Here we go!
fighting muskie wrote:
I can't decide if the A-21 is a realistic model for the A-10 and the Catholic 7 or if its a desperation attempt by the weaker A-10 schools to stay relevant when they know that the Catholic 7 could easily strip the A-10 of its best programs if the Catholic 7 decided to go at it alone.
Yes. No. Kinda. Both.
It's the Atlantic 10 as a whole publicly inviting them to get attention.
It's safe for everyone in the A-10, because it raises their profile if they somehow say yes.
It's safe for the top half of the A-10, because it presents unity and loyalty, when really opening lines of communication to call up the Big East 7 and begging and pleading for an invite if they split.
It's safe for the bottom half of the A-10, because they think it can showcase how ridiculous it would be for The Big East 7 to split, because the bottom have does NOT want that BE split, or they'll be left behind.
fighting muskie wrote:
I hope I don't offend anyone, I know we have a big St Bonny fan on here, but many of the A-10 schools would not bring in a market or are redundant in that the Catholic 7 already have their market covered.
I'm the Bona fan (I take it you missed my Big East thread post. Bona, not Bonny), and no, I'm not offended. I know it has nothing to do with my school -- which is the reigning Atlantic 10 Champions, was one of 28 schools to have both men and women in the dance last season; competes in the conference with the smallest budget and makes a lot of other schools with more money look silly.
It has everything to do with the non-existent market that is Olean, NY. Without the Van Breda Kolff welder scandal, and the Rigas scandal, MAYBE we'd have a shot. Rigas was on our board, and put games on his Empire Sports Network. Without those scandals, maybe we don't suck for seven years and have great regional exposure. Maybe we get the nod for a #14 spot if they go with VCU, Richmond and Duquesne because we can bring a slice of Buffalo and Rochester.
But alas, we're boned if the Big East splits.
fighting muskie wrote:
Why do you need URI when you have Providence?
Why do you need George Washington when you have Georgetown?
Why do you need St Joe's and LaSalle when you have Villanova?
Why do you need Fordham when you have St John's and Seton Hall?
What television value does St Bonaventure bring in upstate NY?
They don't. Which is why the Atlantic-21 will never happen (Nor an Atlantic-20 with a 7-for-1 UMass trade).
fighting muskie wrote:
If the Catholic 7 want the Richmond market they don't need both Richmond and VCU.
If the Catholic 7 are going to leave they may as well start their own league and try to keep as much revenue for themselves as they can without spreading it among the entire A-10. it would make more sense to pick a select few from the following:
Xavier, St Louis, Dayton, Butler, Duquesne, UMass, Richmond or VCU
I'd simply pick 5 from that list and make a 12 team league.
Xavier and SLU are locks. The real question is: 9, 10 or 12?
Right now, the odds would be on 12, because you get easy divisions which help balance the league out:
Five of the top six would be in the West: Xavier, Marquette, Villanova, Georgetown, Saint Louis, Butler. Well, whomever is 4th in the West is going to be behind third in the East on the NCAA bubble, and maybe you can get 6-7 teams into the dance.
fighting muskie wrote:
I know there is some concern with a new league about not getting any past due credits from the NCAAMBBT and that it's spead over a 6 yr span.
Anyone know what kind of dough the A-10 is due for these games?
1 bid = one share.
each win = one share.
Each share is made up of six units, paid out over six years.
So 2008 is six units each in 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
And 2009 is six units each in 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.
Etc.
Each unit is in "current dollars" based on the escalating CBS contract with the NCAA Tournament. I don't know exactly what they are up to now, but I'd estimate somewhere in the $300,000 to $450,000 range, each.
The A-10 is mostly "make it, take it." The league takes a cut and then schools get about 80% of the units they earned for the league. So, Xavier would be walking out on a decent some of money.
But it would make long-term financial sense for Xavier to walk away from that and into a situation with the Big East Catholic schools. And realignment is a negotiation between the school and conferences: Schools can work out various revenue sharing deals. Most conferences are replacing someone who left, and can use departing schools NCAA shares to grease the tracks (like the A-10 did for Butler and VCU).
If the Big East catholic schools can simply say "Why don't YOU LEAVE, football! We'll waive any exit fees for you and we'll split all the old exit fees. We just want the name. If you say no, we will dissolve the league, screw all of us over and take our chances." Then the Big East would have all the NCAA shares from teams like Syracuse, Pitt, WVU, Louisville rolling in, and the conference revenue sharing makes it worthwhile for someone like Xavier to bail.