Butler considers move to Atlantic 10...

[SFP]

TAS if you are willing to split Cincinnati then why not Chicago as well, which is a much bigger market? We can agree on that BU needs to get better quickly to better their chance. The one positive thing BU has is their loyal fan base. I also would have to believe that a conference with all schools being a private institution with a high academic reputation would be very desirable.

[TheAsianSensation]

TAS if you are willing to split Cincinnati then why not Chicago as well, which is a much bigger market? We can agree on that BU needs to get better quickly to better their chance. The one positive thing BU has is their loyal fan base. I also would have to believe that a conference with all schools being a private institution with a high academic reputation would be very desirable.

But does BU have enough of the Chicago market? Dayton is a more direct split whereas BU would get swallowed up by DePaul in this hypothetical.

Independent of market talk, it feels like Xavier/Dayton is a package deal everyone will be asked to accept. And since Dayton isn't a bum team, it'll be accepted.

Bradley clearly has the academic package, the tradition, the history, and the fans to make it work. It's all about market. Peoria is just in an awful position of being a bit undesirable (remember the discussion on the board last week abou it) plus not being able to offer any kind of geographic footprint extension because it's surrounded by Chicago/St Louis.

[TheAsianSensation]

That said, if DePaul is a no-go, then either Bradley or Loyola (or even UIC) would be the "Chicago" rep in such a league, and I think Bradley would win that tug-of-war.

[SFP]

That said, if DePaul is a no-go, then either Bradley or Loyola (or even UIC) would be the "Chicago" rep in such a league, and I think Bradley would win that tug-of-war.

I agree and in order for DePaul to leave the Big East there will have to be an implosion in the Big East which is very possible.