Creighton and the new Catholic 7 league

[Fetz86]

Because its the ADs job to try, even if the probability for success is practically zero.

Selling out every game in the PCC still leaves our attendance ~6k or so below what Creighton brings to the table, Creighton sends double (triple? more) the number of people to St. Louis we do in a good year for us. Omaha while not really a big market is still a lot bigger than Peoria's.

As a Bradley supporter I am very much worried that we are being left behind in the realignment rapture taking place. While we could get interested in some sort of private league with Drake, Valpo, Loyola, Detriot, Belmont, et al. I still don't think it will be as good as what we have now.

[tornado]

I think Mike Cross knows exactly what his job is, but that league isn't going to add any teams with Bradley's resume' (regardless of the last two years).

thank you - you just made my point exactly -- not sure if you intended to shoot down your own argument so solidly but you did -
you just confirmed that the BIG EAST simply wouldn't want any team with BU's current "resume"...

Dave Reynolds reported that the top brass at BU wanted to make a push to get in the Big East, believed it was realistic, and made a big effort to do so...remember - it's a BASKETBALL centered league...
...now is a team coming off a 7-win season that's barely drawing 6000 per game - you don't think they'd have a better shot with the top dogs at the powerful Big East schools - esp. Georgetown (remember, their AD is a long time buddy of his ex-CSU backcourt mate)
..if we were coming off a series of 22 win seasons, post-season success, and an average home attendance 40-50% larger??
...this answer is a no-brainer...


I am sure you know that there was some talk that the Catholic 7 would explore adding RICHMOND UNIVERSITY...
they are small (smaller than Bradley), private, have no greater basketball resume or prowess than we have had in recent years...and their GOOD years don't even draw as well as our historically bad years! They won 29 games a few years back and did not even hit 6000 home attendance - they year before with 26 wins they averaged 4600!!!!
..so the C-7 would have definitely been interested in Bradley if we had a better recent "resume"..
but you are right in seeing that it is the resume that matters - and "what have you done for me lately".....

[TheAsianSensation]

thank you - you just made my point exactly -- not sure if you intended to shoot down your own argument so solidly but you did -
you just confirmed that the BIG EAST simply wouldn't want any team with BU's current "resume"...

Dave Reynolds reported that the top brass at BU wanted to make a push to get in the Big East, believed it was realistic, and made a big effort to do so...remember - it's a BASKETBALL centered league...
...now is a team coming off a 7-win season that's barely drawing 6000 per game - you don't think they'd have a better shot with the top dogs at the powerful Big East schools - esp. Georgetown (remember, their AD is a long time buddy of his ex-CSU backcourt mate)
..if we were coming off a series of 22 win seasons, post-season success, and an average home attendance 40-50% larger??
...this answer is a no-brainer...

No it is NOT a no-brainer! Yes our university profile was better in, say, 2009 than now. But we would have had no better shot to get in. Unless we're winning like Butler or even Creighton, we're not getting in. Four 20-win seasons and 2 postseason appearances in those 4 years (not counting EIEIO) aren't enough.

Once you're not good enough for the Big East, it doesn't matter if you're above average or at the bottom, it's all the same to them! Close doesn't count for them.

Now that doesn't mean you don't try. Always put in the contact, because you hear straight from them, try to figure out their plans, and proceed accordingly.

I am sure you know that there was some talk that the Catholic 7 would explore adding RICHMOND UNIVERSITY...
they are small (smaller than Bradley), private, have no greater basketball resume or prowess than we have had in recent years...and their GOOD years don't even draw as well as our historically bad years! They won 29 games a few years back and did not even hit 6000 home attendance - they year before with 26 wins they averaged 4600!!!!
..so the C-7 would have definitely been interested in Bradley if we had a better recent "resume"..
but you are right in seeing that it is the resume that matters - and "what have you done for me lately".....

Richmond made back to back NCAAs in 2010 and 2011 (winning A-10 tournament in latter year), and in '04. They have a better basketball resume than us. It's not light years ahead, but it's ahead.

And market. Believe it or not, Richmond and Virginia is more significant to the C7 than one would ordinarily think.




I would go so far as to say that if you transported 2007 Bradley into the present and put them in front of the C7, we're still behind Xavier, Butler, Creighton, Dayton, St Louis, Richmond, and VCU, and probably Wichita St, and probably Detroit and St Joe's, and maybe Siena. Then us probably.

[tornado]

even so -- that's "light years" ahead of where we fit now - gotta think even ISU, Drake, WIU, and probably even UCD if they wanted are getting more consideration

[stevebu91]

Delusional to think that BU had a chance at the C7...

Important to place the phone call and keep in contact with the C7 lead to see who else is calling and interested in forming a conference.

Realistic to weigh all options and make phone calls to other interested schools that also called the C7 to see if BU can do better in a new conference than Elgin's regime.

The MVC Politburo better be making a bunch of phone calls in the very immediate future to add 3...Not just 1. That Creighton fan base to the MVC tournament will not be there next year

[tornado]

Of course - everyone knows Creighton's fan base is just awesome...

but how many know this -
Considering the differences in the size of the metropolitan populations, and the size of the school in WSU's case..........
In 2004 BU's home average was 9178, Creighton's was 12016, Wichita's 10090 - as little as 9-15% difference
In 2005 BU's home average was 9338, Creighton's was 11208, Wichita's 10325 - " " "
In 2006 BU's home average was 9220, Creighton's was 13901, Wichita's 10426

It's only been the past 5-6 years that the disparity has become significant!
This speaks for the "awesome" of the BU fan base as well.......we just need to get them back...

[stevebu91]

If Wichita wasn't so far west..boy...they could make so much more money for themselves outside the MVC conference.

I bet they are, and have been, exploring every possible option for increased exposure, brand recognition, and $$$$.

[Old Coach]

even so -- that's "light years" ahead of where we fit now - gotta think even ISU, Drake, WIU, and probably even UCD if they wanted are getting more consideration

Now you're being silly, or you're drinking.

[tornado]

considering I am one of the few who feared & predicted precisely where we'd be in a couple years despite the protests of those who didn't wanna hear it.......when we made the move we made a couple years ago..
I'd say maybe you should have a sip..........
wasn't it you who said as many did that we couldn't possibly be any worse than where we were??

[alczervik75]

even so -- that's "light years" ahead of where we fit now - gotta think even ISU, Drake, WIU, and probably even UCD if they wanted are getting more consideration

Come on ... why go to that level of hyperbole. We, as a program, wouldn't have been considered anytime in the past 30 years. That said, we bring infinitely more value than any of the teams you list from a basketball perspective, and to suggest otherwise is ignores everything other than current record (and in some cases even that).

[BeBrave]

even so -- that's "light years" ahead of where we fit now - gotta think even isu, drake, wiu, and probably even ucd if they wanted are getting more consideration

c'mon man!

[BuAlum03]

even so -- that's "light years" ahead of where we fit now - gotta think even ISU, Drake, WIU, and probably even UCD if they wanted are getting more consideration

I've read some pretty ridiculous things in my life, but when Bradley is concerned, this takes the cake. You can't possibly believe this. And, why UCD? A school that's on the opposite coast, with a record even worse than ours over the past 2 years. It couldn't possibly be some sort of a tip of the hat to their coach, could it?

Nah... i thought we were all past that.

considering I am one of the few who feared & predicted precisely where we'd be in a couple years despite the protests of those who didn't wanna hear it.......when we made the move we made a couple years ago..
I'd say maybe you should have a sip..........
wasn't it you who said as many did that we couldn't possibly be any worse than where we were??

Funny... I predicted we'd be pretty lousy about this time when I witnessed the team starting a downward trend circa 2008. Many people didn't want to hear that as well. Perhaps I should sell my own brand of juice. I'll call it "Terrible coaching hire haunts school for a decade and a half". It tastes terrible, but we all have to drink it now.

[DoubleJayAlum]

Of course - everyone knows Creighton's fan base is just awesome...

but how many know this -
Considering the differences in the size of the metropolitan populations, and the size of the school in WSU's case..........
In 2004 BU's home average was 9178, Creighton's was 12016, Wichita's 10090 - as little as 9-15% difference
In 2005 BU's home average was 9338, Creighton's was 11208, Wichita's 10325 - " " "
In 2006 BU's home average was 9220, Creighton's was 13901, Wichita's 10426

It's only been the past 5-6 years that the disparity has become significant!
This speaks for the "awesome" of the BU fan base as well.......we just need to get them back...

Creighton's numbers went up after they added additional seating to to the arena...which, I'm sure is just a coincidence (), happened in the summer after the 2006 season...

[tornado]

Notre Dame appears ready to make an announcement

http://college-basketball.si.com/2013/03/11/notre-dame-set-to-jump-to-acc-next-year/

[tornado]

Hold on -- maybe Creighton to the Big East is not gonna happen yet...

https://mobile.twitter.com/HolyLandofHoops/status/311845460790878208?p=p

reportedly Creighton will become a member of new Big East in 2014-2015

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/butler_dayton_xavier_to_join_next_HWBR8nzwcf0a0rZSxkf8IM