Marquette discussing a catholic basketball conference

[patrickgpe]

personally i like the idea. the big east loosing syracuse and pitt along with probably rutgers and uconn could mean the big east ends up like the big 12 is going to.

 

Especially if Marquette can convince other basketball only schools from lower tier conferences but has a decent tradition of good basketball, to come aboard like Xavier, St Louis, Creighton, Gonzaga. etc

 

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/130122113.html

[owbc]

In other words, the 2013 Big East will look almost exactly like the 2004 Conference USA. They can pick up St. Louis, East Carolina, and Memphis and it will be just like the good old days.

 

Although if they can take some Atlantic-10 schools, that would be an improvement. Or an up and coming football program like UCF to bolster the football program.

[patrickgpe]

i think bringing in schools with the history of notre dame, georgetown, nova, seton hall, providence makes it better than the 2004 c-usa. it only works though if you get a-10 schools like xavier to buy in and join.

 

the way things are moving there is going to be 4 superconferences with 16 team leagues that are football schools. marquette and these other schools are going to be on the outside looking in. the big east tried to improve their football by adding the teams it didn't and its not working. if marquette does nothing they are on the outside looking in.

[patrickgpe]

latest rumors is that the big east and big 12 are talking about merging the remaining schools.

 

you would be looking at a conference of:

 

Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Iowa St, Notre Dame, Louisville, St Johns, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Nova, Marquette, Seton Hall, Providence, De Paul, TCU and South Florida

 

obviously way weaker than the big east in its present form, but adding kansas and kansas state, would help the basketball presence of the conference.

[paul253]

I think a Catholic Conference is overdue. I wonder though how long Notre Dame is going to remain independent in football. I have to imagine they'll eventually join the Big Ten and the Big Ten will want them to play basketball in the Big Ten. It helps that Nova, Marquette and Georgetown have been playing really well lately and St. Johns is starting to get some good players. If this goes through, you'd have markets in Milwaukee, Chicago, DC, Philly, and New York. I'd have to imagine teams like Xavier (Cincinnati), Dayton and St. Louis would be interested as well because the tv contract would be better. This could work. But they need to be careful not to water it down with too many teams. I think that a conference with MU, Georgetown, Villanova, Depaul, Providence, Seton Hall, Xavier, Dayton, and St Louis would be fine. Other options could include Fordham, Creighton, Holy Cross, and Sienna. But again, don't water down to level of competition for the sake of numbers. I'm not sure Gonzaga fits because their travel costs would be astronomical.

[DHonks]

when at MUHS, we always wondered about a Catholic or Jesuit league. The problem with adding Gonzaga is that the WCC is already a Catholic/Jesuit conference. Still,lots of possible schools.

[homer]

I think a Catholic league would be a great idea.

[patrickgpe]

its a great idea only because it would be very strong as a basketball league, right now with all the possible defections, i think trying to get some a-10 schools to join in is marquette's best option.

[homer]

This is pretty funny.

 

[owbc]

I was (sort of) joking in my first post, but sure enough, East Carolina is applying to move to the Big East. The Big 12's decision to stay together is very bad for the future of the Big East.

[patrickgpe]

with WVU reportily getting a big 12 invite today, i think basketball only schools really need to look into forming their own conference. The Big East is really focusing on football. Bringing in Boise St, Air Force, Central Florida does nothing for Marquette. If a conference of

 

St. John's, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Villanova, Providence, DePaul, Marquette and Xavier could be formed. Maybe some other schools could be swayed too like Butler, Bucknell, George Mason, Duquesne, Richmond, George Washington, or St Louis could join. They may not have the tradition as the Big East schools and Xavier, but these schools would not have to worry about future football-based realignment..