U of Memphis to the Big Esat?

[DovaDawg]

Word on the news here in Memphis is that U of Memphis is in serious talks to move to the Big East.
If Memphis makes the move, how does that affect the following:

- Recruiting in our area. Adding another BCS school.
- Does that make Memphis a more attractive game.
- Does Memphis cancel future out of conference games when they move their schedule around.

 

[patdog]

They begged the Big East to take them a couple of years ago and were shot down. There's a delicate balance in the Big East between the football playing schools and the non-football playing schools with neither having a majority. If they added Memphis, they'd probably have to also add a non-football playing school to keep the balance. Either that or split into two conferences.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

http://community.myfoxmemphis.com/blogs/MattStark/2008/05/14/Tigers_Big_East_Bound

 

[RebelBruiser]

Either that or split into two conferences.

</p>

That's what they really need to do. It's what the Mountain West schools did to the WAC a few years back. The WAC expanded to 16 teams for a year or two before the MWC teams broke away to form their own league. The Big East football schools should break away and form their own league if they hope to survive as a true football league. The basketball schools would be a quality basketball conference, but there is no reason for them to be linked with the football schools.

 

[Temple of the Dawg]

The basketball schools would be a quality basketball conference, but there is no reason for them to be linked with the football schools.

So you don't think the basketball only schools would benefit from having Louisville, UConn, Cincy, Pitt, Syracuse, WVU, and Memphis (if they join) as members of their league in basketball? I can't imagine how losing these schools from a basketball standpoint would be a good thing.

 

[RebelBruiser]

The basketball schools would be a quality basketball conference, but there is no reason for them to be ]

So you don't think the basketball only schools would benefit from having Louisville, UConn, Cincy, Pitt, Syracuse, WVU, and Memphis (if they join) as
members of their league in basketball? I can't imagine how losing these schools from a basketball standpoint would be a good thing.

</p>

Well, for one thing it's too big of a league. Right now, with 16 teams, they usually end up with 10 or so teams that have legit arguments for getting an NCAA bid. I think they often get shorted in NCAA bids based on the fact that they have too many teams from the same conference. I think as two separate conferences they'd be able to get more bids for their league members.

By the way, I would think that joining the Big East would be the last thing Calipari would want. He loves it in CUSA where he's basically going to get an automatic 1, 2, or 3 seed in the NCAA tournament for the forseeable future. The minute they join the Big East, that'll change.

 

[Oxford Godfrey]

I'm of the opinion that Memphis team that has to play a real conference schedule wouldn't even sniff a 1 seed come March. I know they schedule great non-con games, but getting up for five big games versus slogging through a schedule of Louisville, Pitt, West Virginia, UConn, Georgetown and Syracuse versus the "grueling" rogue's gallery of Tulane, Houston, UAB and USM would add 5-6 losses to this year's schedule alone.

As for football, I don't think it would really do much of anything. I don't think they can compete with the "powers" of West Virginia and the 'Ville and upstarts like Rutgers and USF.

 

[VegasDawg13]

You think the Memphis team that just lost the natioanl championship by choking it away in the last minute after dominating the first five rounds (except for the Bulldogs of course) wouldn't have been able to "sniff a 1 seed" if they were playing in a big-time conference? Give me a break.

 

[dawgstudent]

30 wins and 1 loss in the regular season.

 

[RebelBruiser]

You think the Memphis team that just lost the natioanl championship by choking it away in the last minute after dominating the first five rounds (except for
the Bulldogs of course) wouldn't have been able to "sniff a 1 seed" if they were playing in a big-time conference? Give me a break.

</p>

They wouldn't have as easy of a time of it as they do in CUSA. This past year's team might have been able to get to a 1 seed, but they played inconsistent for a lot of the conference season. The only reason they didn't accumulate more losses was because the teams they were playing were so weak. Calipari knows he can cakewalk to a minimum 3 seed as long as he's in CUSA. If he goes to the Big East, things will be a lot different for him.

 

[state20006]

By the way, I would think that joining the Big East would be the last thing Calipari would want. He loves it in CUSA where he's basically going to get an automatic 1, 2, or 3 seed in the NCAA tournament for the forseeable future. The minute they join the Big East, that'll change.

not if they have a team like they had this year.
</p>

 

[MSUCostanza]

Memphis would roll through the Big East schedule undefeated?

If so, you are a moron.

If not, then they would not be a 1-seed every year, like they are set up to do right now.

 

[8dog]

I don't know that it would necessarily hurt them that bad. Your team is what it is regardless of conference. Getting a one seed really only matters for 1 round.

 

[jamdawg96]

because they'd BE in the Big East. They might lose an additional two games, maybe three. But it wouldn't hurt them as much. Losing in C-USA and losing in the Big East are two totally different worlds. Their RPI would be top notch, because they would've been far and away the best team in the Big East.

Most of the time, the four 1-seeds are the four best teams in the country. Look at the other one seeds this year. All of them lost a few conference games, but they still got top seeds. Look at Georgetown. They're in the Big East and they got a 2-seed. They lost to Memphis by 14. It wouldn't have mattered what conference they were playing in this past year. Memphis would have been a 1-seed regardless.

 

[Temple of the Dawg]

You are right about this year. They most likely would have been a 1 seed this year regardless. However, year in and year out, their odds of garnering a 1 seed would drop significantly simply because they would have a conference schedule that would cost them several Ws a year because it is full of teams that are good basketball schools vs. the current CUSA. Couple that with non-conf losses (assuming they kept the same strength of OOC) would cost them a 1. However, Cal would probably drop down the level of their OOC to play more teams like MSU, Ark, and other major conf teams that are likely to make the dance more times than not, but will likely not be a top 4 seed.