Sounding like a done deal  A10 gonna get raided.

http://www.cbssports.com/colle...pected-to-split

Thamel breaks it down well here:


The way the NCAA pays teams for reaching the NCAA tournament is extremely complicated. Teams aren't given a single, fat check for reaching and advancing in the NCAAs. Instead they are given units for making the NCAA tournament and more for advancing. The value of each unit is approximately $245,000, which is paid to the league over six years.

Units are a huge financial piece in the value of a basketball league. In the Big East's 2011-12 fiscal year, it received $27.3 million in NCAA tournament units (113 earned over previous six years at $242,000). In 2012-13, the league will receive even more -- $28.7 million thanks to 117 units over six years.

"The interesting point is that people focus on the TV dollars," said a Big East official. "Currently our unit dollars as a revenue stream exceed our TV revenue for basketball schools. We generate more dollars from NCAA participation."
A key financial issue here is that the units of schools like Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Louisville, West Virginia and Notre Dame are still going to go into the Big East coffers after those schools left for other conferences. (Rutgers never reached an NCAA tournament in its entire Big East tenure.) Those units are a significant amount of money annually. One of the biggest legal issues to be fought out will be what happens to the league's units? And can the breakaway schools take their units with them?

IF the Big East exists in a disparate form with UConn, Cincinnati, USF, UCF, Memphis, Houston, SMU, Tulane and others, will it get to keep all the unit money?

There's also a pile of money in exit fees, as there's an estimated $70 million due to the league. Could the unit revenue and exit fee money be enough to keep the Big East together?


Read More: sportsillustrated.cnn.com/news.../#ixzz2ExApYzjP

That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

dunlow66 wrote: Xavier, Butler, VCU, Dayton, St. Louis, Gonzaga and St. Mary's all among targets to join the former Big East Catholic schools. I think if they want to get to twelve, the first five on this list would make for a great 12 team basketball conference.

Xavier is a Catholic University so thats a good fit. Gonzaga and St. Mary's are as well
Dayton and St. Louis would fit in nicely with Depaul as Midwestern schools
and Butler and VCU are fast rising basketball programs with recent final four showings.

Aren't Gonzaga and St. Mary's west coast schools?  I don't see them being good fits.  I bi-coastal conference without football money to cover travel isn't a good idea.

My biggest concern is that if these 7 schools broke away from the Big East it would be a perfect spot for Notre Dame to put all of its sports while maintaining football independence.

kona1 wrote: Wonder how Charlotte is going to fit in this?  They are currently in the Atl 10 for Basketball and were set to go to Conference USA in a couple years for football.

They will be C-USA in every sport.
I spoke to their track coach Saturday and he confirmed this.

Daniel33 wrote:

dunlow66 wrote: Xavier, Butler, VCU, Dayton, St. Louis, Gonzaga and St. Mary's all among targets to join the former Big East Catholic schools. I think if they want to get to twelve, the first five on this list would make for a great 12 team basketball conference.

Xavier is a Catholic University so thats a good fit. Gonzaga and St. Mary's are as well
Dayton and St. Louis would fit in nicely with Depaul as Midwestern schools
and Butler and VCU are fast rising basketball programs with recent final four showings.

Aren't Gonzaga and St. Mary's west coast schools?  I don't see them being good fits.  I bi-coastal conference without football money to cover travel isn't a good idea.

My biggest concern is that if these 7 schools broke away from the Big East it would be a perfect spot for Notre Dame to put all of its sports while maintaining football independence.

I agree on the west coast schools, but I have seen them mentioned. They are the best Catholic Universities in basketball terms outside the Big East, Xavier, and Notre Dame. I think that would be their only connection.

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

You know, the ACC has passed over UConn three times now.  Sort of like another school that got passed over 3 times before getting invited to a conference. Look at how it has potentially affected that conference now.

Ever consider what inviting UConn to the ACC might do or make other current members consider doing?

PiedmontPirate1 wrote:

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

You know, the ACC has passed over UConn three times now.  Sort of like another school that got passed over 3 times before getting invited to a conference. Look at how it has potentially affected that conference now.

Ever consider what inviting UConn to the ACC might do or make other current members consider doing?

Leave

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

I had the same thought. Is there any way that conference can house ND's olympic sports?

And I'd almost expect the ACC to grab Cinci before UConn. Better market for an ACC Network (get off your *** on that already, Swoff), better football, and they didn't sue us. But if ND does end up bolting, we probably pick them both up. And then we start looking around at fellow conference members and see who begins flirting with the B1G and SEC.  That will have to happen next, as nobody is going to that horrid Big12 without serious defections.

Why on earth would ND terminate their relationship with the ACC? That is ridiculous.

Would you really care if BC leaves? They can leave their $50M on the nightsand on their way out...
---------------------------------------------
--- PiedmontPirate1 wrote:

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

You know, the ACC has passed over UConn three times now.  Sort of like another school that got passed over 3 times before getting invited to a conference. Look at how it has potentially affected that conference now.

Ever consider what inviting UConn to the ACC might do or make other current members consider doing?

---------------------------------------------

dunlow66 wrote: Xavier, Butler, VCU, Dayton, St. Louis, Gonzaga and St. Mary's all among targets to join the former Big East Catholic schools. I think if they want to get to twelve, the first five on this list would make for a great 12 team basketball conference.

Xavier is a Catholic University so thats a good fit. Gonzaga and St. Mary's are as well
Dayton and St. Louis would fit in nicely with Depaul as Midwestern schools
and Butler and VCU are fast rising basketball programs with recent final four showings.

Dayton and St. Louis are also Catholic schools with SLU being a jesuit university.

---------------------------------------------
--- YouPeople wrote:

Why on earth would ND terminate their relationship with the ACC? That is ridiculous.

---------------------------------------------

Yes, it is. Notre Dame doesn't want their Olympic sports to compete in a conference with just Catholic schools. Although some teams from those schools are nationally relevant (Gtown soccer, etc...), the majority of teams are not competitive enough for Notre Dame athletics outside of basketball. Don't even think it would be discussed by Notre Dame.

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

Most folks think two have go go away, leaving 4 super conferences, so still one more needs to go...

SEC
B1G
Pac-10
BigXII
ACC

wrcwolf wrote:

---------------------------------------------
--- YouPeople wrote:

Why on earth would ND terminate their relationship with the ACC? That is ridiculous.

---------------------------------------------

Yes, it is. Notre Dame doesn't want their Olympic sports to compete in a conference with just Catholic schools. Although some teams from those schools are nationally relevant (Gtown soccer, etc...), the majority of teams are not competitive enough for Notre Dame athletics outside of basketball. Don't even think it would be discussed by Notre Dame.

If anything this gives the ACC more leverage to force a full time membership from ND

MattNicholson wrote:
Would you really care if BC leaves? They can leave their $50M on the nightsand on their way out...
---------------------------------------------
--- PiedmontPirate1 wrote:

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

You know, the ACC has passed over UConn three times now.  Sort of like another school that got passed over 3 times before getting invited to a conference. Look at how it has potentially affected that conference now.

Ever consider what inviting UConn to the ACC might do or make other current members consider doing?

---------------------------------------------

Matt, BC is the only school to PUBLICALLY say it is against UConn.  There are others just as opposed.  Why would anyone think that UConn would ever gets VT's or Miami's vote?    Why would FSU, Clemson and GT vote for UConn.  It will take 12 of 15 votes to add the next school, unless a school is added before Pitt/Syracuse/Louisville and ND official are able to vote. 

The only school left in the Big East with an ACC chance is Cincinatti, but there is not a lot of incentive for the ACC to add Cincy.  Only adding Texas makes more money for the ACC.  Only adding Navy, if ND will go full-time in exchange for Navy makes the ACC more money. 

UConn is WAY, WAY, way down the ACC addition list.

lumberpack3 wrote:

MattNicholson wrote:
Would you really care if BC leaves? They can leave their $50M on the nightsand on their way out...
---------------------------------------------
--- PiedmontPirate1 wrote:

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

You know, the ACC has passed over UConn three times now.  Sort of like another school that got passed over 3 times before getting invited to a conference. Look at how it has potentially affected that conference now.

Ever consider what inviting UConn to the ACC might do or make other current members consider doing?

---------------------------------------------

Matt, BC is the only school to PUBLICALLY say it is against UConn.  There are others just as opposed.  Why would anyone think that UConn would ever gets VT's or Miami's vote?    Why would FSU, Clemson and GT vote for UConn.  It will take 12 of 15 votes to add the next school, unless a school is added before Pitt/Syracuse/Louisville and ND official are able to vote. 

The only school left in the Big East with an ACC chance is Cincinatti, but there is not a lot of incentive for the ACC to add Cincy.  Only adding Texas makes more money for the ACC.  Only adding Navy, if ND will go full-time in exchange for Navy makes the ACC more money. 

UConn is WAY, WAY, way down the ACC addition list.

LOL, I would ALMOST say ECU will get in before UConn.

StateFan03 wrote:

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

Most folks think two have go go away, leaving 4 super conferences, so still one more needs to go...

SEC
B1G
Pac-10
BigXII
ACC

The Pac 12 is not expanding unless it expands with Texas.  The Pac 12 will not add schools that don't pass the Stanford smell test.  They almost gagged on Utah and Utah is not a bad school at all. 

The least stable of the five above is the Big 12 because they are totally dependent on the good graces of Texas to remain a major conference.  If Texas decides to leave, they will pay off the value of the GOR and go.  Texas can go by itself or take OU or Kansas with it to any conference.  Once you go past those two, the other teams don't add much and OU is tied to OSU and KU is tied to KState.

StateFan03 wrote:

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

Most folks think two have go go away, leaving 4 super conferences, so still one more needs to go...

SEC
B1G
Pac-10
BigXII
ACC

My gut says it would be the BigXII before us.

Treyvon wrote:

StateFan03 wrote:

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

Most folks think two have go go away, leaving 4 super conferences, so still one more needs to go...

SEC
B1G
Pac-10
BigXII
ACC

My gut says it would be the BigXII before us.

You are correct.  Texas can always join the ACC as Notre Dame did - part time.  If Texas joined like that, I can see the ACC adding Kansas as the 18th member, but the 16th full time. 

Texas will not join the SEC.  They don't get along with the Big 10.  I'm not certain they get along with Stanford.  They do get along with ND.

If that happens the Pac 12 will never expand past 12 - only Texas can cause a Pac 12 expansion.  That means the Big 10 and SEC will then have UConn, Cincinatti, OU, OSU, Kansas State, Baylor, TT, West Va and Iowa State to pick from.

lumberpack3 wrote:

Treyvon wrote:

StateFan03 wrote:

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

Most folks think two have go go away, leaving 4 super conferences, so still one more needs to go...

SEC
B1G
Pac-10
BigXII
ACC

My gut says it would be the BigXII before us.

You are correct.  Texas can always join the ACC as Notre did - part time.  If Texas joined like that, I can see the ACC adding Kansas as the 18th member, but the 16th full time. 

Texas will not join the SEC.  They don't get along with the Big 10.  I'm not certain they get along with Stanford.  They do get along with ND.

I really think we sealed the fate of the BigXII when we got ND (even as a partial in FB).

lumberpack3 wrote:

Treyvon wrote:

StateFan03 wrote:

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

Most folks think two have go go away, leaving 4 super conferences, so still one more needs to go...

SEC
B1G
Pac-10
BigXII
ACC

My gut says it would be the BigXII before us.

You are correct.  Texas can always join the ACC as Notre did - part time.  If Texas joined like that, I can see the ACC adding Kansas as the 18th member, but the 16th full time. 

Texas will not join the SEC.  They don't get along with the Big 10.  I'm not certain they get along with Stanford.  They do get along with ND.

But what about the constant "rumblings" you hear about FSU (and maybe Clemson) joining the Big 12?  Seems like a lot of smoke there.....

Trout1 wrote:

lumberpack3 wrote:

Treyvon wrote:

StateFan03 wrote:

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

Most folks think two have go go away, leaving 4 super conferences, so still one more needs to go...

SEC
B1G
Pac-10
BigXII
ACC

My gut says it would be the BigXII before us.

You are correct.  Texas can always join the ACC as Notre did - part time.  If Texas joined like that, I can see the ACC adding Kansas as the 18th member, but the 16th full time. 

Texas will not join the SEC.  They don't get along with the Big 10.  I'm not certain they get along with Stanford.  They do get along with ND.

But what about the constant "rumblings" you hear about FSU (and maybe Clemson) joining the Big 12?  Seems like a lot of smoke there.....

Trout, all of that comes from West Virgina - a concerted effort for revenge against the ACC.  Yes, FSU would leave the ACC for the SEC.  However the SEC does not want them and getting the votes would be tough - Florida, Auburn and Georgia would oppose.  I think FSU's only way into the SEC is after a combination of weird happenings, and FSU would need a western partner and the only partner that could be is Oklahoma. 

The powers that be at Clemson don't want the Big 12 at all and don't want the SEC.  They want to dominate a football oriented ACC.  They are getting more of their way now than they have in years.

A lot was made of the GOR by West Virginia folks, but the GOR is just another exit fee - basically a prenup agreement on a marriage.  The GOR actually causes an exiting school to pay its value to the rest of the league unlike the ACC exit fee that treats everyone the same. 

The GOR winds down over 13 years.  In the first year, Texas would need around $150,000,000 at least to pay off the Big 12, by year 13 that amount will have fallen by 12/13ths or so.  Iowa State would owe only the value of it's remaining TV rights so they owe much less.  Since Texas has more money than God, Texas can walk whenever it calls up its attorneys.

I really don't see why.  Take the champion from each with three wildcard teams to be selected by fans in an online mascot voting competition.

StateFan03 wrote:

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

Most folks think two have go go away, leaving 4 super conferences, so still one more needs to go...

SEC
B1G
Pac-10
BigXII
ACC

You are correct. Texas can always join the ACC as Notre did - part time. If Texas joined like that, I can see the ACC adding Kansas as the 18th member, but the 16th full time

_____________

I assumed the entire point was to have 4x16 team conferences. So this "partial" membership still leaves murkiness if it ever comes to the point of the "mega" conferences forming. Which would then likely lead to it branching off. Now the part that I kinda laugh at, is if it branches off, what does it do for the other sports? So would it be for all sports, or just football? So would then ECU, Cent. Michigan, Akron finally have the backbone to say no to an "mega" school if it wanted a baseball/basketball/women's bball game with a Texas/UNC/Ohio State!?!?

lumberpack3 wrote:

Trout1 wrote:

lumberpack3 wrote:

Treyvon wrote:

StateFan03 wrote:

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

Most folks think two have go go away, leaving 4 super conferences, so still one more needs to go...

SEC
B1G
Pac-10
BigXII
ACC

My gut says it would be the BigXII before us.

You are correct.  Texas can always join the ACC as Notre did - part time.  If Texas joined like that, I can see the ACC adding Kansas as the 18th member, but the 16th full time. 

Texas will not join the SEC.  They don't get along with the Big 10.  I'm not certain they get along with Stanford.  They do get along with ND.

But what about the constant "rumblings" you hear about FSU (and maybe Clemson) joining the Big 12?  Seems like a lot of smoke there.....

Trout, all of that comes from West Virgina - a concerted effort for revenge against the ACC.  Yes, FSU would leave the ACC for the SEC.  However the SEC does not want them and getting the votes would be tough - Florida, Auburn and Georgia would oppose.  I think FSU's only way into the SEC is after a combination of weird happenings, and FSU would need a western partner and the only partner that could be is Oklahoma. 

The powers that be at Clemson don't want the Big 12 at all and don't want the SEC.  They want to dominate a football oriented ACC.  They are getting more of their way now than they have in years.

A lot was made of the GOR by West Virginia folks, but the GOR is just another exit fee - basically a prenup agreement on a marriage.  The GOR actually causes an exiting school to pay its value to the rest of the league unlike the ACC exit fee that treats everyone the same. 

The GOR winds down over 13 years.  In the first year, Texas would need around $150,000,000 at least to pay off the Big 12, by year 13 that amount will have fallen by 12/13ths or so.  Iowa State would owe only the value of it's remaining TV rights so they owe much less.  Since Texas has more money than God, Texas can walk whenever it calls up its attorneys.

Absolutely correct.

I'm thinking we grab Cincy and UConn after the league dissolves.

wrcwolf wrote: Thamel breaks it down well here:


The way the NCAA pays teams for reaching the NCAA tournament is extremely complicated. Teams aren't given a single, fat check for reaching and advancing in the NCAAs. Instead they are given units for making the NCAA tournament and more for advancing. The value of each unit is approximately $245,000, which is paid to the league over six years.

Units are a huge financial piece in the value of a basketball league. In the Big East's 2011-12 fiscal year, it received $27.3 million in NCAA tournament units (113 earned over previous six years at $242,000). In 2012-13, the league will receive even more -- $28.7 million thanks to 117 units over six years.

"The interesting point is that people focus on the TV dollars," said a Big East official. "Currently our unit dollars as a revenue stream exceed our TV revenue for basketball schools. We generate more dollars from NCAA participation."
A key financial issue here is that the units of schools like Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Louisville, West Virginia and Notre Dame are still going to go into the Big East coffers after those schools left for other conferences. (Rutgers never reached an NCAA tournament in its entire Big East tenure.) Those units are a significant amount of money annually. One of the biggest legal issues to be fought out will be what happens to the league's units? And can the breakaway schools take their units with them?

IF the Big East exists in a disparate form with UConn, Cincinnati, USF, UCF, Memphis, Houston, SMU, Tulane and others, will it get to keep all the unit money?

There's also a pile of money in exit fees, as there's an estimated $70 million due to the league. Could the unit revenue and exit fee money be enough to keep the Big East together?


Read More: sportsillustrated.cnn.com/news.../#ixzz2ExApYzjP

As someone who attended one the "Catholic 7" schools for graduate school, I've often floated this very idea of "Catholic basketball league" in various conference realignment threads. To me, it just made too much sense, and it was destined to happen eventually. When the Big East had Pitt, Cuse, Rutgers, and ND + UConn and the Catholic 7, it worked even with the added CUSA schools because there was a lot of history between those core Big East schools, enough that the Catholic 7 could put up with the CUSA additions. Now, the only "Big East" school that's left (other than the Catholic 7) is UConn. The Catholic 7 have sat back and watched what was a great basketball league be decimated over football, something they have absolutely no control over, and they finally had enough.

Thamel's article is very informative as to the issues facing the Big East. Ultimately, I think this break up will happen. The Catholic 7 will form the core of a new basketball only conference, sort of a super A-10 (IMO, the best of the non-football basketball leagues). There is just more value in the Catholic 7 finding some similar like-minded schools and forming a basketball league focused on their own interests. The financial value will be important, and perhaps more than they will get if they stay in the hodge-podge version of the Big East. But more important is that the Catholic 7 will no longer be controlled by a sport they have very little to do with (G'Town and Nova do play it at the FCS level).

Best guess? The only thing holding up a Big East dissolution is the status of Temple's vote. If it dissolves, I would think that while the remaining Big East schools would raise a stink, the Catholic 7 would hold the upper hand in the negotiations of how to divide up the Big East's assets (including the name and tournament). A Big East without G'Town, St. John's, Villanova, Seton Hall, and Providence really isn't the Big East. Even if the Catholic 7 loses out on the name and the tournament, I'm sure they could form a new league and that the Barclays Center would welcome them with open arms for their tournament. That tournament would very likely outdraw the "Big East" at MSG from the get-go.

ncstate00 wrote: I'm thinking we grab Cincy and UConn after the league dissolves.

I'm thinking we don't, because we dont need to add them, and they dont really add much value.

Treyvon wrote:

StateFan03 wrote:

MattNicholson wrote: That should just about dissolve the Big Least. I expect ND to back out of their commitment and that should open the door for UCONN to be a full member. This honestly likely saves the ACC. One of us (ACC, Big Least, Big12) had to go away...

Most folks think two have go go away, leaving 4 super conferences, so still one more needs to go...

SEC
B1G
Pac-10
BigXII
ACC

My gut says it would be the BigXII before us.

I agree, especially if Oklahoma gets invited to the SEC or B1G and Texas goes to the Pac10

Blaud's says it's a done deal. Only thing left to do is figure out how to go about dividing the assets.

www.usatoday.com/story/sports/...chools/1767387/

Fuquay, agree that the Catholic 7 should do what best suits them, however, let's not get romantic about it. Face it, if the TV money was going to be $100 million/yr, the Catholic 7 would have held their nose and been fine with playing UCF, Houston, Tulane and hell, even ECU. They've had the ability to move for decades now and held on because the money disparity was too great. Same with the football schools in that conference, btw.

Besides the appearnt lack of interest in their new TV contract, which somewhat surprises me, the biggest blow to the Big East and the Catholic 7 was losing Syracuse. They and G'town were the bedrock in which the league was formed.

The conference was built for TV (ESPN) and in the end was broken up by TV (I'm going out on a limb and say ESPN here, too).

The conference was built for TV (ESPN) and in the end was broken up by TV (I'm going out on a limb and say ESPN here, too).

___________

I'm seriously wondering when we (the colleges) are just going to bow to ESPN, get in a straight line and just wait to be picked like we did for team dodgeball. And just hope you arent the last kid that always is talked about being put on each team, "we are good, you can have him...no, you take him".

It's just kinda get to the point it's funny what all this is becoming, and what it's all about.

ETA:  And yet if a player gets taken out to dinner or gets some "extra" shirts, that's an violation.  Ahhh, yes, you gotta love what all this is about.

In a way this signifies just how bad large conferences can be.

Catholic basketball conference?   I wonder if they'll all wear matching plaid uniforms?

wrcwolf wrote: 

The conference was built for TV (ESPN) and in the end was broken up by TV (I'm going out on a limb and say ESPN here, too).

Good pinpoint summary

I've always thought it'll be weird if there actually are 14-16 teams and you play an "conference" opponent as often as you do an out of conference team.  Take NCSU and ECU.  We have "regular" scheduled games with them what about what 5-6 times out of 10 years.  To think we'll play a team like that more than other "conference" opponents just doesnt make much sense to me. 

crusherl wrote: In a way this signifies just how bad large conferences can be.

Louisville's the one that got away (from the Big 12) but if you've got OU and Texas you've got a conference.

"With the SEC at 14 schools, and the ACC and Big Ten headed to 14, there is a natural inclination that the Big 12 must follow suit. But why? The others expanded for economic reasons — the Big Ten Network, a possible SEC Network, expansion of the ACC brand into the Northeast besides Boston.

But the Big 12 discovered the opposite. The Big 12 reached financial windfall by decreasing the number of teams. There are multiple ways to appeal to networks. One is bigger and more markets. The other is brands. The Big 12 learned that it had a brand. That Texas and Oklahoma sell in a lot of places, and to a lesser extent the same is true of the likes of West Virginia. What we sort of knew three years ago we know for sure now — if you’ve got the Sooners and the Longhorns, you’ve got a conference. Same as if you had Alabama and Florida. Or Michigan and Ohio State."




http://newsok.com/louisville-i...article/3733191

I know this is a pipe dream, but would an upstart cable network, NBCSports for example, ante up and offer some big money for the ACC rights for football/basketball with the addition of Notre Dame. And if so, would we be able to back out of the ESPN contract?