Topic: BE Bball Catholics to leave, per ESPN

[ThunderDent]

‏@McMurphyESPN
BIg East hoops schools expected to release statement on future plans in coming days. Source told @espn would be an "upset" if they remained

[cincyherd]

link

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8742607/seven-catholic-schools-leaning-leaving-big-east-sources-say

[cincyherd]

Reading between the lines again, espn is really covering these BE breakup rumors.  Could they now be for the breakup?

[miltonherdfan]

Reading between the lines again, espn is really covering these BE breakup rumors.  Could they now be for the breakup?

i guarantee you they are!  imagine the wks & months of new stories they'd have if the BE implodes.  chaos like this = more readers/viewers for them.

[svherd]

ESPN HQ is only a 30 minute drive to UConns campus. They love BE basketball and why shouldn't they. ESPN controls a vast majority of NCAA basketball coverage anyway. I doubt they are losing sleep over this.

I hope the BE b'ball schools break away. Boise will then look to the MWC and try to start an effort to strengthen that league (which would likely mean Tulsa, UTEP would get an invite to the MWC); OR they may try for the PAC 12, but I think thats a stretch - academically its not a good fit.

If thatsceneri plays out, the BE is toast and will scramble to stay afloat by adding a few more schools - basically becoming CUSA Part II.

[herdman]

That is Marshall's best hope. Big East splits up. New league is formed with schools like ECU, UCF, etc. and we get invited and get out of the new CUSA.

[ThunderDent]

Hopefully Hamrick has a feel for and is connected to the other ADs in this developing situation. And Kopp is playing an active roll with other Presidents.

If there is a new conference formed, we need to be at that airport meeting.

[Buffalo Bop]

If the basketball schools split and dissolve the league, then there's no BE. At that time, I'd look for Boise and San Diego St to go back to MVC. The other C-USA schools probably have a provision in their contracts to return to C-USA, if the TV revenue isn't sufficient. And it's estimated to be a 15-20 percent drop in TV revenue, if those Catholic schools split.

The imminent splitting of the basketball Catholic schools is the final straw for the BE.

[iherdya]

If the basketball schools split and dissolve the league, then there's no BE. At that time, I'd look for Boise and San Diego St to go back to MVC. The other C-USA schools probably have a provision in their contracts to return to C-USA, if the TV revenue isn't sufficient. And it's estimated to be a 15-20 percent drop in TV revenue, if those Catholic schools split.

The imminent splitting of the basketball Catholic schools is the final straw for the BE.

No way tv revenue will drop that much. The last few years BE football teams received about $3.5m/year for football rights, whereas the basketball schools received just over $1m. There's just very, very little money in college basketball when compared to football. The real reason their tv money will be less is the Big East being left out of the big boys table, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, etc leaving the conference, etc.

[Buffalo Bop]

No way tv revenue will drop that much. The last few years BE football teams received about $3.5m/year for football rights, whereas the basketball schools received just over $1m. There's just very, very little money in college basketball when compared to football. The real reason their tv money will be less is the Big East being left out of the big boys table, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, etc leaving the conference, etc.

If the Big East lost the seven Catholic basketball schools, it would decrease the value of the league's media rights by "15 to 20 percent," an industry source said.

I'm referencing the figures in the article.

[iherdya]

I'm referencing the figures in the article.

My bad.

Truthfully, the BE TV offer, is what all of the non-big 5 should expect, we're going to get table scraps while the B10, P12, B12, SEC, and ACC get $25m a year or more.

[FlyHawk98]

That is Marshall's best hope. Big East splits up. New league is formed with schools like ECU, UCF, etc. and we get invited and get out of the new CUSA.

Cincy
USF
UCF
Temple
Memphis
ECU
So Miss
Tulane
Marshall
Old Dominion
Charlotte
La Tech

Looks MUCH better than what we currently have.

[whf]

I think the ESPN crew wants the BE to split up so they can further reduce the expense of the new contact bids.  They'd love to have a 20 team basketball league playing every night of the week; candidly, so would I. It would be great to watch.

[phillyherdfan]

I think the ESPN crew wants the BE to split up so they can further reduce the expense of the new contact bids.  They'd love to have a 20 team basketball league playing every night of the week; candidly, so would I. It would be great to watch.

i also think they know a new all sports league (which they have a hand in creating), similar to what Flyhawk posted, is much better than what they have now in the Big East and what they expect in the future (Boise and SDSU backing out).  Obviously, they don't have CUSA currently.  This way they have the potential to hurt their competition (FOX and CBS) when CUSA is greatly watered down, while potentially getting a new, hot conference that they help create.

I absolutely think they are (at least somewhat) behind this.

[ThunderDent]

http://m.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/big_east_basketball_only_schools_c2PMii2vTg8twF80US3G6H

It will be official today.

[Peter Griffin]

ESPN may want to see the BE destroyed because the BE told them to go pound sand during the last contract, so might be some bitter grapes, but can't argue with the other thoughts though.

[cincyherd]

Even with the BE splitting up, the water is still muddy with the potential raid on the
ACC by the B12.  B12 needs to get it over with so the mid-majors can divide up.

[ThunderDent]

If we see an Eastern only conference (assuming SMU, Houston, Tulsa, UTEP join Boise and SDSU in the MWC....

And for now, lets keep UConn and Cincy in the fold...

I'd love to see this set up. Perfect for travel partners.

UConn/Temple
Cincy/Marshall
Old Dominion/ECU
Navy/Army
Tulane/Southern Miss
USF/UCF
Memphis/????

Just a dream,  I know.

Maybe if there is no Army/Navy, we see a big nationwide cofetence with 2 ten team divisions, with no cross over play until the championship game, and some for bball.

New Mexico, UNLV, etc.....

[Herdmeister]

If we see an Eastern only conference (assuming SMU, Houston, Tulsa, UTEP join Boise and SDSU in the MWC....

And for now, lets keep UConn and Cincy in the fold...

I'd love to see this set up. Perfect for travel partners.

UConn/Temple
Cincy/Marshall
Old Dominion/ECU
Navy/Army
Tulane/Southern Miss
USF/UCF
Memphis/????

Just a dream,  I know.

Maybe if there is no Army/Navy, we see a big nationwide cofetence with 2 ten team divisions, with no cross over play until the championship game, and some for bball.

New Mexico, UNLV, etc.....

I doubt that Army/Nave will be in that mix. As logical travel partner for Memphis would be MTSU.