Was the first year of the new Big East a success?

The failure of the Big East to get more teams in the conference is disappointing.  I suppose it speaks to the rapidly increasing media power of the Big 10.  Next year, the Big 10 will probably increase their participation rate at the expense of the ACC and the A10.  The Big 10's goal is to wipe the ACC's  media presence off the air waves.  Given the power of ESPN in the basketball tournament, it will be interesting to see how ESPN plays this.  From what I heard, Fox's TV ratings were pretty weak creating doubts as to whether their second sports network was viable.  To compound the disappointment, the Big East name disappears from the air waves as it is off the air until November.  Will anyone remember who the Big East is/was in two or three years.

Should the current member schools have all walked away from the Big East Conference?   Perhaps played with the AAC schools, with a few schools joining/remaining in the A-10? 

What are the restrictions on Member schools leaving the new Big East?  I wonder how many Big East ADs are discussing the continued membership in the Big East.  If they switch now, does it indicate joining the Big East was a 'stupid' move and thereby jeopardize their current position.  Hopefully,  their respective administrations conclude 'good try', but now we have to figure out a new course.

Just like last year, the Big East is fighting for survival.  During the summer and fall of 2013 there was talk of expansion.  I would be surprised if St. Louis was still interested...Richmond had a fine basketball season, though I don't remember which tournament they play in.  Their conference was weak, so I would reach out to them at 9 AM this morning.  As a temporary measure perhaps adding Uconn and Temple from the AAC would buy some time. 

It looks like another interesting off season...

The failure of the Big East to get more teams in the conference is disappointing.  I suppose it speaks to the rapidly increasing media power of the Big 10.  Next year, the Big 10 will probably increase their participation rate at the expense of the ACC and the A10.  The Big 10's goal is to wipe the ACC's  media presence off the air waves.  Given the power of ESPN in the basketball tournament, it will be interesting to see how ESPN plays this.  From what I heard, Fox's TV ratings were pretty weak creating doubts as to whether their second sports network was viable.  To compound the disappointment, the Big East name disappears from the air waves as it is off the air until November.  Will anyone remember who the Big East is/was in two or three years.

Should the current member schools have all walked away from the Big East Conference?   Perhaps played with the AAC schools, with a few schools joining/remaining in the A-10? 

What are the restrictions on Member schools leaving the new Big East?  I wonder how many Big East ADs are discussing the continued membership in the Big East.  If they switch now, does it indicate joining the Big East was a 'stupid' move and thereby jeopardize their current position.  Hopefully,  their respective administrations conclude 'good try', but now we have to figure out a new course.

Just like last year, the Big East is fighting for survival.  During the summer and fall of 2013 there was talk of expansion.  I would be surprised if St. Louis was still interested...Richmond had a fine basketball season, though I don't remember which tournament they play in.  Their conference was weak, so I would reach out to them at 9 AM this morning.  As a temporary measure perhaps adding Uconn and Temple from the AAC would buy some time. 

It looks like another interesting off season...

These are excellent points.  Anyone who follows college hoops realizes that the Big East conference in its initial year was anything but a smashing success.  The supporters will tell you that the competitive nature of the conference shows what a great conference it is, that it was the 4th rated conference in something etc.  However, where it counts the most, with the selection committee the Big East was a minimal show, especially in light of perceived lesser conferences getting more bids.  As I have stated before, when in the past can you remember a team finishing third in the Big East and not getting a bid?

Where many would say that a competitive and exciting Big East tourney, with a Providence type team winning is good for the conference, others would point out that the marquee teams may not have been that good to begin with, and in sports and TV ratings, it's all about public perception.

Did these teams make the correct decision leaving the AAC to join the Big East?  Did they have a choice?   Louisville has one foot out the door, Uconn is looking to get out etc. The Big East teams had to break away, there was really no choice in the matter iIMHO.

You both need to watch "Requiem for a Big East" The 30 for 30 on ESPN last night. It was awesome and brought me back to the heyday of the REAL BIG EAST. It all comes down to one thing...Football. The TV contracts and revenue generated by football control college athletics, plain and simple. That's where the lion's share of the revenues come from that fund those schools' entire sports depts. and beyond.

This new Big East is kinda lame. Also the fact that it's on a West Coast based channel makes it even more weak IMO. ESPN and the Big East were a match made in heaven as they grew up together hand in hand. The games, the atmosphere, something is just missing on FOX and its LA based studio. They just don't get it.

Overall we'll watch because it's SJU but the new Big East isn't even close to what the real Big East was. However I'll still say it was somewhat of a success because you had McDermott and Creighton which helped carry the new league in its first year.

It was a massive failure, and there's only one reason why: St.John's.

It was our turn to man up and carry the conference. Lavin failed. People ask why is Lavin blamed when they lose? He's the guy making a salary. That's why.

You both need to watch "Requiem for a Big East" The 30 for 30 on ESPN last night. It was awesome and brought me back to the heyday of the REAL BIG EAST. It all comes down to one thing...Football. The TV contracts and revenue generated by football control college athletics, plain and simple. That's where the lion's share of the revenues come from that fund those schools' entire sports depts. and beyond.

This new Big East is kinda lame. Also the fact that it's on a West Coast based channel makes it even more weak IMO. ESPN and the Big East were a match made in heaven as they grew up together hand in hand. The games, the atmosphere, something is just missing on FOX and its LA based studio. They just don't get it.

Overall we'll watch because it's SJU but the new Big East isn't even close to what the real Big East was. However I'll still say it was somewhat of a success because you had McDermott and Creighton which helped carry the new league in its first year.

Very good points indeed. I did watch that on ESPN and it's just sad to see where the conference is today.  Hopefully with a great recruiting year for the conference and much needed success in the Dance, things won't look so bleak.  However if the conference teams don't do well in this years dance then the Big East could be in a bit of trouble.

It was a massive failure, and there's only one reason why: St.John's.

It was our turn to man up and carry the conference. Lavin failed. People ask why is Lavin blamed when they lose? He's the guy making a salary. That's why.

I would say that also it was a very bad year for programs like Georgetown and Marquette to have down years. Creighton and Mcdermott picked up some slack, but I think they will be only an average program in the future and i think Butler will remain a doormat.

But yes, St. Johns in NYC with MSG as their home court really needs to be good and this team really failed the conference

As a newcomer, Creighton was great.  Xavier also brought something to the table.  Villanova, one of the old guard, was also great.  Marquette and Georgetown had down years and St. John's fell a bit short of where they should have been.  A couple more wins by St. John's and/or Georgetown and/or Marquette and we would be looking at 6 or 7 bids.  That would have been phenomenal.

TV coverage was great, in that all of the games were televised.  Fox Sports 1, in its first year, left a bit to be desired production wise.  I expect them to get better.  As was pointed out, the old Big East and ESPN started and grew up together.  Fox was light years ahead of where ESPN was in its first year.  They will continue to get better and be seen by more people.

It is unfortunate that the Big East, as we knew it, broke up.  This one is fine, with depth and quality programs.  We can't judge it against the old BE.  It will never be that.  Barring another cataclismic change, such as the BCS conferences breaking away from the NCAA, things will be ok.  Just in a different form.

I think the first year was quite weak.  For this league to be a success in the short run, then one (or ideally both) of Georgetown and SJU need to have a good year each year.  "Good" being defined as at least a 5 seed, with great media exposure during the course of the season.  In the long run, the league needs to get to 12 teams by adding 2 of the best teams that might be available - namely 2 of SLU, Memphis and VCU.  They can't stay at 10 much longer.

Also, while we wait for 2 more teams to be added, the out of conference schedule must be top-notch for each team, even if it means that some suffer under the weight of it.  The NCAA tournament showed the disdain they had for the Big East by making Xavier fight it out in a play-in game and having the champion be an 11 seed.  If each team, and the conference in general, had a somewhat tougher out of conference schedule, those seeds would be higher and a team like SJU on the bubble (even with how we shot ourselves in the foot) would stand a better chance at getting in.

I'll hold off labeling until seeing how the BE does in post season play.  If the BE does very well,  then perhaps it was the "experts" in media who were a failure.  So, until it comes to pass, or not, ......

We just need a to add a couple more solid programs and we'll be a top 3 conference again.

Quote from: Poison on March 17, 2014, 09:18:02 AM

It was a massive failure, and there's only one reason why: St.John's.

It was our turn to man up and carry the conference. Lavin failed. People ask why is Lavin blamed when they lose? He's the guy making a salary. That's why.

I would say that also it was a very bad year for programs like Georgetown and Marquette to have down years. Creighton and Mcdermott picked up some slack, but I think they will be only an average program in the future and i think Butler will remain a doormat.

But yes, St. Johns in NYC with MSG as their home court really needs to be good and this team really failed the conference

I think that Georgetown and especially Marquette have earned the right to have an off year for whatever reason. St.John's, as a program, more than ANY other program, does not deserve a pass.

If you think about it, at 10-8, this group of players isn't much better than the group of juniors in Norm's final season that went 6-12.

It was a bad first year...and I don't hear any of the conference leaders weighing in on how they'll make it better.  I've only heard there are no plans for expansion.

St John's, Marquette and Georgetown spit the bit in a watered down conference they should have dominated.

Here's hoping next year the conference will be better.

I agree with a lot of you that for this conference to a top 3 conference we need Gtown, Marquette, SJU and Nova be consistent NCAA tournament teams. I think Providence, Xavier and Creighton are three more solid programs that will make the tournament a good amount as well. If we add maybe two more solid programs to the league you have a very deep league that's capable of competing with the big boys for the long term.

It's not a failure.  McDermott and Creighton have been unreal for this conference.  Nova was top 5 almost all year.  Gtown knocked off Michigan State....Xavier destroyed Cincy...Nova beat Kansas.  McDermott is the player of the year...might score 1,000 points this season as well.  It is not a failure.

St. John's crapped the bed and that hurt the conference bad.

I think the success/failures of this season will be close to the norm going forward for this conference. Some teams will have good seasons while others will have bad seasons. Creighton, Butler, and DePaul will most likely struggle for the next few years at least, Xavier will probably fluctuate between good and bad, who knows how its going to work out with SHU, no reason to believe we will have sustained success, and gtown and Marquette aren't going to be the every year power that the conference needs them to be.

I'd say our conference will be pretty comparable to the mountain west going forward. They have a couple teams in SDSU and New Mexico that have become NCAA tournament fixtures and then there's decent programs after that have experienced intermittent success lately. We are pretty close to UNLV in that we recruit some serious talent but poor coaching leads to underachieving seasons

 

I think the success/failures of this season will be close to the norm going forward for this conference. Some teams will have good seasons while others will have bad seasons. Creighton, Butler, and DePaul will most likely struggle for the next few years at least, Xavier will probably fluctuate between good and bad, who knows how its going to work out with SHU, no reason to believe we will have sustained success, and gtown and Marquette aren't going to be the every year power that the conference needs them to be.

I'd say our conference will be pretty comparable to the mountain west going forward. They have a couple teams in SDSU and New Mexico that have become NCAA tournament fixtures and then there's decent programs after that have experienced intermittent success lately. We are pretty close to UNLV in that we recruit some serious talent but poor coaching leads to underachieving seasons

Why will Xavier fluctuate between good and bad?  They have missed the NCAA tourney only twice in the last decade.  They have been to the Sweet 16 4 of the last 6 years.  They made the dance in their first year in the new BE.  They always seem to have an up and coming coach.  Xavier was a fantastic addition, just like Marquette was years ago. 

The A-10 got 6 teams this year.  Everyone who's so D&G about the BE needs to realize that if St. John's and GTown even merely had slightly better seasons, we probably get 5 teams in the dance.  Getting half your league in is no small feat.  Getting 40% of your league in is not bad...better than the SEC who has tons of football money, so explain that?

Alot of parity this year. With the exceptions being DePaul & Butler, the Big East didn't have bottom feeders to pick off. I'm encouraged by the direction the conference is heading and think it will be outstanding next year

The winner of BET got an 11 seed and one of the four has to play the play in game. Can't see how that translates into success. 

 The 30/30 on ESPN last night was awesome.. They even had footage of Kevin Williams squaring off with Ewing ( my first game).  Never realized how much of a visionary Dave Gavitt was, either that or just very lucky?

 My only critique was that it was a little heavy on the Syr/GTwn rivalry...  The extras they showed after on another channel were great also....

 The 30 for 30 series is one of the few things that ESPN does perfectly.

The 30/30 on ESPN last night was awesome.. They even had footage of Kevin Williams squaring off with Ewing ( my first game).  Never realized how much of a visionary Dave Gavitt was, either that or just very lucky?

 My only critique was that it was a little heavy on the Syr/GTwn rivalry...  The extras they showed after on another channel were great also....

 The 30 for 30 series is one of the few things that ESPN does perfectly.

Either that same game, or different game in same season Billy Goodwin smacked David Wingate around