re: WTF happened to the big east

I think there is still room for the Big East to become a legit 5-6 bid conference with expansion. There are solid basketball only schools out there that they could invite and make the conference better from top to bottom. They should raid the A10(14) and expand to either 14 or 16 members. Add Dayton, VCU, Saint Louis and somehow they should talk with UConn about becoming a member again. UConn should seriously consider dropping football and rejoining the Big East. Adding those 4 school would absolutely make the confernece better.

Villanova*
Marquette*
Seton Hall*
Creighton
Xavier
Georgetown
St Johns
Providence
DePaul
Butler
UConn
Dayton
Saint Louis*
VCU*

* indicates 2019 NCAA tourney bid

That would be a solid 14 team Big East.

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meh. this was a down year for the conference but theyve been fine in recent memory

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This. A lot of the teams in the conference were really young, and it showed. Also didn't help that the bottom of the league was better this year than they've been in the past. Still, 90% of the league ended up in either the NCAA Tournament or the NIT, and every school finished .500 or better. I think 40% of the ACC finished the year with a losing record.

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I think there is still room for the Big East to become a legit 5-6 bid conference with expansion.

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The schools in the conference are on record as being really happy with the double round robin format they've got now. I can't see them expanding by more than one or two schools.

Besides, until this year, they've been a legit 5-6 bid conference.

2018: Villanova, Xavier, Creighton, Providence, Butler, Seton Hall

2017: Villanova, Marquette, Providence, Xavier, Creighton, Butler, Seton Hall

2016: Villanova, Xavier, Providence, Seton Hall, Butler

2015: Butler, Xavier, Villanova, Providence, Georgetown, St. John's

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They thought bball would be enough to keep them strong and they were wrong. They should have never broken off from the AAC schools. Their exposure and potential TV money was significantly reduced by leaving the FBS football schools.

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The schools are making more money now than they were in the Old Big East. Fewer dollars overall, but far fewer mouths to feed.

Not to mention the coaches in the 80’s and early 90’s.

Must watch TV in the 1980's.

It WAS college basketball.

Everyone else was second banana.

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The 2000s were peak Big East for me. Loved watching it growing up

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I never really appreciated it back then but the Big East basketball was awesome.

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That league was so stacked before it disbanded. I vividly remember how fun the tournament was at MSG. At any given time, Syracuse, Nova, Pitt, UConn, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Georgetown, even BC in some years, were all elite. Then it got even better when it added Louisville, Cincinnati and Marquette.

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2009 when the Big East had three number one seeds and the 6 OT game between UCONN and Syracuse.

ESPN just had to mess up a good thing. ESPN just had to get butthurt and use ACC expansion to destroy the Big East.

It is a completely different conference. They relaunched in 2013 after conference realignment after losing basketball powerhouses UConn, Syracuse, and Louisville.

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ESPN just had to mess up a good thing. ESPN just had to get butthurt and use ACC expansion to destroy the Big East.
Tulane basketball destroyed the Big East

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The Big East was dead long before Tulane got there. The old Big East died the day that Syracuse and Pitt announced they were leaving. Tulane was just the last pallbearer to lower the coffin.

Narrowly missed having an 4-for-41985 Final Four.

Nova, Gtown, StJohn.

BC got tripped up in Dallas.