Conference Realignment 2022-23

[unclsam1]

It's more like joining a club than renting an apartment. You have to bring something the club wants in order to gain entrance.
PAC-12 and the other power 5 conferences are driven by football.
No point in even trying if you don't bring that to the party.

Yet Notre Dame left out football when coming to the ACC.

[uh_no]

Yet Notre Dame left out football when coming to the ACC.

five games a year of one of the most popular football programs in the country is a significantly bigger carrot than zero.

[JetpackJesus]

That would be good for Gonzaga. They desperately need more pressure games in January and February.

Not going to debate the geography of Washington state being "East."

Could be time for some rebranding.

Big Mostly Catholic?

[fidel]

how about the “Big Country” conference?

I've never seen you look like this without a reason. Another promise fallen through, Another season passes by you.

Shock.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Like I said earlier, in the past seven tournaments, they've been to seven Sweet 16s (tops in NCAA in those seven seasons), four Elite Eights (tied for best), and two Final Fours (tied for 3rd-best, one behind the best). Are you saying they'd have done much better if they'd played a better schedule?

Well, yeah, I guess that's what I'm saying. Obviously "much better" is subjective. But I would say winning a Natty is "much better" than a Final Four.

[ClemmonsDevil]

My hot take is that this won't help Gonzaga in the NCAAT. They are already one of the most successful programs in March. This is about money and relevance during the regular season.

Agreed. Help them what? Be number 1 on the country and make the final four?

[ClemmonsDevil]

I've never seen you look like this without a reason. Another promise fallen through, Another season passes by you.

Shock.

Almost a haiku.

[Kedsy]

Well, yeah, I guess that's what I'm saying. Obviously "much better" is subjective. But I would say winning a Natty is "much better" than a Final Four.

They got to the final twice. They won close games against major conference opponents both times to get to the final game. When your sample size is two, the fact that they went 0-2 doesn't really mean very much. Obviously there's no way to definitively prove thus, but I can't imagine that what held Gonzaga back in their two trips to the final was their poor regular season schedule, especially since according to KenPom, Gonzaga played the nation's 90th-toughest schedule in 2017 and 72nd-toughest schedule in 2021.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

They got to the final twice. They won close games against major conference opponents both times to get to the final game. When your sample size is two, the fact that they went 0-2 doesn't really mean very much. Obviously there's no way to definitively prove thus, but I can't imagine that what held Gonzaga back in their two trips to the final was their poor regular season schedule, especially since according to KenPom, Gonzaga played the nation's 90th-toughest schedule in 2017 and 72nd-toughest schedule in 2021.

You're right, there's no way to prove it.

Again, it isn't about strength of schedule - it's about when you play whom. If you aren't tested from late December through mid-March, you aren't in the habit of close wins against good teams.

I didn't think this was such a wacky take.

And again, you can argue that there isn't much difference between Final Fours and championships, but I suspect Few and Gonzaga are incredibly aware of that difference. As are most Duke and UNC fans this week.

It's not a hill I'm trying to die on. My point is that I suspect if Gonzaga goes to the Bug East and is regularly playing road games at top 15-20 teams in the weeks leading up to the NCAA Tournament rather than having a conference tournament that is literally built to have them play as few games as possible - you may see a Gonzaga team a bit more battle ready in the Big Dance.

[rasputin]

Yet Notre Dame left out football when coming to the ACC.

But that's because Notre Dame had a sweetheart deal with NBC by which they couldn't lose, and they wouldn't want to give that up.

[burnspbesq]

Gonzaga is in the only conference that makes sense for it. Regardless of the success of its men’s basketball program, it is a smallish, non-football-playing Catholic mid-major in a small market in the Pacific time zone. Over time, the mid-majors in the Pacific and Hawai’i time zones sorted themselves quite logically into a public-school league, the Big West (five UCs, five Cal States, and UH) and a private-school league, the WCC (seven Catholic schools plus church-affiliated BYU and Pepperdine and non-denominational Pacific). The lack of football means it would never be invited to join the Mountain West. The WAC would be a step down, with dramatically increased travel costs.

Money talks, but geography is destiny. Set aside UH, and the longest road trips in D1 are Syracuse-Coral Gables, Morgantown-Lubbock, and Lincoln-New Brunswick. Gonzaga’s shortest road trip in the Big East would be longer than any of those.

[bigperm13]

Tyler Hansborough votes yes on the absurd amount of traveling. Now I want to watch The Muppets. Specifically Beaker.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

My first thought as well. That’s a heckuva lot of travel miles to log - unless the Big East was also planning to add more schools on the West Coast.

Yep, the Zags would face jet lag on every single road conference game...and everyone else would suffer jet lag the game after playing the Zags. I don't see this happening.

[Kdogg]

Big Mostly Catholic?

Conference Holy Ghost?

[budwom]

Yeah, might have oversold the point a bit. Does Amtrak do charter trains? Or charter cars at least? A much better way to go between Philly and DC for sure.

good option, you can get there faster than by car...

I have no doubt that if Gonzaga really does this, they will have to pre negotiate travel schedules (as some have mentioned)...have some Friday/Sunday games in the East for example...

[budwom]

You're right, there's no way to prove it.

Again, it isn't about strength of schedule - it's about when you play whom. If you aren't tested from late December through mid-March, you aren't in the habit of close wins against good teams.

I didn't think this was such a wacky take.

And again, you can argue that there isn't much difference between Final Fours and championships, but I suspect Few and Gonzaga are incredibly aware of that difference. As are most Duke and UNC fans this week.

It's not a hill I'm trying to die on. My point is that I suspect if Gonzaga goes to the Bug East and is regularly playing road games at top 15-20 teams in the weeks leading up to the NCAA Tournament rather than having a conference tournament that is literally built to have them play as few games as possible - you may see a Gonzaga team a bit more battle ready in the Big Dance.

I tend to agree. There is no doubt they have had a lot of talent in the past, good enough for many deep NCAA runs...but they've been lacking tight games within the conference, and getting used to tight games against tough teams is where this move makes sense...

[lotusland]

Thinking about Conference realignment and the “brutal” Big “East”, I can’t help but question why anyone thinks Duke needs ACC football money to have a successful basketball program. Gonzaga and Villanova beg to differ. I read somewhere earlier that UConn might also join the East so I wonder if that would mean shuttering their half-arse football program. I like Gonzaga and Villanova and I could definitely become a fan of Big East basketball. Duke is also in the “East” .

[Indoor66]

good option, you can get there faster than by car...

I have no doubt that if Gonzaga really does this, they will have to pre negotiate travel schedules (as some have mentioned)...have some Friday/Sunday games in the East for example...

That arrangement might be OK to help out Gonzaga but what about the teams going west to play them? Each of those would be a one off western trip with attendant jet lag.

[Kedsy]

I read somewhere earlier that UConn might also join the East so I wonder if that would mean shuttering their half-arse football program.

UConn already joined the Big East. The basketball team finished 3rd in the conference this season.

[duke2x]

Yeah, might have oversold the point a bit. Does Amtrak do charter trains? Or charter cars at least? A much better way to go between Philly and DC for sure.

good option, you can get there faster than by car...

I have no doubt that if Gonzaga really does this, they will have to pre negotiate travel schedules (as some have mentioned)...have some Friday/Sunday games in the East for example...

Amtrak only travels from Spokane to the East via Chicago once or twice a week. Amtrak works in the Acela corridor because of population density.

Gonzaga benefits a lot from the current setup. I don't see them doing better in the NCAA tournament because they flew across the country to play Villanova and Georgetown. I also don't see them getting extra eyeballs with that schedule to warrant the expense. Gonzaga used to get an ESPN Saturday night game with Memphis when Calipari was there. Perhaps a 2 game Big East-WCC challenge with SMC the weekend of the Duke-UNC game that includes the Big Monday spots might work. That would also prevent the UVA/Syracuse/MD scheduled losses we always have.