440Rambler wrote:
Two things.
They quite literally built a brand new practice facility last year. They would be fine at a practice facility level.
DePauls stadium was funded by the tax payers of Chicago, not by the university. The bill of goods feasibility study for that monstrosity projected about 33% better attendence than crap big east basketball and poorly located concerts can draw. Big empty stadiums suck regardless of which conference they're in.
Depaul is a bad program flag out. They don't draw fans or attention in any meaningful way. They don't generate tournament dollars or interest for their league. And yet they're a big east quality program. If that's what the big east accepts from it's members they should welcome us with open arms. We at least move the needle from an interest stand point.
My point is gentile arena won’t cut it in the BE. my point is the university even in the financial situation to play in there. Obviously we will get more money from the conference but they would need to be millions of dollars in investments in the program. I think DePaul was just at the right place at the right time and that’s why they were excepted into it.
I really don’t think the university is going to front tens of millions of dollars for investment into a basketball program. Granted we are doing pretty good right now but why change Is the grass really greener on the other side?
I truly believe the Big East is the best basketball conference in the country. I just don’t think Loyola has the means to make the step up. I also don’t see then adding anyone else. 11 teams = 20 conference games. That’s on pair with big ten and acc. They won’t want to add teams and then have an East and west division.