BE Break-up Revisited

[redmen9194]

Although those schools will hang on their pay-outs to claim they are the winners of re-alignment, that is really not the measure here. The money is only helpful if you are spending it and improving your program. If you are spending it and are irrelevant, what does it matter? They have no rivals in the ACC - not even each other. Do you think anyone in the ACC gets up for a game with Pitt? Are they all excited or worried about Syracuse coming to town in Durham? Remember how the ACC was going to take the Garden from the Big East on the strength of Syracuse? Syracuse gets a two line game note in NYC sports sections now because no one cares. Money drives decisions. Let's face it, money is what drove the rebranding of the Big East. We all forget that even under the old 16 team Big East, the basketball only schools were only getting $1.5 million from the TV contract while the football schools took a larger share (There has always been the myth that the basketball schools were taking money from the football schools that simply was never true). The break has almost tripled the TV amount per school. But the Big East did the relaunch correctly. We have a mid-west and east coast contingent. Almost every school is a rival with the rest of the league because the home and home helps foster that. The winner in conference realignment was the Big East. It's sucessful, it's teams are relevant, it has had the highest attended conference tournament for the last several years, and it makes money for it's schools.

[DeadHeadHoya]

somehow Georgetown is the biggest loser in the New Big East. makes now sense .

[MullinMayhem]

It's very clear that Cuse and Pitt took huge steps back. Cuse was like Villanova for those relative newcomers to the conference. They were always in the top 25 and usually more like top 10. Pitt had several years where they were about the same level...they even reached #1 in the nation. Glad to see them fall so far. Cuse will only get worse once Boeheim leaves. Hopkins would've been great there, but he's in Washington. They waited too long for Boeheim to retire IMO. I know it's hard to nudge a legend...but in this case not doing so cost them.

As for G'Town...it's so crazy how quickly they fell. As I've said before: playing G'Town used to be something special. I don't say this to antagonize...I really mean it. If you could beat them up until say the early 2010's, that was a real nice notch on your belt nationally. I still remember the luster lasting into the Lavin years when they were still pretty good. But the last 7 or 8 years have been shocking. Hate to say it, but Ewing cannot coach. You guys should be worried Riley may want to come here. He's that bad. Ewing is one of those coaches who is so bad it doesn't matter the talent they have. Kinda like Lavin.

[BigEast1]

MullinMayhem Ewing had Georgetown trending in the right direction until the sudden exodus mid-season last year. He took over a program that finished with a losing record and in his first year he finished 15-15, in his second year the team won 19 games and were in the NIT. His third year (last year) was when the wheels fell off and he had to somewhat start from scratch all over again. He has a very good recruiting class coming in next year. I'm not sure I'm ready to say he can't coach just yet.

[sju88grad]

MullinMayhem Ewing had Georgetown trending in the right direction until the sudden exodus mid-season last year. He took over a program that finished with a losing record and in his first year he finished 15-15, in his second year the team won 19 games and were in the NIT. His third year (last year) was when the wheels fell off and he had to somewhat start from scratch all over again. He has a very good recruiting class coming in next year. I'm not sure I'm ready to say he can't coach just yet.

Agree. He’s managing to be competitive in most games where there is a clear talent gap. It will be interesting when he gets this next class on board.....

[HoopDreams]

Two thoughts:
(1) Cincy is another big loser in the post "old BE" world. How long since they have had a losing season at the beginning of February? Of course, they got rid of the drunk and brought in Mick(y) Mouse who then left for UCLA because he could NEVER live up to the drunk's image in UC fan minds, and so they are now trying to figure out if Coach Brannon is worth another year of rebuilding. Not clearly a result of the break-up here, but it contributed.
(2) When I was on faculty at XU (MANY years ago!), we referred to ND as the "EVIL EMPIRE", because they thought they were sooooo far superior to every other Catholic university that the others didn't even matter. Well, to be honest, maybe Georgetown was relevant in their eyes, but that was it. Catholic trivia, most of the nation's Catholic universities were founded by the Jesuits (over 20 of them - the Jesuits are the most "outworldly" of the Catholic monastic orders, who doubled the Franciscan, Marionist, and Benedictine university totals. (Quick now, what order founded ND, and how much Benedictine stuff other than booze can you name?) Bottom line On ND in my oh so neutral opinion: you reap what you sow, MFs.

Notre Dame was founded by the Holy Cross order. I don't think there are many Catholic Universities with that affiliation but could be wrong.