Dayton paper mentions Butler, George Mason and Cleveland St.

[SLU7881]

By Doug Harris, Staff Writer Updated 2:35 AM Friday, September 23, 2011

The Atlantic 10 is keeping a watchful eye on the football-driven conference shake-ups, knowing the fallout may be felt in the league that has been home to the University of Dayton for 16 years.

But while all the focus nationally has been on the high-powered Bowl Championship Series conferences, the basketball-oriented A-10 apparently is exploring ways to perhaps fortify itself with additional members, too.

School presidents from the league met on a conference call Wednesday and discussed potential implications for the A-10, including the possibility of the Big East having an interest in at least Xavier if its seven schools that don’t play football at the highest level break off to form their own league.

They exhorted Commissioner Bernadette McGlade to stay on the offensive even if all 14 members stay put.

“As all the football teams move in different directions, we should consider what’s appropriate for the A-10,” UD President Dr. Daniel Curran said. “The presidents told Bernadette to move forward aggressively. We don’t want to stand still. ... We want to aggressively pursue markets that make sense for us.

“The things we said were if there are sound moves that could make the A-10 more visible, take it. We want to make a statement that the A-10 is here to stay, and we’re going to get stronger.”

The A-10 was an Eastern-based league until adding UD and Xavier along with Virginia Tech in 1995. Virginia Tech’s stay lasted until 2001. Richmond was added the following season, and then Charlotte and Saint Louis joined in 2005.

The A-10 has regularly sent half its teams to postseason tournaments. It earned three NCAA men’s basketball bids and has had a representative in the Sweet 16 each of the last four years.

If the league is looking to expand, Butler would be highly desirable, of course. George Mason and Cleveland State would be attractive options, too.

“We obviously feel like we’re the best basketball-only conference in the country,” McGlade said. “I feel like we’re in a very strong position right now. We have an established track record — multiple bids into the NCAA championships. And I think we’re in an appealing position to invite additional teams into our conference. I think it can come back in our direction.

“I’m not looking for any of our teams to be poached, so to speak. But if there are programs out there that would enhance and help make the A-10 conference better, we could be like other conferences and take a serious look at that.”

The ACC’s assault on the Big East, taking Syracuse and Pitt (and maybe UConn and Rutgers, too) could be a boon for the Flyers. Or it could mean nothing at all.

The seven basketball-oriented schools — Georgetown, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Providence, Marquette, DePaul and Villanova — will surely want to cling to a revamped Big East if it can cobble together enough football members. But would that restructured league want to share revenues with schools that add relatively little to the pot?

In an ESPN.com story by Dana O’Neil this week, former Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese said those seven will have no choice but to align. And O’Neil wrote, “Of course, it would mean opening up another round of conference raiding. Xavier, Dayton and Butler would be at the tops of the wish list, putting folks at the Atlantic 10 and Horizon League on high alert.”

UD has plenty of factors in its favor: great facilities, large fan base, across-the-board excellence in other sports, top-flight academics and a similar profile as a private Catholic institution. The question is whether the Flyers’ credentials on the court would hold them back.

Four NCAA tournament trips and an NIT championship since 2000 are noteworthy, but they’ve had just two NCAA wins since an Elite Eight run in 1984.

But Curran said: “It definitely could work out well. It would be inappropriate to be campaigning for these types of things. We know the history of UD basketball. We were without a conference, and the A-10 brought us in. We’re happy in the A-10.

“If you look at it objectively, we have been one of the names being mentioned that could move to a basketball conference. ... We’re in a very good position. Our facilities are great. If something happens, we could be in a great situation.”

UD fans would celebrate reviving old rivalries and playing glitzier programs.

“The A-10 is an OK conference, but there’s some games on the schedule that are really mediocre,” UD booster David Gasper of Beavercreek said. “Yeah, absolutely, you want to see that happen. You’re hopeful it’s going to turn out, but you’re also afraid it’s going to turn out negative.

“I don’t think Dayton and Xavier are (necessarily) going to go the same way. I don’t think that’s a guarantee, where as in years past, they always said we were a package deal. One of your biggest fears is you don’t want to lose your biggest rival. But it’s a chance maybe to get some new rivals.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or [email protected]

[SLU7881]

^{Id take these three teams in a heart beat}

[SLU21]

Cant wait till the Big East loses its AQ for the BCS. This place about to blow

[slu72]

Obviously, if the Beast loses it's auto bid for the BCS that is going to make schools like SD, Boise, Houston, and others rethink the logic of belonging to a league headquartered in Prov RI. Ok, I can see the Beasts 7 bb only's thinking about adding just UD, Butler, and X to a new league. But one would hope Biondi is on the phone to his fellow Priests making a strong push for SLU to be in this mix as well. Butler right now seems to be in the catbird seat as they can sit back and weigh various options, but save for the last 6 years or so, their resume was not what you'd call star studded. And if the A-10 were to lose two of it's flagship schools, UD and X, I'd have to think we're Valley bound. While X and UD may not consider us as rivals, we'd be losing the only two naturals we have in the A10.

[BLIKNS]

If that were the case, since St. louis is the gateway to the West, i say Go West young man.

West Coast Conference. This won`t happen, but just a different direction than where we are now. Major metro area(LA,San Diego,San Francisco, Portland) private schools. Adding BYU was huge.

[Billboy1]

Everyone complains about the travel now with the A10-this would be worse

[Box and Won]

UD has plenty of factors in its favor: great facilities, large fan base, across-the-board excellence in other sports, top-flight academics and a similar profile as a private Catholic institution.

1. That sh--hole of an arena is nowhere near "great." It's large, but not great.

2. Their academics are nowhere near "top-flight."

[Bay Area Billiken]

If Xavier, Dayton, and BUTLER are at the top of the list, that should be a concern and call to action for SLU. Butler's 2 NCAA runner-ups the last 2 years are noted. But does Butler get in the CATHOLIC Big East over SLU? In Utopia, the answer should be no; in Rome, the answer should be no. The answer should be no everywhere.

But this shows the issue of recent visibility.

Butler has parlayed the Gonzaga model of dominating a mid-major conference to get in the NCAA Tournament, and has recently excelled once it arrived there.

Taking this year as the snapshot, however, SLU is back ahead of Butler.

[Cowboy]

-what have you done for me lately would be a factor i suspect and back to back final 4's would be an impressive card to play

-i don't beleive it is about a catholic league, but about money and forming the best league to generate the most money

[JMM28]

-what have you done for me lately would be a factor i suspect and back to back final 4's would be an impressive card to play

-i don't beleive it is about a catholic league, but about money and forming the best league to generate the most money

Definitely a what have you done for me lately. Marquette is in the Big East because of that Dwayne Wade character.

[The Wiz]

I think it is the info from this article that led Rammer to say "the A-10 is dead"....the possibility of losing not only Temple but X and UD. Our facilities are better than UD and our current record is better too. If you believe in the statement "what have you done for me lately?" then it is imperative for many reasons that we not only make the Big Dance but that we go deep into the Dance...say Sweet 16 or Elite 8. I am showing with the right seed we could go as far as the Elite 8.

The future is now.

[brianstl]

I see no way that UD and X both end up in a basketball only Big East unless that conference is going to be like 14 teams. If it is going to be smaller they will want to better spread out the geographic footprint and not add two teams in the same TV market.

[Taj79]

The comments attributed to the Beavercreek fan and YouDee president Curran back up what I said in another thread about Dayton's fan base thinking they are the right choice for the Big East. Then they compare an Elite Eight run 28 years ago (Negele Knight) in the same framework as what Butler has done the last two years in making the Final Two.

Perception is reality ---- if they believe it to be true, then it is. This is also true with their DDN beat writers and WHIO broadcast teams. More proof: why do you think they believe the play-in game and First Four games are in their home arena? Because those dedicated fans are brainwashedinto believing that by showingup for these games it adds to their NCAA-impressive resume. I have a fellow grad who is a YouDee season ticket holder. I get this propaganda all the time. He's been there almost 30 years and has held season tickets the whole time. He is closing in on the first row seats OF THE 400 SECTION. Those fans don't die,they will their sweater vests to the next generation.

Another note, near the end of the article, they talk about Dayton and X going seperate ways. Like I also said, Dayton and Xavier are not that close. Then they talk about renewing "old rivalries." And who would that be? Georgetown? Nova? Heck no. It ain't even Cincinnati. It's likely DePaul, Marquette and ND whothey used to play home-and-away EVERY year when all were basketball independents. Now thewre's some "tradition" we certainly don't have.

[Cowboy]

-i admit i have never understood the fascination, respect, love, whatever you want to call it for dayton, i mean svu

-speaking of this, i have seen some recent brackets that include svu (incredible frankly) do they automatically get moved from play in games if that is their seed?

[Taj79]

I'd love to know the answer to Cowboy's #2 above.

[Box and Won]

-i admit i have never understood the fascination, respect, love, whatever you want to call it for dayton, i mean svu

Their fans are delusional.

[brianstl]

Their fans are delusional.

It is like a cult.

[Westy03]

Their fans are delusional.

Pretty much sums it up, You can close this thread now

[MusicCityBilliken]

Factors to get into the Big East are many (winning, tradition, home court attendance and facilities). But probably the biggest one is markets. Look at DePaul? Many of you forgot what transpired when the Great Midwest was formed. UDee and SLU had no problem leaving X( a far more deserving program at the time then us and UDee) in the MCC hole. They had to scramble to quickly get into the A10. Then when the Great Midwest merged with the Metro to form CUSA, same with UDee.

I am telling you, SLU is sitting in nice position simply because it has no competition in a large media market from from other Beast schools or potential schools.

[Bay Area Billiken]

Hopefully important point: The Dayton Daily News article is from September 23, 2011, as in before the current season, a season in which SLU so far has proven to have a better team than Xavier, Dayton, and most especially, Butler. However, I did read somewhere that the first school a Catholic Big East would come after is Xavier.

Nostalgia aside, SLU's Chaifetz Arena is much better than Butler's historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler has regressed this season, but the Horizon League has also regressed, and Butler can still make the NCAA by winning the Horizon League Tournament. If Butler is truly competition for SLU, then here's hoping someone else, like Cleveland State, wins that Horizon Tournament this season.

Temple is a big key to more conference reshuffling. How long can the two sides of the Big East coexist, with Temple on one side and Villanova on the other? Does Temple go Big East in football only, or in all sports? Initial word was all sports, but then there was talk about football first. All sports means the Villanova-Temple conflict. Could that lead to eventual Big East schism?

And even Temple to the Big East for football only leads to conflict with parts of the Villanova camp that want 'Nova to go full FBS in football. One major roadblock there is the facility, and Temple still holds the college football lease on Lincoln Financial Field. There would seem to be a place for a compromise.

Ironically, Louisville's Rick Pitino is championing Temple's Big East candidacy, as he did for Memphis, while his own school is still mentioned as a Big XII possibility.

[bomble]

Cleveland State doesn't seem likely to go deep, but they do have a tendency to beat better ranked teams in the first round. Sadly haven't paid enough attention to GMU even though they are in my backyard. I get the feeling though this is not going to be a good tournament year for them.

[MusicCityBilliken]

Cleveland State doesn't seem likely to go deep, but they do have a tendency to beat better ranked teams in the first round. Sadly haven't paid enough attention to GMU even though they are in my backyard. I get the feeling though this is not going to be a good tournament year for them.

Hewitt in his 1st year at GMU has them tied for 2nd place behind VCU.They beat VCU just last week and they play them again tomorrow at VCU. Presently they have a record of 23-7, so if they do well in the CAA Tourney, they may get in and make some noise like a few years ago.

Why Georgia Tech dumped Hewitt for Gregory still baffles me.

[The Wiz]

Butler C+ team similar to Charlotte

G Mason B- team similar to Richmond\

Clev St B team similar to UMass.

Two questions.........

Do you want to add another Charlotte, Richmond and UMass to the A-10? And if you do add another Charlotte, Richmond and UMass,....are you making the A-10 a better conference?

[JMM28]

Do you want to add another Charlotte, Richmond and UMass to the A-10? And if you do add another Charlotte, Richmond and UMass,....are you making the A-10 a better conference?

Cleveland State as an institution is similar to Illinois State. I don't see that as this magical like mindedness. And we all know that no good students come from Cleveland.

[P.B.]

Butler C+ team similar to Charlotte

G Mason B- team similar to Richmond\

Clev St B team similar to UMass.

Two questions.........

Do you want to add another Charlotte, Richmond and UMass to the A-10? And if you do add another Charlotte, Richmond and UMass,....are you making the A-10 a better conference?

This is just talking about this year. Butler is down because they lost two players who left early for the draft. There is little doubt that the program will be back up shortly. Butler is definitely a better program than Charlotte. You cannot use one year's numbers when making your comparsion. They have back to back final appearances and that is greater than whatever is happening this year.