Originally Posted by hawkoooo
We are never going to be invited to the Big East. I can't believe people keep talking about this. If they are ever "forced" to go to 11 because of 20-game conference scheduling Saint Louis will probably be picked. By then hopefully we are already in the American and it wouldn't matter. That is the conference we should be trying to get in, since they've already extended overtures, and the jump would be a complete no-brainer and an immediate improvement. As I've said in other threads (or this one, who knows) the American could vastly elevate both football and basketball with a few select and simple moves:
Invite Boise and SDSU again for all sports. Include an offer to BYU, Gonzaga and Saint Mary's. Offer BYU a similar setup to Notre Dame's. That gives you 15 for football just like the ACC. Then add Dayton/VCU for 19, just like the old Big East had before the break-up. 18 game true round-robin basketball schedule. This would be the best basketball conference in the country without question. To avoid travel problems, simply split the 19 geographically for two separate conferences for non-spectator sports (9 West, 10 East).
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I don't think a BE invite is so out of the question that we can't talk about it. It's not the most likely scenario, but to declare it an unspeakable subject may be going a bit far. We would be one of the top 3 choices. May not mean we get in if they expand, but we would be in the conversation - which makes it worth talking about.
As for your American Conference proposal, I'm not against it - it's clearly a step above where we are, but to say that it would be the best basketball conference after your proposed changes is insanity. That conference would have exactly 1 current top 25 team (and that's only if you can get Gonzaga). And the travel would be insane. You can fly to Belize in about the same about of time as you can Spokane.
To say it would be the best bball conference without question - I think there would be a lot of questions. My opinion, Big 10, ACC, and SEC would be clearly superior conferences.
Again, not against the idea, but it has significant drawbacks (travel) and would not be the elite conference you have in mind.
