Best Basketball Conference

[FaN78]

Being a VCU fan, it is obvious what outcome I would like for the Rams but in all honesty I wanted to show everyone some statistics that I put together. If the conference is about making the best basketball conference, VCU and Wichita State shouldn't be ignored.
Here are some statistics that I put together. http://www.vcuramfootball.com/NewBigEast.htm Oh by the way; I had to store it on a domain I own, which coincidentally deals with starting football at VCU. To alleviate any stress that VCU may add football, I can tell you for sure that it probably will never happen. If VCU gets into the New Big East it will definitely never happen. My study concluded it probably would cost around 150 million to start up but that is another story.

I believe a 14 team conference adding Dayton, St. Louis, VCU and Wichita State would be one of the top conferences in the country. It would be split into 2 divisions of 7 where each school would play their division twice (home & away) and the other division once equaling 19 conference games. In my statistics, you can clearly see that VCU and Wichita State's average RPI for the last 5 years would have been one of the highest in the New Big East. You also look for team stability and willingness to invest in the basketball program as both VCU and Wichita State have kept their coach from taking higher profile jobs. Both schools also pay their coach around 1.5 million and play in front of sellout crowds. And now that Wichita State is in the Final Four; it just puts the icing on the cake. These two programs have shown that their success is sustainable and it would be a shame for the New Big East league to ignore it.

Here is a conference map. It gives Creighton a natural rival and it would allow for a public school rivalry between VCU and Wichita State.

Admittedly, I am a Villanova alum and fan -> IbleedVCU, if you are going to leave one of the original C7 off your plan for the Best Basketball Conference, don't be surprised when VU leaves your school's name off its ballot. Knucklehead.

[marquette]

All things can change. If the point of using football was to move up in conferences and gain revenue for sports, joining our conference could mitigate the need. I'm sure the more basketball success they have the less imperative it is for them to have football. It's not like they can just add football and join a power conference, or even make money. Don't read to far into past statements, if football coming blocks them from money they probably aren't going spend money to do it without someone giving them assurances for their future in football, i.e. Metro ensuring them a football spot or something.

It's also worth pointing out that if they joined our conference football might become near impossible to add. If we really have a grant of rights they'll be in a jam to try and move somewhere with football. Maybe they leave down the road, but that's ok, a school adding football isn't going to give a terribly poor perception on them leaving.

I am a basketball guy, but I think vcu could make more money in football (with obviously their bball team still bringing in revenue) then they could make in basketball in the big east. Its a higher revenue sport. Also, Charlotte and Old Dominion are in Conf USA after about 2 or 3 years and with vcu's characteristics, I imagine they would have a easier time getting invited to a better conference than that with more $.

Of the 125 D1 FBS teams, 71 turned a profit last year. 32 of them lost more than $2 million. There is potential to make a lot of money, but it is a gamble especially for a new program. Here is a list of the top 100 of the 125 teams and their profits/lack of profits. Teams stop making money at #72, start losing money at #93.

http://www.ibj.com/the-score/2011/10/12 ... post/30084

That doesn't even take into account title IX and the extra cost of adding non-revenue sports.

[yorost]

That's not profit lines, that's a valuation of the public school programs, i.e. what would it cost to buy them. Some of them would have to pay you millions to take them.

You see a lot of numbers thrown around, but I think prior to Title IX considrations a little more than 40% of FBS programs lose money. It gets worse when Title IX is balanced in, but I don't know if that is ever officially accounted for as a football cost. I have seen comparisons with that, though.

[marquette]

That's not profit lines, that's a valuation of the public school programs, i.e. what would it cost to buy them. Some of them would have to pay you millions to take them.

You see a lot of numbers thrown around, but I think prior to Title IX considrations a little more than 40% of FBS programs lose money. It gets worse when Title IX is balanced in, but I don't know if that is ever officially accounted for as a football cost. I have seen comparisons with that, though.

Whoops, must have misread the article. Still, it does specifically state that the programs with negative values suck resources away from the school while the ones rated as $0 add no value. I'd say that equates to not turning a profit.

[yorost]

Oh, sure, but Texas does not make near a billion dollars a year on football! They do rake the money in, though. It's something around $50 million after Title IX is accounted for, if I recall.

[IbleedVCU]

Admittedly, I am a Villanova alum and fan -> IbleedVCU, if you are going to leave one of the original C7 off your plan for the Best Basketball Conference, don't be surprised when VU leaves your school's name off its ballot. Knucklehead.

My sincerest apologies. I actually noticed last night when I posted it but it was going to take me too long to redo the map. Here you go.



In terms of football, all of this talk about adding a program came before VCU went to the Final Four. VCU understands that Shaka Smart is staying at the school because we only have a basketball program. If we add football, Shaka Smart is probably gone. Now, before the New Big East was formed, the only way for a University to get to a "Big time" league was through football. VCU knew that and wants to raise it's brand amongst other Research universities. Now that the New Big East is formed and it will be a super basketball-only conference, VCU would give up the pursuit of football in a heartbeat. Even though we are in the "South," if you have been to the city of Richmond you know that there is a very "different" artsy culture here that embraces basketball but wouldn't fit the traditional football fan type. My idea with the 14 team league is that it seems every other major conference is going to 14 teams and this way the New Big East could compete on the same level as the SEC, ACC, and the B1G in terms of size. I appreciate everyone's thoughts on the matter.

[DeltaV]

I'm not sure we really qualify as big research universities...a great place to get a well rounded, respected education? Yes...but the big time research schools are your land grant schools, mostly.

Or am I mistaken?

[James]

Good effort, you've put a lot of work into this.

Unfortunately, I'm completely against 14 teams, adding public universities and segregating into two divisions. Going that big we would lose a bit of the original Big East essence that I think these schools are trying to recapture.

At the moment, I'm liking the idea of adding Richmond + 1 other further down the line.

[cm5yz6]

Even though we are in the "South," if you have been to the city of Richmond you know that there is a very "different" artsy culture here that embraces basketball but wouldn't fit the traditional football fan type. My idea with the 14 team league is that it seems every other major conference is going to 14 teams and this way the New Big East could compete on the same level as the SEC, ACC, and the B1G in terms of size. I appreciate everyone's thoughts on the matter.

I live in Richmond. That city and the neighboring areas want an FBS team that isn't VT or UVA, and I truly believe many (but true, probably not all) vcu board members would like to oblige.