Conference Realignment: What Next?

[stever20]

It is a bit odd that this isn't a done deal yet, given these realignment moves tend to be announced after they happen. It's also odd this is happening after the Big XII already signed a TV contract. That could mean Gonzaga leaked this as leverage for Pac / BE negotiations. I'm pretty sure they'd choose the Big XII over the Big East (mainly due to location), but it's possible they'd choose the Big East over the Pac 12. The Pac 12 isn't very good in basketball and could be killed off before they even join.

As I've been saying for a while, the Big East needs to do everything possible to maximize our next TV contract. Whether that means signing with ESPN, adding Gonzaga, even adding Dayton (lol- I don't think that'd help but if they do then so be it). Can't worry about "what if" scenarios 10 years from now, just need to secure the bag and survive in this changing landscape.

Any conference sitting idle right now, such as the Pac 12, will be left behind. If an elite team is available (such as UConn a few years ago) and the finances work, you add them, period. Hopefully Val is prepared to offer Gonzaga membership, but if the Big XII is then that's where they'll end up.

Would Gonzaga choose the BigXII over the Big East? Overall, there is probably a little less travel? But the BigXII still has schools in Ohio, West Virginia and Florida and Gonzaga looks nothing like any of the BigXII schools.

2 things that Big 12 has that Gonzaga likes. 1 is the elite teams. Go back to last year end of year with Ken Pom. Top 4 teams if Gonzaga moved would be new Big 12 schools. And 2 is ESPN. Gonzaga in a lot of ways has been helped out a ton by ESPN. Those would be 2 really big factors. Also having BYU around is a plus for them IMO.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Give major credit to Gonzaga. They continue to optimize their elite basketball success and utilize it in a way where they can negotiate a sweetheart deal for them. They did it to the WCC and are currently doing it against the PAC/Big12/BigEast.

Whomever offers them a sweetheart deal first will ultimately get them. If we didn't make a special deal for UConn, we shouldn't for Gonzaga IMO.

[kayako]

Would Gonzaga choose the BigXII over the Big East? Overall, there is probably a little less travel? But the BigXII still has schools in Ohio, West Virginia and Florida and Gonzaga looks nothing like any of the BigXII schools.

F'in Gonzaga, man. They'll end up like Wichita State in AAC if they join the B12 (PAC would be better for them). Hopefully this doesn't start a trend of more power conferences taking elite basketball schools.

[ArmyVet]

Would Gonzaga choose the BigXII over the Big East? Overall, there is probably a little less travel? But the BigXII still has schools in Ohio, West Virginia and Florida and Gonzaga looks nothing like any of the BigXII schools.

F'in Gonzaga, man. They'll end up like Wichita State in AAC if they join the B12 (PAC would be better for them). Hopefully this doesn't start a trend of more power conferences taking elite basketball schools.

I think this would be a smart move in a lot of ways. I assume B12 basketball would go to divisions thereby limiting Gonzaga's road trips to UCF and WV, among others. Big East would want the Zags to so home-homes with everyone or so we believe.

[Jet915]

I always thought fit matters. Gonzaga aligns and looks like all the Big East schools sans UConn. I just dont see how a small private school fits with large public schools where football runs the show, its the old Big East again....

[BEwannabe]

I was about to type Jets exact sentiment with 1 caveat we don't know the entirety of the conversations. Will Big12 go to divisional play, are they adding some PAC schools? But my gut reaction if the Zags would go in this direction that it will never last as there is just too large of disparity institutionally speaking between schools like KU & Gonzaga. They have nothing in common except they are 4 year schools with elite mens basketball programs.

[kayako]

I think this would be a smart move in a lot of ways. I assume B12 basketball would go to divisions thereby limiting Gonzaga's road trips to UCF and WV, among others. Big East would want the Zags to so home-homes with everyone or so we believe.

I am guessing basketball-only payout in the B12 is 8-9M per year + tournament credits. They'd get less in PAC12, but save money on travel costs and more likely to dominate that conference, although I'm not sure if PAC would even take a catholic school. I think Gonzaga's just trying to get conferences to bid against each other, like they did with MWC and WCC a few years back. BE should stay away from this.

[Gopher+RamFan]

They have nothing in common except they are 4 year schools with elite mens basketball programs.

That's all that matters these days. This is all about media rights and television, the makeup of the school and how "different" it might be from others in their Conference ranks last. The only place it might matter is the Big East (if posts on here are any indication) and the Big Ten given its emphasis on academics still.

Gonzaga has to move all of its olympic sports to one conference. They sponsor 16 sports, which if joining the Big East, they'd have to fly out east for each away game. The Big 12, while still spread out, offers more local travel in an area that GU grads have an imprint (west coast, Vegas etc...). It's been an uphill climb for the Big East to add Gonzaga from the start.

Big East will likely expand, choosing from Dayton, VCU, SLU and maybe a couple others who perform better between now and 2025. Dayton and VCU have proven success over multiple coaches, and travel well to NYC for conference tournaments and other MTEs. We'll see what happens.

[Omaha1]

They have nothing in common except they are 4 year schools with elite mens basketball programs.

That's all that matters these days. This is all about media rights and television, the makeup of the school and how "different" it might be from others in their Conference ranks last. The only place it might matter is the Big East (if posts on here are any indication) and the Big Ten given its emphasis on academics still.

Gonzaga has to move all of its olympic sports to one conference. They sponsor 16 sports, which if joining the Big East, they'd have to fly out east for each away game. The Big 12, while still spread out, offers more local travel in an area that GU grads have an imprint (west coast, Vegas etc...). It's been an uphill climb for the Big East to add Gonzaga from the start.

Big East will likely expand, choosing from Dayton, VCU, SLU and maybe a couple others who perform better between now and 2025. Dayton and VCU have proven success over multiple coaches, and travel well to NYC for conference tournaments and other MTEs. We'll see what happens.

I appreciate good dialogue compared to Dayton trolls who just show up with flamethrowers. Thank you for that.

I just can’t imagine Val getting approval from the presidents to add the schools you mentioned. I really don’t think the TV execs are going to pay more for them either. And frankly, fans traveling to MSG is not a problem as the entire BET is sold out every year.

If we expand, it had better not be with programs from the A10. I don’t personally feel as though they enhance the league at all.

[kayako]

They have nothing in common except they are 4 year schools with elite mens basketball programs.

That's all that matters these days. This is all about media rights and television, the makeup of the school and how "different" it might be from others in their Conference ranks last. The only place it might matter is the Big East (if posts on here are any indication) and the Big Ten given its emphasis on academics still.

Like-minded requirement should start and stop with commitment to basketball. Just kinda wish one of the A10 teams would ascend and go on a run, but honestly they appear to have plateaued.