B1G vs Big East Basketball Challenge

[ScriptOhio]

Big East looks at scheduling options with other leagues
The Big East is exploring options that could lead to a nonconference scheduling alliance with one or more high-major leagues.

“It's a subject of great interest to us,” Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman told The World-Herald. “We think there could be some very interesting arrangements that could be made with another league that could enhance competition for both conferences.

“It is something we are very interested in and are working toward that end.”

Such an alliance, which could be in place by the 2015-16 season, would be similar to the early-season challenge series that pit teams from the Big Ten against the Atlantic Coast Conference or the Southeastern Conference against the Big 12.

Ackerman declined to specify which league or leagues the Big East might be holding discussions with. Several people associated with Big East schools indicated the Big Ten could be a likely candidate.

Asked if there were indeed talks with the Big Ten, Ackerman replied, “That's one possibility.”

Entire article: http://www.omaha.com/article/20140503/BLUEJAYS/140509408

On Monday, the Big East and Big Ten will announce the formation of the Dave Gavitt Tipoff Games, a four-day, eight-game season-opening challenge between the conferences beginning in 2015-16. The event will take place each November from Tuesday through Friday of the first full week of the season.

The parties will announce an eight-year deal at a news conference in New York. ESPN and the Big Ten Network and Fox Sports 1, the Big East's partner, will televise games at the respective league's home venues. Each will host four games.

The Gavitt Tipoff Games could include more potential in-state matchups like Ohio State-Xavier or Indiana-Butler, but much like the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, games will be determined primarily by the strength of the teams.

"Many schools choose to kind of ease into the season with their choice of opponents," said Ackerman. "This one will really force our schools and coaches to get ready really quickly because there will be some tough matchups."

For the Big Ten, a challenge with the Big East fits with its increasing push for visibility in the Northeast. With Rutgers and Maryland joining July 1, the Chicago-based conference is opening a second office in New York City. It begins a partnership this football season with the Pinstripe Bowl, played at Yankee Stadium, and has added John Hopkins as an affiliate member in men's lacrosse.

Entire article: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/co...20140504/big-ten-big-east-dave-gavitt-tipoff/

 

[DZ83CK]

I'd like to see OSU play each year in this series, but they are guaranteeing each B1G team will play 4 games so by my calculations that limits them to only 8 games to divide between 14 schools (in addition to those 4 guarantees). I suspect we will see OSU playing in 6 of the 8 years anyway. But I would hope that the Big East does their expansion and moves this to a 10-game group, which would make it much easier to get OSU in every year.

But the elephant in the room is, does this keep OSU from scheduling the one home & home they do schedule in nonconference play? They have only had 3 true marquee games in nonconference play every season starting with 2009. Matta has done a lot of things well, but the nonconference scheduling has hardly been appealing to fans.

For 2015-16, they have the flexibility to start a new home & home since the Marquette series is ending with this upcoming season. But will they? That is the question I would like to be answered by Matta. Plus I hope the reporters at the conference tomorrow ask if the Challenge is set at 8 games because surely the Big East hopes to expand to 12 and I'd say a 10-game series would be optimal because it would let all the Big Ten's marquee teams play every year - with the configuration now, I'm not sure that would be possible.

I like the idea, but I hope it doesn't serve as an excuse for Matta to completely eliminate all home & home series that he decides to schedule himself.

 

[Dee-Liem]

Regardless if it's back-to-back or two in three years, I'll predict Ohio State's first two opponents will be Xavier and Butler (in some sort of order).

If I guessed, I'd say Xavier will play in Columbus in 2015-16 and it'll be on ESPN (not BTN).

I do like this because it just added some inventory for the Big Ten heading into TV negotiations (Delany said he won't start talks w/ networks until Fall 2015).

 

[DZ83CK]

Regardless if it's back-to-back or two in three years, I'll predict Ohio State's first two opponents will be Xavier and Butler (in some sort of order).

If I guessed, I'd say Xavier will play in Columbus in 2015-16 and it'll be on ESPN (not BTN).

I do like this because it just added some inventory for the Big Ten heading into TV negotiations (Delany said he won't start talks w/ networks until Fall 2015).

I agree Xavier will be the first opponent for OSU. The second is hard to say. I'd prefer a home & home with Villanova or Georgetown instead of Butler. They're trying to make the most marquee matchups they can, and Butler doesn't have Brad Stevens anymore, it's going to be harder to sustain the underdog recruiting style now that they're in a bigger league.

As far as home/road for the first game, I'd expect Matta would want to alternate that with the ACC/B1G Challenge game so one is at home and one is on the road each season. So keeping in tradition with that pattern, I'd expect OSU to have an ACC home game that season, and corresponding with a Big East road game. Which means they might open this whole thing with Matta on the road at Xavier.