Topic: So the Wheel is officially turning on B-Ball only conference...

[shilolg]

(from CBSSPORTSLINE.COM)
Faced with an uncertain future and the reality that the Big East's next television deal won't be as lucrative as it once projected, officials from the Big East's seven non-football members met in New York within the past 48 hours and discussed, among other things, the possibility of breaking away from the Big East's football-playing members, a source confirmed to CBSSports.com.

The meeting was first reported by Mark Blaudschun.

SI.com's Pete Thamel is reporting that Big East commissioner Mike Aresco attended.

This development comes less than a week after CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd reported that the Big East's next TV deal could be worth as little as $60 million annually, meaning the league's seven non-football members -- Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova and DePaul -- will make a fraction of what they figured to make before Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Rutgers and Louisville announced within the past 15 months that they're leaving the Big East. Considering TV revenue has long been viewed as the only tangible reason for the non-football members to remain affiliated with the football-playing members, last week's report combined with the possibility of additional changes has the non-football members now exploring other options. One possibility, a source said, is the non-football members forming a basketball-only league and perhaps inviting other relevant basketball schools without FBS-level football programs to join them -- schools like Butler, VCU, Xavier, Saint Louis, Dayton, George Mason and Creighton.

How much TV revenue could a league like that generate?

The answer is unclear.

But it probably wouldn't be significantly less than the roughly $1 million per year Dodd's report suggests the non-football members might get from the deal Aresco is currently trying to negotiate, and, just as important, a new basketball-only league wouldn't force schools like Georgetown and Marquette to water-down their schedules and blow their budgets playing against and traveling to schools like Tulane and Houston. In the end, that's what the non-football members must decide -- whether a few hundred-thousand dollars per year from a TV contract is worth them remaining part of a league they no longer recognize. A source said a decision, one way or another, is expected before July 1, i.e., the date Memphis, Houston, UCF and SMU are scheduled to join the Big East as all-sports members.

[ZackUSAF82]

More on this from ESPN:

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8735330/big-east-direction-concerns-conference-catholic-schools-sources-say

[W0lfman]

well if you're a tulane or ecu fan those comments sting.  Fallen off the ledge if ecu basketball had been admitted.

[ZackUSAF82]

Smock says he has his popcorn popped for this one...lol

http://blogs.wvgazette.com/dougsmock/2012/12/11/ok-so-basketballs-not-important-right/

[IM4DHERD]

The Big East is like a reality show.  No one knows what will happen next and whenever something does happen, the whole country goes "Whoaaa!".

[Huffnagel]

Marshall needs the split to happen!

[herdfan429]

Marshall needs the split to happen!

Its not going to matter because the bcs schools will form 4 16 team conf and split off.  We will still be left out in the cold.

[jt]

I agree with Huff. It has to be good for Marshall -- no matter what else happens -- for the Big East BB schools to split off. We should then have some nice natural rivals to play against in a conference without so much travel.

And then comes the no-brainer. We just have to field winning teams.

[kyherd05]

We have subpar facilities, and programs. There is no scenario where we 'move up' into a BCS conference. None. It doesn't matter who moves where. We are not going anywhere.

[wasbarryb]

Its not going to matter because the bcs schools will form 4 16 team conf and split off.  We will still be left out in the cold.

I think those who see the bball schools breaking away from the BE are looking at it as a chance to be united in a conference with more regional schools, than as an opportunity to enter a BCS level conference.

If the biggest schools do settle into four 16 team conferences I think we’ll enter into several years of relative stability as far as conference alignments. Our goal for the immediate future should be to settle into a conference at the first tier below the four superconferences and to be competitive in that conference.

[FlyHawk98]

I'm with wasbarryb... I don't think anyone excepts us to land in a BCS conference due to the split, but I do think most people see it as an opportunity to POSSIBLY end up in a new conference made of of the CUSA East schools who left us, plus whoever they decide to invite.

[00mag12gaVa]

I agree with Huff. It has to be good for Marshall -- no matter what else happens -- for the Big East BB schools to split off. We should then have some nice natural rivals to play against in a conference without so much travel.

And then comes the no-brainer. We just have to field winning teams.

I agree 110%.....We need just that,winning programs...as a winner, we are like a "butterface",(apologies ladies ;D) A great body but......Our facilities are just ugly in the eyes the beholders.

[Sam-I-am]

Our goal for the immediate future should be to settle into a conference at the first tier below the four superconferences and to be competitive in that conference.

+1.  All conferences outside of the "big 4" will be bad, but there will still be a pecking order of the leftovers.  #5 is the best place to be.  If the MWC nabs Houston, Tulsa, SMU, UTEP, Boise, and SDSU, they'll be #5 regardless of what conference is formed on the east coast.  The MWC is now a threat to the east coast schools unless a merger is able to take place. 

[cincyherd]

Sounds like Cincinnati and UCONN may still be in play.  They may have "POed" the ACC.  My position has been that being in a conference with Cincinnati is probably our best case scenario (but not the most likely scenario).

GoHerd!!!