Poll - If Gonzaga Should Join Us In Big East...?

[Bill Marsh]

I voted no not because of concern for our student athletes, but because it's hard for me to imagine that much travel not having a negative effect on Gonzaga's basketball program. If the basketball program suffers, what would be the point of adding them in the first place. It seems likely the extensive travel would likely have a negative impact on the recruiting as well. WVU may a test case for this hypothesis, although Gonzaga's travel would be even more extensive.

Gonzaga flies charter on all trips, thereby saving time. They already make 2-3 road trips per year to the Midwest. In addition, they have 2 road trips per year to Southern California. A trip to Chicago take them only about an hour more than that.

In a 12 team Big East with divisional play, Gonzaga would only have to make one road trip to the East Coast and 2 others to the Midwest east of the Mississippi. A 4th road trip would involve BYU/Creighton, which is very manageable and is similar to trips they already make to California in the WCC.

In other words, Gonzaga isn't adding any road trips that they don't already make in the years when they do 3 road trips to the Midwest and the East. They simply substitute 3 Big East road trips for the OOC trips they're already making and a 4th for one of their WCC trips. That leaves them their old WCC trips to play OOC out West.

In one recent season, Gonzaga had the following road trips on their schedule, all at their opponents' sites:

North Carolina
Butler
Texas
Georgia
Virginia

Only 2 of them were paired, so it was 4 separate road trips.

[Bill Marsh]

Gonzaga charters their own jet and they do it on a smaller revenue stream than the Big East schools. If any BE schools are flying commercial, they should be ashamed of themselves.

Bill, I think you have some Providence connections? Which non-rev sports teams at Providence charter flights? Women's volleyball on a charter to Spokane?

It will take a few phone calls, but I'll work on it.

[cm5yz6]

Gonzaga will not be a member of the Big East.

[cujaysfan]

Gonzaga will not be a member of the Big East.

this - i'm done debating it with people who won't read the entirety of an argument.

it just isn't going to happen. the presidents won't go for it.

[Bill Marsh]

is gonzaga going to be relocated to Davenport, IA?

if not - seems like kind of a pointless question.

Bump.

[Bill Marsh]

basketball wise - no brainer

logistics wise - it'd be insane

do a quick search from providence to spokane

it involves at least 2 and maybe three PLANE CHANGES - and that's one way

it'd be a terrible situation for student athletes - even worse for fans that might want to travel to a game.

Bump.

[Bill Marsh]

is gonzaga going to be relocated to Davenport, IA?

if not - seems like kind of a pointless question.

Bump.

[Bill Marsh]

you guys think like hoops fans

not university presidents and ADs

(not that there is anything wrong with that)

not too mention - who says GU would be interested? I think they have a pretty good situation right now. a league they own, high enough profile to garner decent opponents to come their way for non-con, and annual tourney bids. they might not wanna mess with a good thing.

Bump.

[Bill Marsh]

of course i remember fred garvin - it speaks to both my age and the fact that i'm from the quad cities...

also - someone mentioned that GU is interested - i'd actually contest that. are their fans interested? perhaps. sports writers who serve up endless drivel? probably. but is their BOD and univ president? i'd say that we really don't know - particularly after a lot of the story came out after the fact on how the new BE happened. until i hear something conclusive from those folks (which we won't because this isn't even something on the radar for NBE with all the other stuff going on concurrently) - then it's my opinion that it ain't happenin' - maybe that will change in a few years...

UConn - not an institutional fit. GU, unfortunately, not a geographical one.

at this point - i'd think it would be much more constructive and interesting to focus on what we have - versus what we are not.

we're days away from starting practice for the first NBE season - i think that'd be a much more worthy topic.

Bump.

[Bill Marsh]

i care about our student athletes going to class

i care about them graduating

i care about them not spending their already full lives in airports and on planes - all of which detract from the possibility of them being a "normal" student. i'd prefer that our warrior poets get to go to the library, grab a pizza with their friends, hit an off campus FAC to meet some girls - all in between the NCAA allowed practices and kicking all other NBE team's asses on a regular basis.

i also know that no other sport besides basketball will be doing charters - so yeah, plane changes and all that other stuff matter

so - if you don't give a crap about any of your women student athletes or soccer players, or cross country, or baseball - then by all means - let's add gonzaga - in fact - let's see if hawaii is interested in joining - i'd love a trip to the beach every year punctuated by a hoops game.

why the hell not.

Bump.