National Conference Realignments

[valpopal]

East Carolina and Tulsa to join to-be-named old-Big East conference:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/21959197/east-carolina-joining-big-east-in-all-sports

[valpotx]

Mentioned 3 posts ago 

[valpopal]

Mentioned 3 posts ago 

Different story and source, adds to credibility of the reports.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

[crusaderjoe]

Well, I guess I'll have to blue pencil my #1 choice for HL expansion...

WKU to CUSA in 2014:

http://www.wkusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5400&ATCLID=207019336

[LaPorteAveApostle]

always a real long shot because of football anyway.

[valpopal]

A-10 Close to Adding Davidson, Considering Siena:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/22072822/a-10-close-to-adding-davidson

[valpotx]

Figured that they would only be adding East coast schools now.  Since Dayton and SLU are basically already in the NBE, they have no reason to add Midwestern schools such as a Detroit.  I believe that the only HL teams capable of making a conference move in the coming seasons are UIC and Valpo (after Loyola's move, of course).

[valpotx]

As expected, Davidson is moving to the A-10.  Sorry Detroit  !

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9251315/atlantic-10-add-davidson-wildcats-2014-15-source-says

[valpotx]

Wow, the CAA has been decimated, having to invite Elon to get to 10 all-sports members:

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/9305685/elon-joining-colonial-athletic-association-latest-expansion-move

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Wow, the CAA has been decimated, having to invite Elon to get to 10 all-sports members

probably they are dyslexic and thought they were inviting FSU

[VU75]

East Tennessee and Mercer will join the Southern Conference next July leaving  the Atlantic Sun with the minimum seven eligible for two  years until Northern Kentucky gets full membership.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

So does this make NKY more or less likely to bolt?

[ARCInsider]

According to the front page of this site (written in jest I presume), PNC is the most likely new member of the Horizon League!   

[Chuck A]

So does this make NKY more or less likely to bolt?

I think it makes NKU more likely to bolt. They wanted into the HL when they were seeking Div I status. Now with only 8 teams in the A-Sun and their chance of expansion coming from teams from even lower ranked conferences; the fact that they are moreso in the HL's footprint than the A-Sun's; and knowing that the HL is seeking another team or two or three, their coming to the Horizon is not out of the realm of possibility.

[StlVUFan]

According to the front page of this site (written in jest I presume), PNC is the most likely new member of the Horizon League!   

It's written by a cartoon character, so yes, jest is the only way to take it.

[Pathfinder]

They'd bolt for the Horizon in an instant, with or without these losses to the A-Sun. We just have to make the offer.

[VU75]

It looks like a real possibility that we will see the WAC, Summit and Atlantic Sun morph into two conferences.

[valpo04]

According to the front page of this site (written in jest I presume), PNC is the most likely new member of the Horizon League!   

If only we could ask the author if it was in jest 

[wh]

POPE: Could new ACC be best hoops league ever? ND's Jack Swarbrick thinks so
By LaMond Pope lpope@post-trib.com or 713-2691 June 28, 2013 5:28PM

Jack Swarbrick referenced a quote from Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, a pretty good source for college basketball, when a recent discussion turned to the strength of hoops in the ACC.

"I think coach Krzyzewski said it well. I think this is set up to be the best basketball conference in the history of college basketball," Swarbrick, Notre Dame's athletic director, said in a phone interview Thursday.

Notre Dame officially joins the ACC in every sport but football and men's ice hockey on Monday. Syracuse and Pittsburgh are also newcomers in the conference. Maryland exits for the Big Ten in 2014, but Louisville enters in that same year.

There's been a lot of talk about how Notre Dame's conference switch affects its football scheduling. Notre Dame remains independent in football, but will play five games each year against ACC teams beginning in 2014.

But there's plenty to look forward to for all the sports across the board. Especially basketball.

"When you add Syracuse and Pittsburgh (this year), and Louisville next year, and we certainly think we bring a lot, you add that to the already great power and tradition of the ACC, I don't think college basketball has ever seen anything like it, in both men and women's," Swarbrick said.

Last season, the Big Ten received a large chunk of the hype during the men's basketball season. And rightfully so, with teams like Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State spending time in the top 10 of the polls and each reaching at least the Sweet 16 of the tournament. But the schools that will make up the new-look ACC had quite the tournament, as well.

Of course, it starts with Louisville. The Cardinals defeated Michigan to win the championship. And then there's Syracuse, which made the Final Four.

Duke's NCAA tournament run ended in the Elite Eight, at the hands of Louisville. Miami was a No. 2 seed in the East Region and got to the Sweet 16.

North Carolina (round of 32), North Carolina State, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame also made the tournament. It was the sixth tournament appearance in the past seven years for the Irish.

Notre Dame's women's basketball team made its third straight trip to the Final Four this season. Another future ACC team, Louisville, reached the title game.

"This is going to be one incredible women's basketball conference. Louisville and Notre Dame were of course in the Final Four last year, we've been in it three consecutive years," Swarbrick said. "Duke, Maryland, up and down this conference great women's basketball, too."

I'm really looking forward to the next few chapters of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The ACC dominated the early rounds of the men's challenge, winning the first 10 in the series. But the Big Ten has come out on top recently, taking the next three. Last year, the conferences split the Challenge, with each winning six games.

This year's schedule includes Indiana at Syracuse, Michigan at Duke and North Carolina at Michigan State. Notre Dame gets its first taste of the Challenge with a Dec. 3 game at Iowa. It's the team's first trip to Iowa since 1950.

As for conference play for the Irish, this season features home and road games against North Carolina, Virginia, Boston College and Georgia Tech. Duke pays a visit to South Bend, the first trip to Notre Dame since 1995. The dates for the games will be announced at a later time.

Notre Dame men's basketball coach Mike Brey will continue to match wits with some of the top coaches in the country. Just look at the list. Krzyzewski, Roy Williams (North Carolina), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) and Rick Pitino (when Louisville joins), to name a few. Krzyzewski, Williams and Pitino have each led teams to multiple national championships.

The programs have plenty of tradition of winning multiple titles. North Carolina has five national titles, Duke has four. Louisville just captured its third. North Carolina State has two titles.

"There's never been a basketball conference like this," Swarbrick said.

Time will tell if it will become the best basketball conference ever. It will be fun to watch and find out.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Well, here's one Pope who's not infallible. 

Convenient for ND to spin giving up their independence as getting the "best ever" but the old Big East was really something in basketball, back in the day.  Whatever the case, the B1G-ACC will tell the tale...

[usc4valpo]

In reality for ND, who like Monte Teo usually has a difficult time dealing with reality, their mens basketball program does not contribute in making the ACC basketball conference "the best ever."  When was the last time ND has done anything significant in basketball.  Heck, I cannot remember the last time they were in the Sweet 16, and they have not been in the final 4 since 1978.  In this past tournament a lower seeded Iowa State team blew them out. I was surprised in seeing how slow they were.

As for the women's team, they have been great and have proven it on the court.  As for men's basketball, take a look at the past 30 years and they have made a minimal impact.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

In all seriousness, you're dead on about ND basketball.

MIRACLE ON UNION FOREVER

[valpo04]

In all seriousness, you're dead on about ND basketball.

MIRACLE ON UNION FOREVER

Still waiting for the coffee to kick in this morning, I pulled up this post, saw the Google search result and didn't realize it was a screen capture at first. 

I thought something on the site broke. 

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I pulled up this post, saw the Google search result and didn't realize it was a screen capture at first. 

LOL i was kind of hoping it would to someone...but you are the last person I'd have expected!