Interesting article few days ago in the WSJ details the success of the Big East in basketball. It questions the maxim that "football drives the bus" at least in regards to the BE.
The gist is football was a massive money suck, and also an inappropriate fit, in small "Catholic 7" colleges that added three more hoops-centric schools to form a full-schedule excellent basketball league. Some in the BE question whether schools that have gone all in for football have reduced their basketball programs to being average, for examples UConn and Pitt.
The BE gambled big in terms of money, forsaking a megamillion offer from ESPN for a large but much smaller offer from Fox. I watch FSN often, thus often see Villanova, and appreciate the excellence of its game and the rivalries and raucous venues.
The article is cautious, noting the BE was not so hot just couple years ago and might not be so hot in the future, but for now it is riding high and (Bilas said) might be next to the ACC in hoops excellence.
Since the WSJ is subscription you might be able to google the article with its headline: "How Ditching Football Saved Big East Basketball."
Will suggest reading reader comments below the story as they add several good insights, unlike many online comments sections. A couple comments that resonated with me regard the geographical and philosophical affinities of the BE schools, even with the 3 additions, implying that these generate fan and viewer interest.
GO Owls
The gist is football was a massive money suck, and also an inappropriate fit, in small "Catholic 7" colleges that added three more hoops-centric schools to form a full-schedule excellent basketball league. Some in the BE question whether schools that have gone all in for football have reduced their basketball programs to being average, for examples UConn and Pitt.
The BE gambled big in terms of money, forsaking a megamillion offer from ESPN for a large but much smaller offer from Fox. I watch FSN often, thus often see Villanova, and appreciate the excellence of its game and the rivalries and raucous venues.
The article is cautious, noting the BE was not so hot just couple years ago and might not be so hot in the future, but for now it is riding high and (Bilas said) might be next to the ACC in hoops excellence.
Since the WSJ is subscription you might be able to google the article with its headline: "How Ditching Football Saved Big East Basketball."
Will suggest reading reader comments below the story as they add several good insights, unlike many online comments sections. A couple comments that resonated with me regard the geographical and philosophical affinities of the BE schools, even with the 3 additions, implying that these generate fan and viewer interest.
GO Owls
