Hey SLU fans,
I have been debating the merits of many possible conferences on many boards. It has allowed me to get a lot of feedback regarding diehard fans views. Now I have one last scenario. It could be a long term solution that could be the best bet for all the schools that I have heard mentioned in this shakeup. Read the thread and see what you think.
ESPN decides who the marquee teams are based on who they think is going to have a good squad that year. That is why the BE dropped the division format and is setting up their schedule to pair the top teams. I think two new like minded leagues could utilize that reality and over time could create a great made for TV inter conference rivalry.
In my (biased Richmond) opinion I think the two leagues should be a Big East Conference and a Great Lakes Conference. A new regional Big East could dominate some very nice cities such as in Philly/Delaware, NYC, Boston, Providence, DC and yes Richmond,VA. The league could also feature some quality basketball/soccer/baseball.
The Great Lakes conference would dominate mid western hoops in the major cities (since the Great East won't have teams in cities). Both the regional Big East/Great Lakes could probably get very solid league and individual tv contracts, as the A10 and Xavier have now (FoxNet shows all x games in Ohio). Sure the Great East would get a bigger overall TV deal than any newly created Big East or otherwise. That is because of football and the alumni numbers at the big public schools. However, that is going to happen no matter what league the bball only big easters create.
If two new leagues were created they could work together to sell a made for TV event similar to the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Then ESPN can pick the marquee teams each year and match them up for TV. Two leagues would provide for student athlete welfare, but also distance the two leagues from those below them. Each league would have benefits that are particulatar to their shared athletic traditions (1AA football / soccer / baseball) Some schools would have to make a new commitment or recommitment to basketball and all other sports. However, I think if all the schools were proactive they could start the challenge this year and get a TV deal for next. Then when the league really started in three years rivalries and name recognition would already be in place. Below are the leagues and teams I would pair up this year.
Big East / Great Lakes
Providence / Marquette
Villanova / Xavier
St. Johns / DePaul
Georgetown / Dayton
Seton Hall / St. Louis
Richmond / Butler
Rhode Island / Creighton
UMass / Detroit
Delaware / (One of these Bradley, Drake, Loyola, Wichita State or Tulsa if they gave up on football)
Both leagues would be very good leagues that would form the best of the non BCS. If they worked together they could keep their RPI's very strong by playing each other in the challenge and maybe one other non league game a year. They could then play a few big name schoools and some small local rivalries to fill out their schedules.
The Big East could also work with a new CAA to co-sponsor a dominant 1AA football league. (Gtown would be asked to move up or Dayton could fill in if they wanted to move up instead) The new CAA would have
(* for football) ODU, VCU, Wilmington, Hofstra*, Drexel, Towson*, JMU*, WM*, George Mason, Stony Brook*, Charlotte, and Hampton*(or Northeastern*). The football teams could play within their natural league rivalries each year and then have cross over games with three or four others also. They might even have a championship game if they wanted.
I don't see the down side to three large regional leagues working together to strengthen all their athletic teams. If this discussion were happening just 5 years ago the Big East schools would have welcomed the successful Rhode Island and UMass programs. Richmond would have been coming off a tournament appearence. However, right now the midwestern schools have had some recent success. Since the Big East 5 have not had much success lately they are looking for some teams with recent success. The truth is success is cyclical at many schools. Last year it was Marquette/Dayton/X. However, in the next two years I bet that could easily change. Who knows what might happen? URI/UMASS/Richmond/Nova all have great places to play and good teams returning. Maybe they will be the cream in two years when the shake out takes effect. The truth is that the 5 Big East schools have not been pulling their weight lately. Each of those schools needs to recommitt itself to high level basketball/athletics. If they don't make upgrades soon, it won't matter what league they join. Gtown/SHU/SJU need to renovate/expand their on campus facilities. If they had kept up with things all along they could have added anyone they wanted too right now, regardless of recent success. As it is, the Big East 5 have nice history's and locations. However, they are definitely at a crossroads. I am hoping they will make a recommitment and choose partners who are also willing to make a new commitment. Hopefully each league can form with like minded institutions that will be in the best interests of their student athletes and alumni bases. Big East schools should keep the future of all their students and athletes in mind with this change. They need to be creative, they shouldn't just do what will make a PR splash for a day or two.
Leaving the league at nine and expanding south would also leave one important dream door open. In the future the Duke/Wake/Vanderbilt may get fed up with BCS athletics. It isn't likely, but if they did they would be logical additions to make the league 12. The league would be tops in basketball and allow for the best 1AA football conference in the country.
The auto bids shouldn't be an issue for a new conference, since the quality of the teams listed will allow them to get at larges for the first year anyway. The only issue is who takes the Big East credits. Hopefully the current league members can act like adults and just share. They can agree to go their seperate ways and divide all the mutually generated credits as they would have been if the league still existed.
If anyone thinks some schools don't belong in the Big East 5/Great Lakes class, please share your opinions in a constructive manner. I am interested to hear your takes on these possible alignments.