Another conference rumor

[davidlee]

Mike DeCourcy from Sporting News says -

Many Atlantic 10 members do not expect the conference to survive in its current form. If the Big East does not accept any new basketball-first members -- Marquette and DePaul are the leading candidates -- don't be surprised to see a new-look A-10 or a new conference altogether, one that would include the Golden Eagles and Blue Demons along with Dayton, Xavier, Richmond, Charlotte, Temple, Rhode Island and possibly others. …

I could see this scenario and SLU being one of the "possibly others". A East-West division setup with everyone playing twice in their division and once with the other division.

[jjray]

If the Big East does not get Marquette and DePaul, and, thereafter, the A-10 looks to expand, I would think that they would go to 12 teams with East and West divisions to cut down on the travel for lesser sports. In such a setup, I would have to think they would want SLU included a west division. As long as we are aligned with Marquette and DePaul, wherever that may be won't be such a bad place. Adding Xavier and Dayton to such a mix would be great.

All that said, it appears that to stay together the Big East needs to add more basketball teams. If those teams are not Marquette and DePaul, then Xavier and Dayton are the next options (with a better geographic fit). If Xavier and Dayton leave the A-10, do Marquette, DePaul and SLU really want to join? I think not unless CUSA completely crumbles.

[kwyjibo]

Personally, any combo that gets SLU to play in the northeast works.

As for the rumors, here is some more points to consider:

Mark Blaudschun of the Boston Globe (well connected in the Big East) has been reporting for a while that the Big East is looking to become a 16 team Bigger East Behemoth. Now, what makes his reporting different than some of the links offered on this board earlier is that Blaudschun is reporting that the majority Big East want to bring in Marquette and Xavier on the basketball side. I am sure DePaul is still in the mix because Marquette would want them to be in any conference (and the fact is if Marquette gets to be in a conference with DePaul and Notre Dame the rest of the teams could NAIA schools in Utah and the Warrior Eagle fans would be happy). I do not know what Notre Dame thinks of this but they are the linch pin to the Basketball side of Bigger East.

Blaudschun is also reporting that the ACC is preparing to add a 12th member if their appeal to the NCAA to get a football conference playoffs is denied (and he hints that this looks like it will get denied). If the ACC is looking to add one (and may go back to raid BC or Syracuse from the Big East) it further complicates any possible Bigger East.

I do not know what is going to happen and like most of the most still hope that basketball only schools stick together and get a good conference that includes SLU. Any in-fighting amongst the greediron schools helps that cause.