https://www.bigeast.com/news/2020/6/30/g...ticut.aspx

A great day for the BIG EAST and for college basketball. Welcome home, Huskies.

Congrats to UConn. They are sticking to their identity as a program that doesn't care about football, only basketball. A perfect move with that on mind.

Let's be real this is not your dad's Big East only have Providence, Seton Hall, St. Johns, Villanova, and Georgetown as original members.

No conference games against Syracuse, Pitt, West Virginia, Notre Dame, etc.

UConn will still have new (and far) teams at home and away including Butler, Creighton, and Xavier

(07-01-2020 08:52 AM)Carolina_Low_Country Wrote:  Let's be real this is not your dad's Big East only have Providence, Seton Hall, St. Johns, Villanova, and Georgetown as original members.

No conference games against Syracuse, Pitt, West Virginia, Notre Dame, etc.

UConn will still have new (and far) teams at home and away including Butler, Creighton, and Xavier

Yeah, but the competition is unquestionably better than the AAC, and they’re playing other schools that are committed to having a quality basketball program. In the AAC, you only got that from Houston, Memphis, Cincinnati, Wichita St., and then the occasional UCF, SMU, Temple, etc. That’s why UConn is excited. Hell, I’m excited as a CBB fan, I look forward to UConn being relevant again.

(07-01-2020 08:46 AM)Jugnaut Wrote:  Congrats to UConn. They are sticking to their identity as a program that doesn't care about football, only basketball. A perfect move with that on mind.

Eh, there's a good chance this saves football too. 10k in the stands for AAC ball wasn't sustainable.

(07-01-2020 08:52 AM)Carolina_Low_Country Wrote:  Let's be real this is not your dad's Big East only have Providence, Seton Hall, St. Johns, Villanova, and Georgetown as original members.

No conference games against Syracuse, Pitt, West Virginia, Notre Dame, etc.

UConn will still have new (and far) teams at home and away including Butler, Creighton, and Xavier

Those five and UConn are two-thirds of the original membership, and nobody cares about BC. Syracuse is missed and Pitt had their moments, but overall they lost three (with only two mattering) and added five.

Notre Dame and West Virginia weren't "your dad's Big East".

(07-01-2020 08:52 AM)Carolina_Low_Country Wrote:  Let's be real this is not your dad's Big East only have Providence, Seton Hall, St. Johns, Villanova, and Georgetown as original members.

No conference games against Syracuse, Pitt, West Virginia, Notre Dame, etc.

UConn will still have new (and far) teams at home and away including Butler, Creighton, and Xavier

LOL .... Your dad's Big East didn't include games vs West Virginia or Notre Dame either. The Big East most of us recognize as its Golden Era was the tight-knit, hoops only conference of the 1980s.

Yes, not having Syracuse is an open wound, they are sorely missed. Pitt and BC, a little bit. But not having UConn was a big open wound as well, and for the time being at least, that one is closed. One of the Prodigal Sons has returned, so that is worth celebrating.

Welcome back, UConn!

Remember when this news was broke late on a Friday night by some random, no-name website?


As a fan neutral to the Big East, this is great for college basketball. Even greater if Xavier/Dayton becomes a Big East rivalry one day -- the league could use some bad blood.

(07-01-2020 09:05 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Remember when this news was broke late on a Friday night by some random, no-name website?


As a fan neutral to the Big East, this is great for college basketball. Even greater if Xavier/Dayton becomes a Big East rivalry one day -- the league could use some bad blood.

If Dayton isn't getting invited to the Big East after a season where they could have won the national championship (we'll never know if they would have), they'll likely never get invited. I bet the league is going to be content with the 11-team, double round robin for quite some time.

UConn is where it needs to be given many circumstances. And college hoops fans, in general, know this. I wish the Huskies well. As a long-time DePaul fan, and I look forward to the league games between the two.

But — and I've noted this many times on this board — the Big East is not UConn's preference. It wanted the Big Ten or the Atlantic Coast. It is a large, secular university that offers DI football. So though the Big East makes vastly more sense than the America, the Big Ten and the ACC make more sense than the BE. One of those two leagues are where UConn truly belongs more so than a conference comprising smallish Catholic schools that don't offer DI football.

The Big East just got better in academics, men's hoops, women's hoops and baseball. A new era has begun.

(07-01-2020 08:52 AM)Carolina_Low_Country Wrote:  Let's be real this is not your dad's Big East only have Providence, Seton Hall, St. Johns, Villanova, and Georgetown as original members.

No conference games against Syracuse, Pitt, West Virginia, Notre Dame, etc.

UConn will still have new (and far) teams at home and away including Butler, Creighton, and Xavier

The BIG EAST has six founding original members of the league within the conference. In comparison, here are the other power conferences for comparison:

ACC: six (South Carolina and Maryland are no longer members)
B1G: six (Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan)
Big 12: eight (Texas A&M, Colorado, Missouri and Nebraska are no longer members)
PAC: 4 (California, Washington, Oregon and Oregon State)
SEC: ten (Georgia Tech, Tulane and Sewanee are no longer members)

Syracuse and Pittsburgh were staples of the BIG EAST, and, unfortunately, are no longer members, yes. Louisville was also an elite BE program and brand too, even before and after its scandal. However, Butler made more national championship games this decade than Pittsburgh had in its history (and has been much better in the BE than PITT has been in the ACC). West Virginia's basketball success has been replicated by Xavier, in tournament appearances and success. Creighton, with its fan support and top-25 potential, is a more than suitable replacement long-term.

At the end of the day, yes - the Big East lost elite-level programs in Syracuse, Louisville and UConn; UConn has come home. The league lost strong upper-tier programs in PITT, WVU and Notre Dame, but those have been replaced by Butler, Creighton and Xavier, with no harm or loss. However, the league also lost a number of bottom-tier teams (at time) in Rutgers and USF, which has also given rise to programs like Seton Hall and Providence. Overall - the league is much more balanced and overall competitive. Now having two anchors at the top in Villanova and UConn, with an incredibly strong and consistent middle, and singular bottom (DePaul, but they at least have been recruiting very well) is well-rounded for the future growth of the league.

It's also worth noting that UConn ticket sales are soaring. Huge win/win for the BIG EAST and UConn.

So UConn rejoined the America East (Yankee Conference when they were there)? Did UMass and Rhode Island rejoin Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont as well?

(07-01-2020 09:11 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  

(07-01-2020 09:05 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Remember when this news was broke late on a Friday night by some random, no-name website?


As a fan neutral to the Big East, this is great for college basketball. Even greater if Xavier/Dayton becomes a Big East rivalry one day -- the league could use some bad blood.

If Dayton isn't getting invited to the Big East after a season where they could have won the national championship (we'll never know if they would have), they'll likely never get invited. I bet the league is going to be content with the 11-team, double round robin for quite some time.

College presidents won't invite a program based on one spectacular season. Dayton's argument was and continues to be that they're a Catholic institution with consistent basketball excellence, strong fan support and geographic congruity with the rest of the conference. Last year's run is a cherry on the sundae, but if they went .500 in whatever passes for this season, it wouldn't move the needle either. They are who they are.

But I agree with you that the move toward 20-game conference slates and UConn's return slams the door on expansion for the foreseeable future. Dayton's in the A10 for the long haul, unless at some point they and St. Louis (and possibly Duquesne) try to gin up a spiritual successor to the Great Midwest, but that's just fantasy realignment talk. You'd never see that on a board like this.

Igne natura renovatur integra.

I think UConn going back to the Big East is good for UConn, it’s good for the Big East and it’s good for college basketball. The only one it is not good for is the American, and they seem to be fine with it as well because it means they get Connecticut football off their books.

I do wonder what this means for the long term health of Connecticut football — Randy Edsall cannot possibly be happy about this. However, it is impossible to blame the University of Connecticut for making this decision. I think it’s going to work out very well for them.

I agree with the DePaul fam who said that this is not the Huskies’ first or even their second choice. However, it is their best realistic option.

The Big East Tournament— which was always hands-down the best of the postseason college basketball tournaments — just got a lot more fun.

(07-01-2020 09:31 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  

(07-01-2020 08:52 AM)Carolina_Low_Country Wrote:  Let's be real this is not your dad's Big East only have Providence, Seton Hall, St. Johns, Villanova, and Georgetown as original members.

No conference games against Syracuse, Pitt, West Virginia, Notre Dame, etc.

UConn will still have new (and far) teams at home and away including Butler, Creighton, and Xavier

The BIG EAST has six founding original members of the league within the conference. In comparison, here are the other power conferences for comparison:

ACC: six (South Carolina and Maryland are no longer members)
B1G: six (Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan)
Big 12: eight (Texas A&M, Colorado, Missouri and Nebraska are no longer members)
PAC: 4 (California, Washington, Oregon and Oregon State)
SEC: ten (Georgia Tech, Tulane and Sewanee are no longer members)

Syracuse and Pittsburgh were staples of the BIG EAST, and, unfortunately, are no longer members, yes. Louisville was also an elite BE program and brand too, even before and after its scandal. However, Butler made more national championship games this decade than Pittsburgh had in its history (and has been much better in the BE than PITT has been in the ACC). West Virginia's basketball success has been replicated by Xavier, in tournament appearances and success. Creighton, with its fan support and top-25 potential, is a more than suitable replacement long-term.

At the end of the day, yes - the Big East lost elite-level programs in Syracuse, Louisville and UConn; UConn has come home. The league lost strong upper-tier programs in PITT, WVU and Notre Dame, but those have been replaced by Butler, Creighton and Xavier, with no harm or loss. However, the league also lost a number of bottom-tier teams (at time) in Rutgers and USF, which has also given rise to programs like Seton Hall and Providence. Overall - the league is much more balanced and overall competitive. Now having two anchors at the top in Villanova and UConn, with an incredibly strong and consistent middle, and singular bottom (DePaul, but they at least have been recruiting very well) is well-rounded for the future growth of the league.

It's also worth noting that UConn ticket sales are soaring. Huge win/win for the BIG EAST and UConn.

I hope the Big East keeps moving forward even if Val Ackerman leaves to run the ACC.

Also, Clemson and the four NC schools are the only five founding members of the ACC remaining in the league. The league was formed in June 1953 and UVa didn’t join until December 1953.

Likewise, the PAC-12 ≠ a continuation of the PCC. The four original members of the PAC-12’s earliest iteration, the AAWU, were Cal, USC, UCLA and Washington. Overtime, and with expansion, the AAWU became the Big Five, then the Big Six, then the PAC-8, PAC-10 and finally PAC-12.

(07-01-2020 09:31 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  The BIG EAST has six founding original members of the league within the conference. In comparison, here are the other power conferences for comparison:

ACC: six (South Carolina and Maryland are no longer members)
B1G: six (Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan)
Big 12: eight (Texas A&M, Colorado, Missouri and Nebraska are no longer members)
PAC: 4 (California, Washington, Oregon and Oregon State)
SEC: ten (Georgia Tech, Tulane and Sewanee are no longer members)

That was the Pacific Coast Conference. The current origin myth is that the Pac-12 is the same conference, but the PCC dissolved in 1959 and a new conference, the AAWU, was formed by UW, Cal, Stanford, USC, and UCLA. After later adding WSU, UO, and OSU, the conference eventually changed its name to Pacific-8 Conference, and now the official name is Pac-12 (not Pacific).

A great day for college basketball. Glad to see UConn officially under that Big East banner again!

(07-01-2020 09:31 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  

(07-01-2020 08:52 AM)Carolina_Low_Country Wrote:  Let's be real this is not your dad's Big East only have Providence, Seton Hall, St. Johns, Villanova, and Georgetown as original members.

No conference games against Syracuse, Pitt, West Virginia, Notre Dame, etc.

UConn will still have new (and far) teams at home and away including Butler, Creighton, and Xavier

The BIG EAST has six founding original members of the league within the conference. In comparison, here are the other power conferences for comparison:

ACC: six (South Carolina and Maryland are no longer members)
B1G: six (Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan)
Big 12: eight (Texas A&M, Colorado, Missouri and Nebraska are no longer members)
PAC: 4 (California, Washington, Oregon and Oregon State)
SEC: ten (Georgia Tech, Tulane and Sewanee are no longer members)

Syracuse and Pittsburgh were staples of the BIG EAST, and, unfortunately, are no longer members, yes. Louisville was also an elite BE program and brand too, even before and after its scandal. However, Butler made more national championship games this decade than Pittsburgh had in its history (and has been much better in the BE than PITT has been in the ACC). West Virginia's basketball success has been replicated by Xavier, in tournament appearances and success. Creighton, with its fan support and top-25 potential, is a more than suitable replacement long-term.

At the end of the day, yes - the Big East lost elite-level programs in Syracuse, Louisville and UConn; UConn has come home. The league lost strong upper-tier programs in PITT, WVU and Notre Dame, but those have been replaced by Butler, Creighton and Xavier, with no harm or loss. However, the league also lost a number of bottom-tier teams (at time) in Rutgers and USF, which has also given rise to programs like Seton Hall and Providence. Overall - the league is much more balanced and overall competitive. Now having two anchors at the top in Villanova and UConn, with an incredibly strong and consistent middle, and singular bottom (DePaul, but they at least have been recruiting very well) is well-rounded for the future growth of the league.

It's also worth noting that UConn ticket sales are soaring. Huge win/win for the BIG EAST and UConn.

I could be wrong but I count five original members. Villanova joined in 1980