Big East Expansion with media rights deal July 1, 2025?

[ArmyVet]

According to Val Ackerman at Big East media days (via Matt Norlander on twitter):

1) Big East is currently "good at 11" and not actively looking to expand.
2) Big East was involved in informal expansion talks with multiple school in spring/summer
3) If Big East were to expand, ideal time would be to coincide with new media rights deal on July 1, 2025

I bet Val knows exactly what is going to happen and we will see the league add 1-2 schools beginning in 2025, but it will be announced in the next 12-18 months.

[stever20]

I think it could be 1 or 3. I think they try to avoid odd number of teams so everyone can play on a day. So 12 or 14.

And yeah I agree with you on the timeframe. Wouldn't be shocked if it's announced about this point next year prior to going into the Big East Media Days for the 23-24 season.

[Omaha1]

1 >>> 3

[shizzle898]

Add Gonzaga. Keep the 20-game schedule with soft divisions (east and west). Play everyone in your division twice, five teams from the other division at home and away (playing every team at least once).

[DeltaV]

I remember doing the math and 13 actually worked out for an 18 game schedule, because you played half the teams twice and the other half once, but that ship seems to have sailed, and I really doubt there's any appetite for 15 teams and a 21 game schedule

[DudeAnon]

I guess add more. I think the double round robin may be hurting us come tournament time. Need to be exposed to more variety in offenses/defenses.

[adoraz]

My preferences:
1. Gonzaga
2. Gonzaga + travel partner... St. Mary's? (only if necessary)

As for St. Louis, Dayton, etc... I don't think there would be enough advantages to adding them. The main one would be increased bids, but at the same time we don't want to dilute and become the A10+.

[FenwayFriar]

As I've stated all along, Gonzaga will be in the Big East starting with the 2025-26 season to get the league to 12 teams. Will be the perfect basketball conference with no need for any further expansion in the near future.

Here's some Gonzaga perspective: https://scorezagsscore.com/2022/10/19/what-big-east-commissioner-val-ackermans-media-day-comments-mean-for-the-gonzaga-bulldogs/

[Django]

Expansión Candidate #1:

Gonzaga

Expansion Candidate #2:

Gonzaga’s New Airplane

[_lh]

No thanks on Gonzaga. Let them rot out west. They’d be better off joining the PAC anyway.

Stay at 11 and only expand if big time programs become available out of the Big 12, ACC or ND.

The Big East doesn’t need to expand just to expand. Wait and see which programs shake out. Can you imagine if the Big East rushed to add in SLU or UD thinking UCONN was never an option?