, VCU, George Mason, Rhode Island under Dan Hurley, and UMass would give us some pretty good quality basketball-only public schools regardless of whatever the private schools choose to pursue.

It looks like the Big East is done expanding for at least a couple of years, so you'd definitely have Saint Louis and Dayton in the midwest as well. La Salle is on the upswing as you met them in the Sweet 16 and they return all but 1 player next year and should be strong again. Richmond was in the Sweet 16 just 2 years ago. There are some nice pieces in the A-10 and great potential with a program like WSU added to the mix. You've already got some familiarity with George Mason and VCU. Let's make this more of a regular thing! I think we can agree that our games have all been pretty awesome, win or lose.

Wichita State has my respect and I'd love to see you guys join us.

[MadaboutWu]

Excellent. Where do I sign?

[GoShockers89]

Take us and Bradley together and I would skip my way into the A-10 with pleasure.

The hoops budgets of the remaining MVC schools would be, shall we say, pathetic.

[DistrictBaller]

Agreed. You have more peer or at least similar programs in the A-10 at this point.

With Xavier and Butler gone, we do need to shore up the western wing of the A-10. Bradley is a great basketball school as well although they've fallen on tough times of late.

If it's up to me, I'd be on the phone with Sexton right now. Hopefully Commissioner McGlade is working the phones right now.

All the rumors have been towards Davidson, Charleston, and Siena. I truly hope that's because we've already explored the WSU-Bradley option and been told no thanks and not because we're not considering you. We would be extremely foolish not to invite you.

I can understand why your admin wouldn't move, I just hope you guys do. Our conference is already pretty good even with X and Butler gone, but it could be flat-out fantastic with you guys.

[DistrictBaller]

Jeff ******* is reporting that the A-10 is close to adding Davidson.

C'mon guys. The MVC added Loyola this offseason and the A-10 has added George Mason and now apparently Davidson.

Tell me where you guys would rather be.

MAKE IT HAPPEN SEXTON!

[LuskingforGuttin]

Jeff ******* is reporting that the A-10 is close to adding Davidson.

C'mon guys. The MVC added Loyola this offseason and the A-10 has added George Mason and now apparently Davidson.

Tell me where you guys would rather be.

MAKE IT HAPPEN SEXTON!

Davidson is a fine addition from an academics perspective. Really good school that is pretty selective (they would not take me in fact). I wonder about their basketball program post-Bob McKillop. I really think he is top 2-3 in the entire country at X-Oing. I have to think that there will be a decline when he retires. Their other athletic programs are just kind of meh. They aren't that much better of an addition for the A10 than Loyola was for the Valley.

Selfishly I would love WSU to stay in the Valley. I think that it is a much better baseball league and that is the heart of the athletic program in many ways. They just have more in common institutionally with our members than yours in the A10 and the geographically is staggering in the A10. SLU made it work but those student athletes miss a ton of class going out to Olean, NY and what not.

[GoShockers89]

Casey, please keep out of our realignment threads. Our other guests might confuse you for a Shocker fan and that would be quite embarrassing.

[shoxlax]

Davidson is a fine addition from an academics perspective. Really good school that is pretty selective (they would not take me in fact). I wonder about their basketball program post-Bob McKillop. I really think he is top 2-3 in the entire country at X-Oing. I have to think that there will be a decline when he retires. Their other athletic programs are just kind of meh. They aren't that much better of an addition for the A10 than Loyola was for the Valley.

Selfishly I would love WSU to stay in the Valley. I love them beating my teams sorry ass three times a year. I think that it is a much better baseball league and that is the heart of the athletic program in many ways. They just have more in common institutionally with our members than yours in the A10 and the geographically is staggering in the A10. SLU made it work but those student athletes miss a ton of class going out to Olean, NY and what not.

Fixed.