Tulane to the Big East

"Per @ScottDKushner, Tulane is holding a 1pm press conference today, expected to be about joining the Big East."

Ugh. I don't understand this at all. Hopefully there's a big plan in place and we aren't just adding schools for the sake of keeping the conference on life support.

This is a joke...right? Football stinks, hoops stinks. Why would they be added?

In my opinion this is a colossal mistake. Tulane? Really? The Big East is hoping schools like Louisville, Cincinnati and UConn stay? See ya, it was nice being in the Big East. Do they need to bring the C-USA logo with them? Is ECU far behind?

Bad basketball program, worse football program. I really don't get this at all.

I would love to know what conference members voted for this... Syracuse? Pitt? Rutgers?

Playing devil's advocate...don't they need to add someone to help influence the ongoing TV negotiations? If not Tulane, then who?

Oh man... This is ugly... What the hell is going on here, honestly?!? TULANE?!? REALLY?!

I'm about to lose my damn mind with conference realignment, I really hope MU can get out, playing the likes of Tulane, SMU, UCF, and Houston is much worse than starting a basketball league.

Adding Tulane could be the final straw that breaks this conference.

This year Tulane football finished with a 2-6 C-USA record and 2-10 overall.
Last season the basketball team finished 3-13 in C-USA and 15-16 overall.

Exactly what is the Big East adding?

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Originally Posted by Jim Ganzer, "IWB"

Adding Tulane could be the final straw that breaks this conference.

This year Tulane football finished with a 2-6 C-USA record and 2-10 overall.
Last season the basketball team finished 3-13 in C-USA and 15-16 overall.

Exactly what is the Big East adding?

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A TV market.

Could this have been the vote that was referenced yesterday? The one that MU voted no to? I really hope that MU is considering the A10 or making a basketball only league now, this has just gotten ridiculous... This new Big East will just cast us into obscurity, we need to break away and save our image.

Uggh. Horrible decision. Remember Marquette playing in front of hundreds of fans at Tulane back in the C-USA days.

Do you guys really think Marquette will be a part of a conference with Tulane? I doubt we are ever even a part of it.

I don't know where we even go... Plus if we don't intend to be a part of it then why did all these schools vote them in?

It isn't a TV market if the market doesn't give a crap about the team.

Last season they averaged 2,236 fans per home game.
This season their football team averaged 26,066 fans per game, but totals were about 17,000 but the two non-conference games, with Ole Miss and Rutgers really brought out the visiting fans for a weekend on Bourbon Street.

The Big East needs to hold off adding any new teams and figure out what is going to happen to the ACC.
There is a darn good chance the ACC implodes, at which point who knows - a merger, etc.

Adding other schools at this time, unless specifically instructed to do so by TV and members that want to stay (are there any?), is foolish.
You can tell a school like Tulane you are considering them, but need to wait for this whole thing to shake out in another month.

And now ECU for football only.

Looks to me like they already know Uconn/UL/UC are gone and are finding replacements.

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Originally Posted by Jim Ganzer, "IWB"

It isn't a TV market if the market doesn't give a crap about the team.

Last season they averaged 2,236 fans per home game.
This season their football team averaged 26,066 fans per game, but totals were about 17,000 but the two non-conference games, with Ole Miss and Rutgers really brought out the visiting fans for a weekend on Bourbon Street.

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You mean like how the East Coast doesn't care about Rutgers?

Hizzoner dones't know the last time he was literally speechless.

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Originally Posted by kneelb4zerg

You mean like how the East Coast doesn't care about Rutgers?

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Worse. Rutgers at least carries with them the pedigree of the Big East. Tulane carries a pedigree equivalent to the Springfield Isotopes.

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Originally Posted by kneelb4zerg

You mean like how the East Coast doesn't care about Rutgers?

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HUGE difference. The Big Ten Network is the reason for that addition. To get them added to the primary tier of cable. The Big East Network does not exist.

Now it makes sense. UC, UL and UConn to ACC, as rumored. Boise and SDSU rejoin the MWC.

Leaves 7 bball schools in one division, 7 football in the other. Two football onlys (Navy and ECU). If Navy gets in the ACC, which was rumored this morning, UC stays, add another hoops teams and you are at 8 and 8.

If UL, UC, and UCONN leave this new conference will be much worse than the old CUSA... MU needs to bail while they still can.

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Originally Posted by MUMac

HUGE difference. The Big Ten Network is the reason for that addition. To get them added to the primary tier of cable. The Big East Network does not exist.

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Sure there's a difference, but there's an inherent logic to adding more teams and more markets to influence the upcoming TV deal. I don't like it and it particularly stinks for the bball-only who are stuck, but they will stick around b/c there is more $ to be made than there is branching out to a bball only league. It is what it is.

Interesting slant from CBS and ESPN.

ESPN adds at the end that the Big East will include many schools that have played or are currently playing in CUSA.
CBS discusses TV markets and how close the Big East is to landing BYU.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoot...er-fish----byu

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...ts-source-said

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Originally Posted by BuzzWilliams4Pres

If UL, UC, and UCONN leave this new conference will be much worse than the old CUSA... MU needs to bail while they still can.

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I read the BE has 121 bball credits. At $300,000 each, you are looking at roughly $36 million next year to be split amongst the remaining schools next year alone. Don't forget the exit fees of at least $20 million. No way MU or any bball school walks away from a $6-$7 million payday next year. No way they should either, unless they get in a BCS conference, and that ain't happening without football (which also ain't happening)

Are we sure there is more money to be made? What happens of UL, UC, and UCONN leave? This conference is no better than any other mid-major at that point. Having the TV deal up right now could be a bad thing, if our value drops we may very well be able to negotiate more with a basketball only league if its more powerful than the A-10.

ECU coming for football only? What is going on here?

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Originally Posted by BuzzWilliams4Pres

Are we sure there is more money to be made? What happens of UL, UC, and UCONN leave? This conference is no better than any other mid-major at that point. Having the TV deal up right now could be a bad thing, if our value drops we may very well be able to negotiate more with a basketball only league if its more powerful than the A-10.

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Yes, because of the name and because of football. Look at what the A-10 got for their deal. Peanuts.

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Originally Posted by kneelb4zerg

Sure there's a difference, but there's an inherent logic to adding more teams and more markets to influence the upcoming TV deal. I don't like it and it particularly stinks for the bball-only who are stuck, but they will stick around b/c there is more $ to be made than there is branching out to a bball only league. It is what it is.

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Tulane will not positively impact the TV negotiations in any way, shape or form. C-USA will not lose any TV revenue bargaining power by losing them.

To compare it to the way the Big 10 is expanding is incorrect. The Big 10 is solely looking at geography right now. They are adding in the higher metroplexes (Baltimore/DC and New York) to maximize the Big 10 Network Payoff. That is their goal.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MUMac

Tulane will not positively impact the TV negotiations in any way, shape or form. C-USA will not lose any TV revenue bargaining power by losing them.

To compare it to the way the Big 10 is expanding is incorrect. The Big 10 is solely looking at geography right now. They are adding in the higher metroplexes (Baltimore/DC and New York) to maximize the Big 10 Network Payoff. That is their goal.

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I don't know how you can say that, and who says it's a zero sum game with C-USA? There's more $ out there for everybody.

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Originally Posted by kneelb4zerg

I don't know how you can say that, and who says it's a zero sum game with C-USA? There's more $ out there for everybody.

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It's obvious you don't know by your arguments. Tulane adds zero viewership, no matter where they are located. If so, the University of New Orleans should be in hot demand as well.

I need to shut down for an hour or I will implode before the Big East does.

Attachment 348

It took the national media over 2 hours to catch up on this story because nobody could freaking believe it.

I have started and then stopped typing a post several times. I cannot figure this out. If we are in this version of the BIG EAST for the long haul, I am concerned. If this is the prelude to a restructuring and maybe the BBall only conference while first collecting a whole bunch of cash from departure fees and NCAA credits--then smart play. I will say that the new commissioner does not seem to be any more visionary than the old commissioner--at least right now there is no evidence of bold new leadership.

The only thing I will say is this...Aresco is a smart guy...VERY smart. There HAS to be a legitimate reason to add them. That being said, I'm not sure ANY kind of TV contract will be worth playing in this damn conference anymore. I was always a proponent of staying in the BE as long as UL and UCONN were there, but even if they stay...It's time now to get out. Even a BB only conference would be better competition than what MU would play in this "new" BE. Yuck!

I believe Aresco is making his play... Yes, Tulane will be a laughing stock, but it's another market. If the networks can start bidding each other and the Big East can prove it's worth as much or more than the future ACC (who in theory may be losing up to 6 teams)... we have something.... Not sure where ECU fits in except to stabilize negotiations.

Virginia, North Carolina to B10.. Miami, FSU maybe NCState + GT to b12.... The rest of the ACC teams will be looking for a home then. NBC will become an immediate player in the sports world.

All of a sudden you have a Big East with ACC "leftovers" (Wake, BC, Clemson, VT, Duke, etc...)...

I think this play will allow all parties to go there separate ways if nothing gets done... This is exactly the pro-active approach you were asking for yesterday. Basically the Big-East has to seem like a more viable conference with a bigger contract than what is left of the ACC after they get raided by b12,b10,sec.

I still think it's a long shot, but he's getting paid to get something done and he's trying.

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Originally Posted by kneelb4zerg

A TV market.

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What TV market. It's a LSU state.

Tulane has about 4,000 in the Superdome for there game. I know because I've screen it on Fox College Sports.

+1, I think he's making a play.. The ACC could lose 6 schools or possibly more (4 for big 12, another 2 to big10 in addition to MD, SEC?)... If you get anything stable going with a contract the Big East (with all of its members locked up contractually) might be able to look better than a new ACC (picking from leftover C-USA schools) as a potential landing ground for the ACC leftovers.

IMO, it's the only play right now... the bball only conference will be there till these schools come in next July.

the thought of this of this CUSA.5 makes me want to throw up

Well, look at it this way....MU should dominate this conference every single year, and thus, win the tourney and be in the NCAA's every year. :eek:

Someone let me know when this stops sucking. Can't wait to hear the collective "meh" from the remaining members. I am also thinking that the failure to take whatever-the-hell tv deal ESPN was offering over the summer was a HUGE mistake.