Washington Post says 12...

[Edrick]

Marquette has a hammer over the eastern C7, if they unwisely didn't heed it.

You may have noticed that ALL of the strong choices for additions come from the Midwest?

If Marquette isn't getting the voice they feel they should be getting, what is stopping them from working the back channels with Creighton, Butler, and Xavier to see what they could do for themselves. Get enough traction, you'd get Depaul. Really only need 4 or 5 more. There is 4 or 5 available.

They push too hard they could just create a superior league rival.

[Dew]

The travel burden is borne by the outlying school not the others. I'd guess the c7 presidents understand that better than the general public or media folk.

[xu5595]

Marquette has a hammer over the eastern C7, if they unwisely didn't heed it.

You may have noticed that ALL of the strong choices for additions come from the Midwest?

If Marquette isn't getting the voice they feel they should be getting, what is stopping them from working the back channels with Creighton, Butler, and Xavier to see what they could do for themselves. Get enough traction, you'd get Depaul. Really only need 4 or 5 more. There is 4 or 5 available.

They push too hard they could just create a superior league rival.

So Marquette would ditch Georgetown and Villanova so that they could be in the same conference as Creighton? Really? That theory is beyond idiotic.

[GumbyDamnit!]

Marquette has a hammer over the eastern C7, if they unwisely didn't heed it.

You may have noticed that ALL of the strong choices for additions come from the Midwest?

If Marquette isn't getting the voice they feel they should be getting, what is stopping them from working the back channels with Creighton, Butler, and Xavier to see what they could do for themselves. Get enough traction, you'd get Depaul. Really only need 4 or 5 more. There is 4 or 5 available.

They push too hard they could just create a superior league rival.

So Marquette would ditch Georgetown and Villanova so that they could be in the same conference as Creighton? Really? That theory is beyond idiotic.

You beat me to the punch XU... Marq. is just another partner. They aren't making ultimatums. Fox is paying good $ for good markets. Marq needs VU, G'twn, SJU because Fox likes the potential of those markets. Everyone relax. I think the C7+X/B are going to add 1-3 more teams and everyone will be just fine. I would expect 6 eastern teams and 6 MW teams. Marq needs them, they need Marq. Think Butler and Xavier are must haves. After that I'm not as concerned if the 2 other MW teams are St Lou and Dayton or Creigton. Who knows maybe UConn, and Memphis see the writing on the wall with FB and end up joining. Conference realignment is a daily changing thing. More chips might fall before the tip off of the first game.

[GumbyDamnit!]

I also think that if all those MW schools want to bolt for their own league they'd be shooting themselves in the foot. At that point the C7 could change direction, grab VCU, and then talk to Cinn, UConn, Temple and Memphis and build a pretty solid league. These remaining BE schools could make more with the $ they'll get from BB and take whatever they can get from joining another league for FB only. BE FB is worth next to nothing. I think with the last contract offer these schools are starting to see that. It's all about TV $. Philly, DC and NY are strong mkts. As strong of a fan base that Creighton has, the mkt size is dwarfed by some of these other schools. If you think Marq would ever make demands in order to add Creighton you're fooling yourself. Ask yourself what Fox would pay Marq for a league that has Dayton, Creighton and St Lou vs SJU, Nova and G'town. It's not a knock on the BB product just the marketability of these schools.

[nathanhm]

Everyone calm down, Marquette isn't splitting, the east schools aren't raiding the Big East. The 7 of us + (Xavier, Butler), and a few other friends will be a league in the very near future.

Who the remaining 1-3 schools will be decided upon by the 7 (perhaps 9?) with input from our TV partner(s).

[Bluejay]

I think most Creighton supporters understand that distance is our biggest drawback. If we don't get in because of travel concerns, we'd be disappointed but understand. If, however, we get passed over for the likes of a Siena, then it becomes readily apparent that the BE 7 are not really trying to put together the best basketball conference that they can.

[glen]

Its funny how guys like Blaudschun and Feinstein can report vastly different things. I'm more or less convinced people are just making stuff up.

[Jet915]

This Feinstein guy is getting refuted left and right....

Newark, N.J. - A Marquette official said Tuesday night that major portions of a Washington Post story about a new league with two divisions of six teams each wasn't true.

According to the story, the East division would be Georgetown, St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova, Providence and either Richmond or Siena. The West or Midwest division would be Marquette, DePaul, St. Louis, Xavier, Dayton and Butler.

Marquette doesn't see Richmond or Siena as part of its new league.

It was also reported that Georgetown President John J. DeGioia is the person "who has been charged with piecing together the new league" because the six other Catholic 7 presidents are interested in the process.

Marquette disputed that, too.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/191910991.html

[Bostonspider]

Interesting that they have already changed /corrected that report to say Detroit and Siena are the schools that Marquette is not interested in teaming up with...