A10 Conference Nowe Mover-and-Shaker

[Taj79]

Nothing new here that we haven't heard before: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7916050/a-look-realiignment-perspective-smaller-basketball-conferences-college-basketball

With maybe the exception of this little nugget: "About 18 months ago, the presidents of the Atlantic 10 put together a strategic plan for the league's future. First and foremost was a simple acceptance of what the league is and where its strengths are. Devoid of football, the A-10 didn't consider itself powerless; instead it argued it was unique.

"We all looked around and realized that we're very proud of our success in basketball and our academic success,'' commissioner Bernadette McGlade said. "It was important to embrace that because that is our strongest asset.''

So the school presidents were smart enough to recognize two Decembers or so ago that "shift happens" and actually sat down and mapped out a plan. Makes me want to believe that strategic thinking plays a bigger role in McGlade's regime than it did in Bruno's. Which is good. But it also seesm to signify that those of us calling for the Valley or the Midwest Papal Conference might be yelling until hoarse. I can't help but wonder just what the resignationof the Big East commissioner really means.

Obviously, these moves don't settle well into the FOB proscribed basketball universe.

[ARon]

Maybe it will be some of the Big East's bball schools joining the A10 instead of the other way around.

[Billirish]

Notre Dame's AD Jack Swarbrick spoke at ND Club of St. Louis dinner last week. In Q & A session, I asked him about the prospects of a so-called papal conference and his response was that it will never happen. He cited travel costs which I thought was bogus considering the location of the current Big East teams. He did say that ND would consider joining together with some of the potential papal conference teams if ND had to find a new conference, but he said that he was cautiously optomistic about the prospects for the non-football schools staying in the Big East.

[SLUMedBilliken15]

According to this article George Mason is officially staying in the CAA, which means the conference won't likely fall apart and that VCU probably has higher odds of staying in the CAA as well...

[slu72]

With all the Beast has lost in terms of BB star power, it won't be long until the B12 comes after UL and UC. Actually surprised it hasn't happened yet. Then the remaining BB only schools are going to have to take a long hard look at what's left.

As for ND, if they don't settle on the B10 or the ACC, they're gonna scramble to be relevant in FB. Colin Cowherd did a segment on ND this past week, basically saying they're already irrelevant and hold little appeal for the quality of players to compete at the highest levels. ND just wants all the NBC money to themselves, understandable, but when that deal ends, they'll be looking for a conference to join. So they won't be part of the Beast BB breakup.

What happens after all of this is anyone's guess. For the ND AD to say travel costs in an all "Papal" conference would be prohibitive is a laugher. It doesn't seem to bother Marquette or DePaul. And it would be a whole lot less if the midwest BB loners could play most of their conference sched against other midwest schools.

The trick here for the A-10 is how could they be the lead dog in picking up the Beast's scraps. First, figure UMass will join Charlotte and leave for the MAC. Assuming a 16 team conference is the ideal size, that now leaves 14 teams in the A-10. If they can persuade Creighton to join (good idea), that makes 15. 1 slot open for 7 BB Beast only schools? The A-10 would have to cut 6 current members to absorb the more reputable Beast schools. It's fairly easy to come up with the 7 schools, but I don't see them making such a drastic move as the lawyers for those schools would have a feeding frenzy. Bottom line the ND AD is probably correct, there won't be an all papal conference anytime soon unless the Beast BB'ers split and form a new BB only conference by cherry picking teams from the A-10.

[cheeseman]

First of all, I have always found the concept of a "Papal Conf" to be rather elitist and have never been all that keen on it. Second, having the conf we belong to being tied to such a narrow and honestly controversial name would be a killer in my opinion. Third, what could very well happen is the A10 and the Big East both dissolve but not to the negative for any of the current schools with two new conferences forming from them - one would concentrate in the east and another in the midwest. I could see the two new confs requiring certain things of each member school that may shake out those weak sisters such as: minimum arena size, minimum budget for mens bb, minimum travel requirements. This kind of a set up would limit travel for both confs, open up the door to a Creighton type school. All this being said, I could see what SLU 72 says at the end of his post happening also - not the best way to go in my opinion but still very possible - the down side is that it creates losers and winners and that could all be avoided with my idea.

[ARon]

I do believe the "catholic conference" could happen somday though it will never have that name. I also doubt ND would be included. SLU should be more concerned with linking up with Marquette, Depaul, Georgetown, Villanova, and St. John's.

Andy Katz has said that Georgetown is the nexus to the BE basketball schools. As long as they want to stay, they'll all stay. And apparently as of right now, they aren't really considering leaving.

[slu72]

I'd say Nova is a keystone as well to the BE. If they decide to go big time in FB, eg join the ACC, the Beast would be GU, MU, the poor sisters of charity, and some midwest and west FB teams. I admire the Beast scrounging around to stay alive, but not a viable long term conference.