The New Big East

I have seen a lot on TV and Social Media about the New Big East and how we aren't drawing fans to MSG for the tournament and how the conference is a shadow of its former self. I hate to agree with that in some degree but I think this is simple evidence of that. I have several friends who all have bought tickets together to the Big East Championship for the last almost ten years. None of these friends went to current or former Big East schools they are just college basketball fans. They will not be purchasing tickets this year because they don't want to pay a large amount to watch a game they may feature Seton Hall/Providence vs. Xavier if Creighton goes down. My point is we have lost a good amount of the casual fans for both some of our home games at MSG and especially the conference tournament. This thread is more about how we get those fans back. I think the only way we do this is if Gtown, Nova, SJU, Marquette, Xavier, Creighton and Providence are borderline top 25 programs year in and year out. Right now the only teams we have that have national appeal are Gtown who had a down year, Villanova who was eliminated early and Creighton. But will Creighton have that same manstream appeal without Doug? What do you guys think the conference and its member have to over the next 3, 5, or 10 years to make this a huge event again. Do we just need to build rivalries? add more teams? market our teams better? hope the FS1 grows in popularity so more people watch the games? Interesting debate, thanks guys.

I went yesterday day. Very good crowd. More providence fans . Wish I would have taken the day off. It was a good time

https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/444480153511809024

@AdamZagoria
Jay Bilas to @SNYtv: "The Big East doesn't exist anymore. I know there's a name out there, but the Big East doesn't exist."

https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/444480153511809024

@AdamZagoria
Jay Bilas to @SNYtv: "The Big East doesn't exist anymore. I know there's a name out there, but the Big East doesn't exist."

Moose this is exactly what I am referring to. To be fair his quote was longer and he said we have to make our own identity etc but this is the stuff people are saying about this conference.

There are things they can do to make it more appealing than it is this year, but it will  never be the big event it was.    You can't take the largest programs in the north east out of the conference and expect it to not lose a level of significance.

With that said, I don't care.  Better crowds would be nice.  But  I just want to see SJU do well, and to a lesser extent some of the other schools.   
The A-10 blows, but Xavier fans have had it pretty good over the last 10-15 years.   I would sign up for that in a second.

I hope Creighton and McDermott lay some people out in the tournament.  That kid is the goods.  Would love to see them make a FF run

Is anyone here going to the semis tonight?

Is anyone here going to the semis tonight?

No.  Was really looking forward to tonight.  I need some time off.  After today I'm taking a nice break.

Is anyone here going to the semis tonight?

yes. not necessarily looking forward to it, but creighton/xavier is an appealing matchup.  the tournament definitely lost a lot of juice with both nova and sju losing on that side of the bracket.  Either of those teams against any of xavier/creighton/gtown would have made for a good final.

I guess my hope now is that seton hall wins -- that team playing for a tourney berth against creighton would actually be a pretty good story line

I agree.  Seton Hall is the team to root for now.   I just hope the crowd is good and the games are close.   

It'll never be the same.  I remember going to the games in the late 80s and early 90s and how me and my brother would run downstairs to pickup all of those orange balloons.  The great teams and heated rivalries.  The 8-9 games that would still have future NBAers on their teams.  (Loved Dana Barros)  Also, players would stay 4 years and that is where all of the excitement would stem from.  The landscape has changed in all of CBB.

That being said there is absolutely no reason to think that this conference won't be good.  People need to chill.  It was the first year of the conference.  Look at the recruiting rankings for next season.

G-Town - 7th
Hall - 10th
Xavier - 18th
Marq - 19th
Prov - 27th
Nova - 35th

Lavin says we will be good next year as well.  The Big East is still recruiting and will still be a very good conference.

Chill out Jay...

I think SJU/Nova and Xavier/Creighton would have been a big bill for the Big East. I know I was going to go tonight if SJU made it no matter what but I think there would have been a ton of interest in that.

I think they need two more teams. There is just way too much parity in a 10 team league I feel like.

It will be a while before the Big East becomes the best basketball conference in the country.  However, give the current condition of Saint John's basketball, it is an appropriate conference to be in.  Let's hope Val and the basketball coaches can improve the conference a little bit each year. 

It sounds like Adam Zagoria who made his living covering the old Big East is not willing to support the new conference.  I guess he going to make more money writing about Rutgers in the Big 10.  Can't wait to read those articles.

Personally I think the Big East has been getting a raw deal all season, and most of it stems from ESPN. The basketball has been good, there are no easy outs. Hopefully we can prove it the next few weeks. I'll be rooting for every Big East Team.

Personally I think the Big East has been getting a raw deal all season, and most of it stems from ESPN. The basketball has been good, there are no easy outs. Hopefully we can prove it the next few weeks. I'll be rooting for every Big East Team.

ESPN's college basketball coverage is exceptional. Fox Sports is a joke. We've got 9 more years of their garbage coverage.

Quote from: SJUhoopNUT on March 14, 2014, 05:23:38 PM

Personally I think the Big East has been getting a raw deal all season, and most of it stems from ESPN. The basketball has been good, there are no easy outs. Hopefully we can prove it the next few weeks. I'll be rooting for every Big East Team.

ESPN's college basketball coverage is exceptional. Fox Sports is a joke. We've got 9 more years of their garbage coverage.

I actually prefer FS1's game coverage. Their everything else coverage leaves much to be desired.

Quote from: Poison on March 14, 2014, 06:01:36 PM

Quote from: SJUhoopNUT on March 14, 2014, 05:23:38 PM

Personally I think the Big East has been getting a raw deal all season, and most of it stems from ESPN. The basketball has been good, there are no easy outs. Hopefully we can prove it the next few weeks. I'll be rooting for every Big East Team.

ESPN's college basketball coverage is exceptional. Fox Sports is a joke. We've got 9 more years of their garbage coverage.

I actually prefer FS1's game coverage. Their everything else coverage leaves much to be desired.

There is no anything else. They are 1987.

Quote from: HowCouldUBeSoHarkless on March 14, 2014, 06:26:05 PM

Quote from: Poison on March 14, 2014, 06:01:36 PM

Quote from: SJUhoopNUT on March 14, 2014, 05:23:38 PM

Personally I think the Big East has been getting a raw deal all season, and most of it stems from ESPN. The basketball has been good, there are no easy outs. Hopefully we can prove it the next few weeks. I'll be rooting for every Big East Team.

ESPN's college basketball coverage is exceptional. Fox Sports is a joke. We've got 9 more years of their garbage coverage.

I actually prefer FS1's game coverage. Their everything else coverage leaves much to be desired.

There is no anything else. They are 1987.

They have like...a Nascar show.

Big East  is  awful. How will next year be any better?