Big East breakup, It seems like just yesterday that we were singing the praise of A-10 commissioner Bernadette McGlade after she added two of the most charismatic and successful young coaches in Brad Stevens and Shaka Smart.
However, things can and do change quickly in the game of conference realignment. With what appears to now be the impending departure of the seven Catholic basketball schools from the Big East, sources have told CBSSports.com that the breakaway schools will target multiple A-10 schools in an effort to build a 10 or 12-team basketball league with solid footing.
Xavier, Butler, Saint Louis and Dayton are all squarely in play -- along with Creighton out of the Missouri Valley, according to multiple Big East sources.
A recent ESPN.com report suggested that McGlade and the A-10 would go after the seven schools -- Villanova, Georgetown, Marquette, St. John's, Providence, Seton Hall and DePaul -- in an effort to expand to 21 teams.
Let's be serious. This is a dog-eat-dog world -- and last I checked, the terriers aren't taking down the German Shepherds.
McGlade was all smiles at A-10 media day, and rightfully so after adding Butler and VCU, and also inking a five-year contact to hold the league tourney at the brand-new Barclays Arena in Brooklyn. No one was more popular in the room, not even Stevens or Smart. McGlade and the A-10 were deemed the clear-cut realignment winner.
"For now," one A-10 coach warned me. "It's not over by any means."
McGlade barely had a chance to pop the champagne, though, because realignment is seemingly never over. It doesn't matter that her league has added two of the sports rising coaches and that Butler and VCU tempered the loss of Temple to the Big East and Charlotte back to C-USA. The offseason moves were applauded by everyone in basketball circles -- especially with the addition of talented coaches such as Archie Miller (Dayton) and Dan Hurley (Rhode Island) in the last couple of years. There were some who felt as though this could be a banner year for the league, maybe even as many as six teams finding their way into the NCAA tournament.
The number seemed ludicrous, but St. Joe's, VCU, Temple, Saint Louis, Butler and UMass were all considered legitimate NCAA tournament teams. Xavier, Richmond and La Salle weren't far behind.
Butler and VCU will have a chance every year as long as Stevens and Smart don't bolt for higher-profile, more lucrative spots. Miller has Dayton on the right track. The same can be said for Derek Kellogg at UMass. Phil Martelli has St. Joe's in postseason contention after a couple of down years and while Xavier is young, the Musketeers remain one of the top programs in the nation. URI will improve under Hurley, Richmond and La Salle are both competitive and Saint Louis, even with the loss of Rick Majerus, has a chance to go dancing this year once Kwamain Mitchell returns from his broken foot.
Simply put, the A-10 had established itself as one of the elite basketball leagues in the nation. No shortage of quality programs -- and a ton of talented coaches. A case could even be made that this league was superior to the Pac-12 this season and closing in on the Big East after it had lost Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Notre Dame and most recently, Louisville and Rutgers.
"We were feeling good," one A-10 coach said. "Really good."
But no one holds that sentiment today.
"That's gone," he added. "We're worried now because who knows what's going to happen."
Now McGlade is on guard, ready to protect her turf. It's just a matter of time before the group of seven Catholic league schools swoop in and attempt to lure a few of her flagship programs. There's just one problem, though. There's nothing McGlade can do to stop them. She might as well just get down on her knees and pray.
If the league does lose three of its top programs, the A-10 goes back to what it was. A nice multibid league that isn't all that different from the WCC, Missouri Valley or the Mountain West.
"Would it set the league back a little bit?" said one A-10 head coach. "Sure, but the league is as deep as its been in a long, long time. Maybe ever. It would weaken it, but it would still be a good league."
But not great. Not powerful enough to command a substantial television contract the next time it's up for bidding. The recent TV contract was a step up from the previous one, with more dates and the addition of the NBC Sports Network, but let's face it: It still wasn't eye-popping. Who knows what television partners would be willing to invest heavily in an 11-team league that consists of Duquesne, Fordham, George Washington, La Salle, UMass, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, St. Joseph's, Saint Louis and VCU. The current average payoff each school receives from the TV deal is about $400,000 while Big East schools would likely command two or three times that amount.
Last I checked, money speaks louder than anything else in the game of realignment -- and there's more dollars to be had, even in the revamped, new-look Big East, than in the A-10.
However, things can and do change quickly in the game of conference realignment. With what appears to now be the impending departure of the seven Catholic basketball schools from the Big East, sources have told CBSSports.com that the breakaway schools will target multiple A-10 schools in an effort to build a 10 or 12-team basketball league with solid footing.
Xavier, Butler, Saint Louis and Dayton are all squarely in play -- along with Creighton out of the Missouri Valley, according to multiple Big East sources.
A recent ESPN.com report suggested that McGlade and the A-10 would go after the seven schools -- Villanova, Georgetown, Marquette, St. John's, Providence, Seton Hall and DePaul -- in an effort to expand to 21 teams.
Let's be serious. This is a dog-eat-dog world -- and last I checked, the terriers aren't taking down the German Shepherds.
McGlade was all smiles at A-10 media day, and rightfully so after adding Butler and VCU, and also inking a five-year contact to hold the league tourney at the brand-new Barclays Arena in Brooklyn. No one was more popular in the room, not even Stevens or Smart. McGlade and the A-10 were deemed the clear-cut realignment winner.
"For now," one A-10 coach warned me. "It's not over by any means."
McGlade barely had a chance to pop the champagne, though, because realignment is seemingly never over. It doesn't matter that her league has added two of the sports rising coaches and that Butler and VCU tempered the loss of Temple to the Big East and Charlotte back to C-USA. The offseason moves were applauded by everyone in basketball circles -- especially with the addition of talented coaches such as Archie Miller (Dayton) and Dan Hurley (Rhode Island) in the last couple of years. There were some who felt as though this could be a banner year for the league, maybe even as many as six teams finding their way into the NCAA tournament.
The number seemed ludicrous, but St. Joe's, VCU, Temple, Saint Louis, Butler and UMass were all considered legitimate NCAA tournament teams. Xavier, Richmond and La Salle weren't far behind.
Butler and VCU will have a chance every year as long as Stevens and Smart don't bolt for higher-profile, more lucrative spots. Miller has Dayton on the right track. The same can be said for Derek Kellogg at UMass. Phil Martelli has St. Joe's in postseason contention after a couple of down years and while Xavier is young, the Musketeers remain one of the top programs in the nation. URI will improve under Hurley, Richmond and La Salle are both competitive and Saint Louis, even with the loss of Rick Majerus, has a chance to go dancing this year once Kwamain Mitchell returns from his broken foot.
Simply put, the A-10 had established itself as one of the elite basketball leagues in the nation. No shortage of quality programs -- and a ton of talented coaches. A case could even be made that this league was superior to the Pac-12 this season and closing in on the Big East after it had lost Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Notre Dame and most recently, Louisville and Rutgers.
"We were feeling good," one A-10 coach said. "Really good."
But no one holds that sentiment today.
"That's gone," he added. "We're worried now because who knows what's going to happen."
Now McGlade is on guard, ready to protect her turf. It's just a matter of time before the group of seven Catholic league schools swoop in and attempt to lure a few of her flagship programs. There's just one problem, though. There's nothing McGlade can do to stop them. She might as well just get down on her knees and pray.
If the league does lose three of its top programs, the A-10 goes back to what it was. A nice multibid league that isn't all that different from the WCC, Missouri Valley or the Mountain West.
"Would it set the league back a little bit?" said one A-10 head coach. "Sure, but the league is as deep as its been in a long, long time. Maybe ever. It would weaken it, but it would still be a good league."
But not great. Not powerful enough to command a substantial television contract the next time it's up for bidding. The recent TV contract was a step up from the previous one, with more dates and the addition of the NBC Sports Network, but let's face it: It still wasn't eye-popping. Who knows what television partners would be willing to invest heavily in an 11-team league that consists of Duquesne, Fordham, George Washington, La Salle, UMass, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, St. Joseph's, Saint Louis and VCU. The current average payoff each school receives from the TV deal is about $400,000 while Big East schools would likely command two or three times that amount.
Last I checked, money speaks louder than anything else in the game of realignment -- and there's more dollars to be had, even in the revamped, new-look Big East, than in the A-10.
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