Xavier AD says expanding to 12 schools within 5 years

[billyjack]

Because of the past history, some old, some recent, some on-going, I want to avoid football schools.

A not unrealistic goal for the Big East within the next 5 years is to once again be considered the top conference in the country. Probability-wise, there a solid chance this will happen. At a minimum, we'll be in the top 3 along with the Big Ten and the ACC. In my opinion, we are already in the Top 3.

At a minimum, other goals for us as a conference I think should realistically be:
- to own the NYC and Chicago recruiting scenes.
- to have at least half of our schools have players picked in the NBA first-round every year.
- to get a national title again.
- to have multiple, perennial Final Four and National Title candidates each year.
- to get 3 teams in the Final Four again like in 1985.

I think the 10 of us as we stand, and maybe 1 or 2 big adds (Gonzaga or a consensus big add), can get us to achieve those goals. I also think we can't have any distractions by having one of our teams farting around in the football world-- and having the ACC constantly hinting at grabbing one of our teams and their Big East recruits, grabbing our momentum, etc. And if past and current history is our guide, the ACC will continue with its serious, psychotic, sociopathic jealously and fixation on all things Big East... from '85 to '03 to '11, to posturing about the Garden, to having their ESPN sugar daddy try to belittle us.

So, in my mind without a doubt, if Connecticut joined us, then the ACC would (in 3-4-5 years) grab UConn not even necessarily for their own benefit, but so it weakens the Big East... maybe this will hurt their football further, but their football is so bad that it won't make a difference.

The ACC in 2015 will have 15 basketball schools... and I don't know if everyone has paid attention, but the bottom half is awful. They'll have UNC, Duke, Syracuse, and Louisville at the top. Pitt and Notre Dame will be solid. Maybe NC State. The rest of them will be like a 7-or-8-team millstone hanging around John Swofford's neck... they also have to deal with Boeheim, Coach K, Pitino, Larranaga and Roy Williams retiring soon.

So, I don't want to let the ACC take UConn to replenish their overrated, bottom-heavy conference. I think we're good at 10 for now, but any expansion should be with Gonzaga for starters, maybe in 2015 or 2016, to build on our momentum. (Amen).

[marquette]

I think there's an argument that Butler is a household name as well. Considering their back-to-back title runs, and regular appearances in the tourney over the last decade I would probably put them in that category.

sorry man gotta disagree, household names are time tested, Butler still is in infancy at being a good team. The argument for Xavier I could see but they have yet to make the jump to Final Four/Championship caliber.

Fair enough.

[butlerguy03]

@Bill Marsh

Did you watch Saint Louis last season? Even once? Ask Butler if SLU isn't strong enough.

One season (or multiple good seasons) does not make a program. Community support, national name recognition, etc. help a program build. Most people would misspell the university's name, that's not a brand. I always used St. Louis when writing it out until Butler was in the A-10 and I realized it was wrong.

[yorost]

A not unrealistic goal for the Big East within the next 5 years is to once again be considered the top conference in the country. Probability-wise, there a solid chance this will happen. At a minimum, we'll be in the top 3 along with the Big Ten and the ACC. In my opinion, we are already in the Top 3.

At a minimum, other goals for us as a conference I think should realistically be:
- to get 3 teams in the Final Four again like in 1985.

I'm not against being positive, but your outlook is past even a positive outlook. History of the last couple of decades suggests we'd typically be around #5 for a conference, never really pushing for the top spot. We're starting from behind and aren't the only conference trying to be good. There's a lot to prove and improve before talking about being in the conversation for top conference.

This last goal is anything but realistic, for any conference. That's just a special occurrence if it happens.

[DumpsterFireA10]

@Bill Marsh

Did you watch Saint Louis last season? Even once? Ask Butler if SLU isn't strong enough.

One season (or multiple good seasons) does not make a program. Community support, national name recognition, etc. help a program build. Most people would misspell the university's name, that's not a brand. I always used St. Louis when writing it out until Butler was in the A-10 and I realized it was wrong.

There are very few "brands" in college basketball: UCLA, Duke, Carolina, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgetown, Indiana. End of list.

[yorost]

Kansas?

Georgetown is below that list with a bunch of other schools that are national brands in basketball. When people see my Marquette gear in the South, the first thing I almost always hear is, "good basketball school." (then, "you're from the Michigan?") Is Marquette a top basketball brand? No, but that doesn't mean they haven't built recognition through the sport.

[DumpsterFireA10]

Kansas?

Georgetown is below that list with a bunch of other schools that are national brands in basketball. When people see my Marquette gear in the South, the first thing I almost always hear is, "good basketball school." (then, "you're from the Michigan?") Is Marquette a top basketball brand? No, but that doesn't mean they haven't built recognition through the sport.

Yeah, Marquette is a great program, as is Kansas. Georgetown is more a brand for their place in history than their standing as of this second.

[yorost]

My point is just that the list of successful brands does not end with the premium brands.

[BillEsq]

@Bill Marsh

Did you watch Saint Louis last season? Even once? Ask Butler if SLU isn't strong enough.

One season (or multiple good seasons) does not make a program. Community support, national name recognition, etc. help a program build. Most people would misspell the university's name, that's not a brand. I always used St. Louis when writing it out until Butler was in the A-10 and I realized it was wrong.

LOL @ guy Saint Louis v. St. Louis is like GTown v. GT (Georgia Tech) which many on this board still get wrong. either your claiming that Georgetown needs to work on its national name recognition or your trying to argue that the general public's ignorance in how to correctly write a college's name is a valid factor in determining whether or not a brand (which you actually do say). I will also go on record and say most Kentucky fans would probably misspell Kentucky so that must mean that Kentucky is not a national brand. Poor Quinnipiac University they could win the national title 10 years in a row and never be a brand. St. Louis is spelled correctly it just usually isn't used to refer to the university. It would be like calling Boston College,(a university) Boston University and so on and so on. So in the past when you, as you admit, mistyped and referred to an institution as something other than what it is i encourage you to take your time and research what you are saying.

and to my friend dump who i hope is feeling better, don't waste your time arguing petty things as BYU and WCC schools its akin to pissin in the wind or debating on the proper way to refer to The Pennsylvania State University New Kensington Campus of the Commonwealth College.

[BillEsq]

Kansas?

Georgetown is below that list with a bunch of other schools that are national brands in basketball. When people see my Marquette gear in the South, the first thing I almost always hear is, "good basketball school." (then, "you're from the Michigan?") Is Marquette a top basketball brand? No, but that doesn't mean they haven't built recognition through the sport.

Agreed. honestly national brands in basketball are Duke, Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, and Kansas.

I don't even think Louisville is and i'm a fan of Louisville and they are the champs. UCLA hasn't been relevant in so long nationally its not much of a brand anymore. You can only roll out Wooden so many times.

People heard of the others. Those with knowledge might even be able to tell you a few things. 50% of people can't even tell you anything about more than 10 colleges. 75% of people can't even tell you what teams they had picked to win their brackets last year. 90% of people are unaware that Butler went to back to back national titles (heck if they are aware that they went to any). Its nothing personal its just the way it is. Most people can't tell you who was in the national championship game in football last year. I swear last weekend i had some guy ask me how NotreDame finished the year.
You guys crack me up talking about name brands. Across the nation you have fans of the schools they went to, fans of the local state school and fans of Duke. in football its the same thing delete Duke insert NotreDame.

Just because on here we can recite esoteric stats from teams from 4 years ago doesn't mean that the national conscious hasn't forgotten them. 10 years back you might as well forget about it. If I had a dollar for every beer i've won supposed fans who thought they knew about their own team i'd be able to buy a new liver.