The Big East expansion groundswell thread

[Eddie]

I could understand being a little riffed about the WAC, there wasn't much to compete with in that league besides Utah State and Nevada (thinking at the time they would be staying before they left to the MWC). The West Coast Conference is about even to the MWC to me though, although the names aren't as appealing besides Gonzaga. The problem that lies with the WCC though I think is the home games, is a fan more inclined to go to a game when they hear that Colorado State or Wyoming are in town than Loyola Marymount or Pepperdine?

I'm not sure how serious you are about this, if you're making jokes, or if you are referring to fans of the other teams traveling to Provo.

Does Colorado State or Wyoming really get you to the arena? You highly value their level of basketball and want to see them come so your team can play them?

If any of the 4 teams you mention above are headed to the Marriott Center, I'm not going to see them. I might be going because I'm a fan of BYU and want to see my own team, but none of the teams you mention have me saying "that's a game I want to see".

From the WCC I could be pulled in by Gonzaga or St. Mary's. From the MWC I could be pulled in by UNM, UNLV, or SDSU. In all honesty, I am probably one of the Y fans least concerned about WCC for men's basketball. That said, I believe the MWC to be a better conference.

[Flystripper]

I'm not sure how serious you are about this, if you're making jokes, or if you are referring to fans of the other teams traveling to Provo.

Does Colorado State or Wyoming really get you to the arena? You highly value their level of basketball and want to see them come so your team can play them?

If any of the 4 teams you mention above are headed to the Marriott Center, I'm not going to see them. I might be going because I'm a fan of BYU and want to see my own team, but none of the teams you mention have me saying "that's a game I want to see".

From the WCC I could be pulled in by Gonzaga or St. Mary's. From the MWC I could be pulled in by UNM, UNLV, or SDSU. In all honesty, I am probably one of the Y fans least concerned about WCC for men's basketball. That said, I believe the MWC to be a better conference.

I would go to a Wyoming, AF, or CSU game over a Portland or USD game any day of the week. Add in Nevada and Fresno and it is even more compelling than the WCC. AF was a top MWC team less than a decade ago and Wyoming has a history of being pretty good. In addition, these MWC teams have a history with BYU and a sense of tradition that is much more compelling to me than Pepperdine, USF, USD, LMU, Portland, Santa Clara etc...

[TripletDaddy]

That's not really a fair measure of how well the ship is being steered imo. BYU was in the MPSF the entire time it was in the MWC, and during its WAC days as well. If a sport doesn't exist in your conference, I don't think it's a sign of incompetency that you field a team and allow them to compete in a different conference.

Fine.

Big East, WCC, and WAC.

lol.

[Eddie]

I would go to a Wyoming, AF, or CSU game over a Portland or USD game any day of the week. Add in Nevada and Fresno and it is even more compelling than the WCC. AF was a top MWC team less than a decade ago and Wyoming has a history of being pretty good. In addition, these MWC teams have a history with BYU and a sense of tradition that is much more compelling to me than Pepperdine, USF, USD, LMU, Portland, Santa Clara etc...

I agree that there is a sense of history/tradition with CSU and Wyoming. I was simply indicating that - aside from the history - those teams don't do anything for me. Sure - they've been good at times.

But then so have Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine.

But just speaking of tradition and history, I would lean to the MWC teams. Of course - using that same argument one could say that MWC games will get you to the stadium in football too...

[Goatnapper'96]

So if this happens hopefully the BE will only play 7 conference games. 5 against your division and then one home and one away against two teams from the other division. Division winner is based upon the division games.

This would leave BYU to play 5 OOC games. If those are: Utah, Utah State (force them into a 2-1 deal to balance out the A-H-Neutral deals throughout the land), the Neutral deal, a decent and hopefully either Big-12 or Pac home and home series and a crappy team that might even be 1-AA/FCS.

Over a three year period this is how I see the schedule working out and I will use Penn State as our neutral team:

YR 1:
Home - Boise State, SMU, UConn, USU, Oregon State, FCS
Away - Utah, AFA, Houston, Cincy, Penn State, Navy

YR 2:
Home - Utah, AFA, Houston, Cincy, Utah State, South Florida, FCS
Away - Boise State, SMU, Penn State (N), Louisiville, UCLA

YR 3:
Home - Boise State, SMU, Rutgers, UCLA, Penn State, FCS
Away - Utah, AFA, Houston, Cincy, Utah State, UCF

Uhhh. Perhaps we should look first to replace the FCS game. I guess it is a step up.

[Goatnapper'96]

average attendance is even worse. So are the roadies. This is going to be horrible as a fan.

I wouldn't say horrible, but I am not one for extremes. I think it is better than the status quo. It would not have been as good as the MWC had Utah, BSU and TCU stayed.

But I am not sure it is good enough to keep buying season tickets for me.

[Cougarmandias]

I wouldn't say horrible, but I am not one for extremes. I think it is better than the status quo. It would not have been as good as the MWC had Utah, BSU and TCU stayed.

But I am not sure it is good enough to keep buying season tickets for me.

I see your point. But you underestimate how BCS access and being in a conference can shine up the schedule.

If BYU has a decent run and starts to look like it could make the Big Direction championship game, your flagging interest will rebound. All of a sudden Central Florida looks like an interesting game if they're on our path to the top--and the national media is occasionally mentioning the game as an interesting matchup with BCS implications--and if we've played them several years in a row, and last year they humiliated us at their place and their QB made some stupid remarks, and this year they're gonna pay--and we're in a recruiting battle with them for some Florida player who's gonna be at the game.

Result: you find yourself buying tickets to almost all the games and decide to go back to buying season tickets because next year's the year!

IF the Cougs can pull off the kind of scheduling arrangement you propose, I wouldn't be too worried about fan interest.

Assuming we can put together some decent teams.

[TripletDaddy]

Any idea what is holding up the deal?

[Tone Loc]

I wouldn't say horrible, but I am not one for extremes. I think it is better than the status quo. It would not have been as good as the MWC had Utah, BSU and TCU stayed.

But I am not sure it is good enough to keep buying season tickets for me.

Fricking stringpuller.

[Pheidippides]

Any idea what is holding up the deal?

Have you ever tried to fry a pound of bacon all at once? It takes some time.

[Goatnapper'96]

Fricking stringpuller.

I walked up Rocky Ridge carrying my little brother. I set him down by the fire and laid down to take a rest.

[Pelado]

Any idea what is holding up the deal?

SDSU's AD is explaining to the Big East all the reasons why they shouldn't invite BYU.

[Jacob]

So if this happens hopefully the BE will only play 7 conference games. 5 against your division and then one home and one away against two teams from the other division. Division winner is based upon the division games.

This would leave BYU to play 5 OOC games. If those are: Utah, Utah State (force them into a 2-1 deal to balance out the A-H-Neutral deals throughout the land), the Neutral deal, a decent and hopefully either Big-12 or Pac home and home series and a crappy team that might even be 1-AA/FCS.

Over a three year period this is how I see the schedule working out and I will use Penn State as our neutral team:

YR 1:
Home - Boise State, SMU, UConn, USU, Oregon State, FCS
Away - Utah, AFA, Houston, Cincy, Penn State, Navy

YR 2:
Home - Utah, AFA, Houston, Cincy, Utah State, South Florida, FCS
Away - Boise State, SMU, Penn State (N), Louisiville, UCLA

YR 3:
Home - Boise State, SMU, Rutgers, UCLA, Penn State, FCS
Away - Utah, AFA, Houston, Cincy, Utah State, UCF

Uhhh. Perhaps we should look first to replace the FCS game. I guess it is a step up.

A few things.

1) we already signed USU to a 2 for 1
2) you forgetting that we have a H and A with texas starting 2013
3) you are forgetting that we have a series against ND starting next year
4) there will be no need with an FCS team on the schedule every year, nor a neutral game. We have a series with Hawaii.

If 2013 were our first in the new BEast, it could look like this, using your proposed conference schedule and our current scheduling agreements:

YR 2013:
Home - Utah, Texas, Ga Tech, Boise State, SMU, UConn, USU
Away - Notre Dame, AFA, Houston, Cincy, Navy, Hawaii

YR 2014:
Home - AFA, Houston, Cincy, Utah State, South Florida, (Hawaii or other)
Away - Notre Dame, Texas, Ga Tech, Boise State, SMU, Louisiville

YR 2015:
Home - Boise State, SMU, Rutgers, UCLA, Notre Dame, Weber
Away - Utah, AFA, Houston, Cincy, Utah State, UCF

Probably our 3 best schedules in our history. The 2014 home schedule isn't the greatest, but is a major upgrade from this year with games that will be meaningful.

Note that we got an extra home game in 2013 because we have Hawaii on the road. We'd only need a little flexibilty form USU, which shouldn't be hard given that we are scheduled to play 3 of the next four in Provo.

[UtahJazzFan88]

I'm not sure how serious you are about this, if you're making jokes, or if you are referring to fans of the other teams traveling to Provo.

Does Colorado State or Wyoming really get you to the arena? You highly value their level of basketball and want to see them come so your team can play them?

If any of the 4 teams you mention above are headed to the Marriott Center, I'm not going to see them. I might be going because I'm a fan of BYU and want to see my own team, but none of the teams you mention have me saying "that's a game I want to see".

From the WCC I could be pulled in by Gonzaga or St. Mary's. From the MWC I could be pulled in by UNM, UNLV, or SDSU. In all honesty, I am probably one of the Y fans least concerned about WCC for men's basketball. That said, I believe the MWC to be a better conference.

It was a question from the "average fan" standpoint, nobody who follows religiously from here or other boards. I think average fans would recognize Colorado State and Wyoming more so than Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine and probably more inclined to show up to those teams than some of the WCC.

That said though, there isn't a huge difference in the WCC to the MWC to me, both are fairly even, the MWC has a couple more recognizable programs than the WCC, but they aren't very different.

[Art Vandelay]

Fantastic headline, mediocre photoshop, and stupid article