Can any Big East fans give a short briefing on the quality of Big East sports? If there is a conference split that is going to be an issue. People wonder about the value of picking up East Carolina, and I'll tell you what, I see one value. I took a look at the college baseball rankings and damn I don't see a Big East team anywhere outside of Notre Dame, who is ranked #19/#20. The major sports are important, no doubt, it starts with football and basketball. But the best conferences have the depth of quality Olympic Sports and adding a program like East Carolina gives the Big East baseball side a MAJOR boost. I like the fact that UC built a new baseball stadium and looked to improve the baseball side. I went over to some of the SEC and ACC boards and they're talking about baseball. They have some serious baseball powers in their conference, along with the PAC-10. To hang around the elite you have to have it all, that's why the SEC is the marquee conference all-around. Hopefully the Big East's non-revenue sports are up to, or close to par.

When talking about BE sports over all...the conversation must begin with Notre Dame....they are tremondous and win the BE cup (or whatever its called) year after year....they are good at everything......generally speaking...after ND the BE football schools are usually pretty solid with the bball onlys picking up the rear....the thing about the Catholic schools (outside of ND) is that there fascilitys are very poor....lots of the on campus gyms are more in tune with high school areanas then major college basketball ones...frankly the bball onlys don't have the dollars to put into olympic sports since they don't play football...no football generally equals no cash

-- As for the quality of the league as a whole...I would guess the equivalant to baseball in the SEC or CUSA is women's hoops in the Big East....we have won the last 5 national championships in that sport and I believe set the record with most teams in the tourney with 8 last year....baseball in the BE is under a severe disadvantage because of the weather....southern teams can practice outside from day 1 but even schools like West Virginia are forced in doors untill Mid march...Syracuse and Providence don't even have baseball teams

-- Another strange thing about BE sports is that many schools have good olympic sports that are not BE sports...Pitt and West Virginia have very good wrestling programs but the sport is not sacntioned under the BE umbrella so they play in the EWL...also I think many of the nothern BE schools have very good hockey programs but again...no BE hockey exists

-- USF....and maybe ECU and Memphis done the line will add something to BE baseball...but it will never be big because of the weather constraints and because are region is almost flooded with major league teams....just as an example...Reds, Indians, Pirates, Orioles and Nationals' broadcasts' can all be picked up in West Virginia


Jackson

If you look closely, you'll see that many BE teams have what I call a 'guilty pleasure'; Meaning they have something else besides football or men's Bball to hang their hat on.

For example, Syracuse has Lacross. UConn has women's hoops. BC (before they bailed) had hocky. Etc, etc, etc.

Thanks for the info. I've noticed that women's basketball is basically as strong as men's basketball and that there are different sports that Big East programs are good at. Also, the weather would explain the baseball situation. I found it strange that the Big East wouldn't have good teams in an area that is baseball rich, but that explains a lot. Good to see the Big East is strong and blossoming. Strange that the conference is good at things that's not in the conference. I do know that Louisville and Cincinnati are bringing a rowing team to the Big East. C-USA didn't have that, and UofL and UC had to go the independent rout to get competition in that sport so moving to the Big East actually helped that sport.

Cat's_Claw Wrote:Can any Big East fans give a short briefing on the quality of Big East sports? If there is a conference split that is going to be an issue. People wonder about the value of picking up East Carolina, and I'll tell you what, I see one value. I took a look at the college baseball rankings and damn I don't see a Big East team anywhere outside of Notre Dame, who is ranked #19/#20. The major sports are important, no doubt, it starts with football and basketball. But the best conferences have the depth of quality Olympic Sports and adding a program like East Carolina gives the Big East baseball side a MAJOR boost. I like the fact that UC built a new baseball stadium and looked to improve the baseball side. I went over to some of the SEC and ACC boards and they're talking about baseball. They have some serious baseball powers in their conference, along with the PAC-10. To hang around the elite you have to have it all, that's why the SEC is the marquee conference all-around. Hopefully the Big East's non-revenue sports are up to, or close to par.

I wouldn't worry about baseball too much claw. You've been infected by the NCUSA board mentality. Baseball is very regional, women's basketball is more popular.

L-yes Wrote:

Cat's_Claw Wrote:Can any Big East fans give a short briefing on the quality of Big East sports?  If there is a conference split that is going to be an issue.  People wonder about the value of picking up East Carolina, and I'll tell you what, I see one value.  I took a look at the college baseball rankings and damn I don't see a Big East team anywhere outside of Notre Dame, who is ranked #19/#20.   The major sports are important, no doubt, it starts with football and basketball.  But the best conferences have the depth of quality Olympic Sports and adding a program like East Carolina gives the Big East baseball side a MAJOR boost.  I like the fact that UC built a new baseball stadium and looked to improve the baseball side. I went over to some of the SEC and ACC boards and they're talking about baseball.  They have some serious baseball powers in their conference, along with the PAC-10.  To hang around the elite you have to have it all, that's why the SEC is the marquee conference all-around.   Hopefully the Big East's non-revenue sports are up to, or close to par.

I wouldn't worry about baseball too much claw. You've been infected by the NCUSA board mentality. Baseball is very regional, women's basketball is more popular.

lol! Trust me, I'm not losing any sleep over college baseball! :D But seriously I've been going to the different boards of the "major" conferences like the SEC and ACC and Big Ten and they're talking about their different Olympic Sports. I just brought up baseball as an example because their season just started. It'll just be fun to keep up with some of the non-revenue sports now that we're in a Big Six conference.

Quote:If you look closely, you'll see that many BE teams have what I call a 'guilty pleasure'; Meaning they have something else besides football or men's Bball to hang their hat on.

-- I have never thought about that before..but its so true...also it seems to me that a lot of the "guilty pleasure" sports (with the exception of Uconn basketball and a few others) are not official "BE sports"....

Quote:It'll just be fun to keep up with some of the non-revenue sports

-- West Virginia won another Eastern Wrestling League title recently....another vicotry in the never ending struggle aginst the University of Pittsburgh :thumb:

-- While we are on the subjct of olympic sports.....look out for the Rutgers women's hoops team this yr...Wouldn't be suprised if they made it 6 in a row for the BE women


Jackson

ECU also has the next Olympic gold medal winner in the 200 & 400 meter sprint. He will break Michael Johnson's world records very soon!

<a href='http://www.ecupirates.com/index.php?url_channel_id=28&url_publish_channel_id=7595&url_subchannel_id=&well_id=2' target='_blank'>http://www.ecupirates.com/index.php?url_ch...l_id=&well_id=2</a>

Memphis kicks ****** at Rifle, you guys have that? :D

Quote:Memphis kicks ****** at Rifle,you guys have that

-- West Virginia has won 8 national championships in rifle


Jackson

Jackson1011 Wrote:

Quote:Memphis kicks ****** at Rifle,you guys have that

-- West Virginia has won 8 national championships in rifle


Jackson

******

fsquid Wrote:

Jackson1011 Wrote:

Quote:Memphis kicks ****** at Rifle,you guys have that

-- West Virginia has won 8 national championships in rifle


Jackson

******

Squid, if you want to cuss on here, it would be easier to just type "Read Penn's lips" :laugh:

nah, I don't want him to shut up. Thought we had something with Rifle!