Ackerman - BE - TV Contracts, Expansion, Gonzaga - Oct 2021

[Murphy outgo lifer]

Just found this,

Since Pacific and BYU were added to the league we have had 4 less games to schedule and that’s when they stopped doing the Arena games. Before this we always tried bringing in a big name but it has been harder to get great teams to come to Spokane.

“the Zags have been more selective and limited in their scheduling with four less matchups in their non-conference schedule, so they have only played in the Spokane Arena once since 2012.”

[TBC Alum]

Murphy, you've been great so far. Calm, candid, analytic and with a positive demeanor.

I saw add GU just to keep him around!

[Murphy outgo lifer]

Murphy, you've been great so far. Calm, candid, analytic and with a positive demeanor.

I saw add GU just to keep him around!

Thanks for the kind words! I think it is so amazing to have so many schools care this much about their basketball programs. I’m really liking this place and hope I’ll get to stay long-term.

[MullinMayhem]

I love your enthusiasm! For me, I would be good with the Big East. Time will tell.

We would too, for basketball. But for the non-rev sports the Big East makes zero sense. That's why if the WCC was smart they would let you keep your olympics there and have a scheduling arrangement with them as an indy (home and home with St. Mary's, San Fran, Pepperdine [based on best kenpom]) ... those teams would benefit from being on TV and you could pay them as if they were buy games. The of course the top teams in the MWC would be all over you, some PAC, Midwestern BE, B12... Sure you could play every Big East team and the midwestern contingent would get out there as well. You could sell it to the WCC because other teams in that conference could get the auto bid instead of you stealing it every year. Makes the most sense to me. A full fledged member of the Big East in Spokane just seems really strange. Omaha is at least in the Eastern half of the United States. In many ways Omaha is where the Midwest ends and "the West" begins.

In the big big picture if the full separation from the NCAA ever happens I think you're fine, just like pretty much the entire Big East in the fact that we will be absorbed by the B1G and you will be absorbed by the PAC. No reason for superconferences to leave money on the table, and Gonzaga is money babeeee.

Money money money.

This is what I've been saying is more likely than most give credit for. At least longterm...may take 10+ yrs but if the F5 separate from NCAA, they aren't leaving us. And they aren't allowing the Big East to take that money away from them either. They would rather get the crucial NYC (SJ), Philly (Nova), DC (G'Town), etc. markets and all the notoriety of Big East for themselves. They would get more money. Remember, there was a guy on the SJ board who had a rumor about this from the suits at MSG. Doubt any suit would just make things up for no reason out of thin air. I'm sure the possibility has been thrown around at least. Again this is only IF they breakaway.

[GumbyDamnit!]

I think Huggy with his statements--and a larger conversation about long term viability--is looking at his own University and recognizing where his team's importance falls in the pecking order. Football is first, 2nd and 3rd b/c of the $ it generates for WVU. Football told the NCAA to go pound sand and decided to keep the revenues their teams generated directly. And the NCAA found it had no legs to stand on. Did they try to take a leadership position with NIL? Nope. Have they provided any other leadership on any issue? Nope.

So as football learned, why give away all that cash to an organization that's helping themselves more than the interests of the schools generating all the money? In terms of the tourney I'm not sure he's talking about just the FB P5 having their own party, but specifically calls out the GA St./UMBC type teams. While we all agree that is one of the things that what makes the tourney great, Huggy knows (rihgtfully) that the B12/ACC/BE/B10/SEC type schools are what really creates the huge revenue streams b/c of their followings. And they also have a right to question why that $ is being shared with the NCAA and with other institutions that don't invest nearly as much as they do to keep the sport relevant.

At the end of the day the tourney creates about $1B in revenues yearly. Imagine if that $ was spread out equally among 64 teams. $15M per school. Even if you split it 1/2 with the school and 1/2 with the conference, that puts college hoopps programs--with much smaller operating budgets--up the ladder in terms of priority to each of their universities. That's not insignificant $ nor cache and kudos for Huggy being honest enough to say it out loud.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

In many ways Omaha is where the Midwest ends and "the West" begins.

……

The Gateway Arch monument in St. Louis, Missouri sits along the west bank of the Mississippi River is part of Gateway Arch National Park. The Gateway Arch takes its name from the city’s role as the “Gateway to the West” during the westward expansion of the United States in the 19th century.
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At the end of the day the tourney creates about $1B in revenues yearly. Imagine if that $ was spread out equally among 64 teams. $15M per school.

……

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[Murphy outgo lifer]

I saw several posts earlier discussing whether Gonzaga fans want to join the Big East. I was curious as well about the numbers so I posted a poll on the Gonzaga message board asking who would want to join the Big East as a full member if offered. Here are the numbers:

Yes: 52 - 62%

No: 32 - 38%

Small sample size but this is what I have so far.

[Husky_U]

I saw several posts earlier discussing whether Gonzaga fans want to join the Big East. I was curious as well about the numbers so I posted a poll on the Gonzaga message board asking who would want to join the Big East as a full member if offered. Here are the numbers:

Yes: 52 - 62%

No: 32 - 38%

Small sample size but this is what I have so far.

I understand the con of non-basketball sports having to play cross country, but some of the other reasons for voting "no" were either misinformed or poor takes. Example #1:

"This is another issue I have with a Big East move. It only helps men’s basketball. Downgrade for soccer, baseball, volleyball. Lateral move for women’s basketball, other than you can kiss ever winning a championship goodbye with UConn in the conference. The only benefit for those sports is the extra money from being in the Big East. The decision can’t only be about men’s basketball."

2021 Conference RPI Rank for Men's Soccer:
#3. Big East
#12. WCC

2021 Conference NET for Women's Basketball:
#6. Big East
#9. WCC (with Gonzaga being the best in the league)

And if you don't see any benefits to sharing a league with UCONN WBB, I don't know what to tell ya...

2021 Conference RPI for Baseball:
#12. WCC (with Gonzaga being the best in the league)
#13. Big East

Example #2:

"Big East is that grass that looks greener, but it's just spray painted.

KenPom Data - over the 20 years 2002-2021:



AKA - BE is better, but the difference is slowly becoming less such."

Fails to acknowledge that this graph includes both Gonzaga and BYU. At least other posters corrected this one.

[Murphy outgo lifer]

I understand the con of non-basketball sports having to play cross country, but some of the other reasons for voting "no" were either misinformed or poor takes. Example #1:

"This is another issue I have with a Big East move. It only helps men’s basketball. Downgrade for soccer, baseball, volleyball. Lateral move for women’s basketball, other than you can kiss ever winning a championship goodbye with UConn in the conference. The only benefit for those sports is the extra money from being in the Big East. The decision can’t only be about men’s basketball."

2021 Conference RPI Rank for Men's Soccer:
#3. Big East
#12. WCC

2021 Conference NET for Women's Basketball:
#6. Big East
#9. WCC (with Gonzaga being the best in the league)

And if you don't see any benefits to sharing a league with UCONN WBB, I don't know what to tell ya...

2021 Conference RPI for Baseball:
#12. WCC (with Gonzaga being the best in the league)
#13. Big East

Example #2:

"Big East is that grass that looks greener, but it's just spray painted.

KenPom Data - over the 20 years 2002-2021:



AKA - BE is better, but the difference is slowly becoming less such."

Fails to acknowledge that this graph includes both Gonzaga and BYU. At least other posters corrected this one.[/quote]

Very good points! To be fair though, these are not the majority of opinions for no. I believe the majority of now are some combination of we’ve been very successful in our league so why change added with the BE is just too far away and puts our team at a disadvantage.

[Jet915]

The fact is though that basketball funds everything for these schools. A successful basketball program helps fund all your other olympic sports the majority of which are money losers....