Should we Join the Big East if offered

[Murphy outgo lifer]

I have been reading and posting on the Big East Message board on a thread about additions to the Big East. There has been some discussion about how Gonzaga fans may not want to join even if offered. Not sure where everyone is at on this so I thought I would create a poll to see and share.

[zagdontzig]

If we can figure out a landing place for non-basketball sports, we should definitely take the invite. Fox would cover all time-zones with that TV deal. Bigly money.

[LongIslandZagFan]

If we can figure out a landing place for non-basketball sports, we should definitely take the invite. Fox would cover all time-zones with that TV deal. Bigly money.

Wondering if the bigly money would cover the travel costs for non-hoops sports. Also, some level of travel accommodations to limit the coast to coast trips would need to part of the package IMHO. But I am more than down with the idea... mostly because I'd get to see them play more often.

[strikenowhere]

Wondering if the bigly money would cover the travel costs for non-hoops sports. Also, some level of travel accommodations to limit the coast to coast trips would need to part of the package IMHO. But I am more than down with the idea... mostly because I'd get to see them play more often.

Haha you and me both - see you at MSG, Pavilion, and the Prudential Center!

[LongIslandZagFan]

Haha you and me both - see you at MSG, Pavilion, and the Prudential Center!

Hell Carneseca Court in Jamaica, Queens. I still have connections at SJU

[zagdontzig]

Wondering if the bigly money would cover the travel costs for non-hoops sports. Also, some level of travel accommodations to limit the coast to coast trips would need to part of the package IMHO. But I am more than down with the idea... mostly because I'd get to see them play more often.

What I mean by "landing spot for non-basketball sports" is they would stay in the WCC or another regional conference. I agree with you that making smaller D1 sports travel to Philadelphia makes no sense.

[LongIslandZagFan]

What I mean by "landing spot for non-basketball sports" is they would stay in the WCC or another regional conference. I agree with you that making smaller D1 sports travel to Philadelphia makes no sense.

Although I think it is still doable. My daughter played D2 tennis, she had plenty of matches way upstate or in DC over her 4 years. Those were a minimum of 5-7 hours of driving.... all the other sports were in the same division so they were making similar trips for baseball/soccer/Lax/field hockey etc. Those times aren't radically different than a direct charter flight from Spokane to say NYC or DC.

[strikenowhere]

I'm amazed that there are already five people poo-pooing this. Would you rather play St. Mary's or Villanova? San Francisco or Creighton? LMU or Seton Hall? San Diego or Butler? Every single team (outside of DePaul lol) is in upgrade compared to the teams in the WCC

[ZagDad84]

Wondering if the bigly money would cover the travel costs for non-hoops sports. Also, some level of travel accommodations to limit the coast to coast trips would need to part of the package IMHO. But I am more than down with the idea... mostly because I'd get to see them play more often.

Here we go again.

I did a pretty thorough financial analysis on the entire GU athletic programs joining the Big East on one of the previous (numerous) Big East threads. Somebody else can find the link and post it for your review.

The increase in funding based on the current Big East TV contract far exceeds (by several million) what the increase in costs to the entire Gonzaga athletic program. Money, from the Gonzaga side is not the reason they would not join the Big East. Some of the reasons Gonzaga would not join the Big East include.

- Gonzaga is not offered an opportunity to join. Having Gonzaga's athletic programs join the Big East would increase the costs of travel to all of the Big East teams and all of their sports (money making and not). The cost of adding GU is shared by all of the teams in the Big East. Pretty minor cost to get GU basketball. However, would the addition of Gonzaga to the Big East increase the TV revenue sufficiently to offset the increase in travel costs to all of the Big East athletic programs?

- Playing 50% of your conference games in the Central and Eastern time zones would likely mean additional lay-over days for the sports (non-basketball) which fly charter. It is not the cost of the additional lay-over days but the increase in more missed days of school.

- While the competition in Mbb would significantly increase, and the competition in Wbb may increase slightly depending on the year, for many or most of the non-basketball sports, leaving the WCC for the Big East may be a step down in competition.

- Gonzaga is the big dog in the WCC and typically (on many issues) drives the bus. In the Big East, the Zags would not drive the bus but would be one of the bus riders. They would have a voice of one, just like everybody else in the Big East.

While I know this is the Mbb board and nothing else matters, the GU Athletic Department has to consider the impact on all of the Zag sports not just Mbb. Mbb may have the most weight (maybe by far) but they are not the only voice.

ZagDad

[Rangerzag]

Of all the Zag men's sports teams only basketball, baseball and soccer play a full collection of WCC schools in their schedule. It would certainly not be the inconvenience I first thought it would be. Other sports often play in conference tournaments but not a full compliment of conference games that would require constant travel for those teams. It leaves me much more interested in moving.

[bdmiller7]

Although I think it is still doable. My daughter played D2 tennis, she had plenty of matches way upstate or in DC over her 4 years. Those were a minimum of 5-7 hours of driving.... all the other sports were in the same division so they were making similar trips for baseball/soccer/Lax/field hockey etc. Those times aren't radically different than a direct charter flight from Spokane to say NYC or DC.

A 5-7 hour bus ride gets you from your gym to their gym. A 5-7 hour plane ride gets you from airport to airport. You’ll probably add 2-3 hours getting to and from the airport, plus the 2-3 hour time zone difference. Our longest current conference road trip would become our shortest in the Big East. Travel is definitely an issue that will need to be figured out.

[bdmiller7]

Here we go again.

I did a pretty thorough financial analysis on the entire GU athletic programs joining the Big East on one of the previous (numerous) Big East threads. Somebody else can find the link and post it for your review.

The increase in funding based on the current Big East TV contract far exceeds (by several million) what the increase in costs to the entire Gonzaga athletic program. Money, from the Gonzaga side is not the reason they would not join the Big East. Some of the reasons Gonzaga would not join the Big East include.

- Gonzaga is not offered an opportunity to join. Having Gonzaga's athletic programs join the Big East would increase the costs of travel to all of the Big East teams and all of their sports (money making and not). The cost of adding GU is shared by all of the teams in the Big East. Pretty minor cost to get GU basketball. However, would the addition of Gonzaga to the Big East increase the TV revenue sufficiently to offset the increase in travel costs to all of the Big East athletic programs?

- Playing 50% of your conference games in the Central and Eastern time zones would likely mean additional lay-over days for the sports (non-basketball) which fly charter. It is not the cost of the additional lay-over days but the increase in more missed days of school.

- While the competition in Mbb would significantly increase, and the competition in Wbb may increase slightly depending on the year, for many or most of the non-basketball sports, leaving the WCC for the Big East may be a step down in competition.

- Gonzaga is the big dog in the WCC and typically (on many issues) drives the bus. In the Big East, the Zags would not drive the bus but would be one of the bus riders. They would have a voice of one, just like everybody else in the Big East.

While I know this is the Mbb board and nothing else matters, the GU Athletic Department has to consider the impact on all of the Zag sports not just Mbb. Mbb may have the most weight (maybe by far) but they are not the only voice.

ZagDad

This is another issue I have with a Big East move. It only helps men’s basketball. Downgrade for soccer, baseball, volleyball. Lateral move for women’s basketball, other than you can kiss ever winning a championship goodbye with UConn in the conference. The only benefit for those sports is the extra money from being in the Big East. The decision can’t only be about men’s basketball.

[zagfan1]

It should be all sports and the tv money should be big enough to cover all sports. I am not worried about jet lag for 17-22 year olds. They will likely be excited and up for it!

[zagdontzig]

This is another issue I have with a Big East move. It only helps men’s basketball. Downgrade for soccer, baseball, volleyball. Lateral move for women’s basketball, other than you can kiss ever winning a championship goodbye with UConn in the conference. The only benefit for those sports is the extra money from being in the Big East. The decision can’t only be about men’s basketball.

Leave non-basketball sports in the WCC. Problem solved. Geno Auriemma is 67 years old. How long do you think he'll coach for?

It should be all sports and the tv money should be big enough to cover all sports. I am not worried about jet lag for 17-22 year olds. They will likely be excited and up for it!

Non-basketball sports aren't profitable enough to justify the travel expenses. The basketball teams and the donors have to foot the bill.

[zagamatic]

I don't like the idea of the possibility of tipoff times as well as potential days we play conference games changing to accommodate east coast fans/ teams. Think about it, if tip time is 6 or 7 eastern on say, a Tuesday, how many of you will be able to watch it live? And this could very well end up being tip time for games at the Kennel if the network wants east coast fans to tune in.