Big East and Football

[DCFRANKLIN]

I recommend leveraging our premier market position into a Power 5 conference looking to add a big time/ big city program. St. John's and Gtown should do the same. I would love us to re-join our former rivals Syracuse, UCONN, Pitt, ND & BC in a hypothetical ACC North to combat the incursion of the Big 10 into the Northeast. Leaving DC, Philly and NYC exposed places the ACC in the same position the old Big East was in 15 years ago. The Big 10's take no prisoners approach mandates some new thinking. So far the Big 10 has stolen Maryland, Rutgers and Johns Hopkins. Is the ACC willing to sit back passively and wait for the next shoe to drop?

Not that you asked, but I'll reiterate that personally, I'd prefer football remaining in FCS, where we annually compete for the National Championship. .

 

[NovaUSMC01]

DC, I am right alongside you (except for the FCS part, well, kind of) but there is no way Villanova is on anyone's Power 5 radar right now. 0. We can leverage all we want. I just see no way for Villanova to move ahead. It is what it is. If I am wrong I will give 5,000 dollars to our football team (wish I could do more).

 

[VUWildCat2003]

I am telling you right now, the ACC would much rather take a Villanova over a Memphis. The ACC gets raided again, and trust me, a lot of those ACC football schools would make the jump into an SEC, Big10 or Big12 YESTERDAY, we become a realistic option. There are only so many targets out there. In the ACC academics matter. Will it happen? I give it a better shot than most because I do see conference expansion continuing down the road and the ACC is the target for the SEC, Big10 and Big12.

It just goes back to the stadium situation, something we CAN figure out. Expand PPL, play a couple of games at Citizens and a couple of games at The Linc, Hell, we can play a game or 2 at Franklin Field. Southern Boys can make a weekend out of it in Philly.

I just don't think all of this is as outrageous as some others on this board make it out to be. If we were located in the middle of nowhere and had to start from scratch because we didn't have a football team, OK, I get it, wishful thinking. But we have a VERY competitive FCS football team who already showed it can compete in the ACC (played very well AT BC and should have beat Syracuse AT The Dome) and we have an AMAZING basketball program not to mention Jay Wright.

Again, the ACC would rather take Villanova and Philadelphia over a school like Memphis. Trust me.

 

[nova525]

This is the kind of thinking Villanova needs. Visionary. Not merely a hope for Villanova programs but a realistic view of how TV and institutional missions are going to continue to divide current conference alignments. Be ready, willing and imaginative enough to fill the holes created by the change.

 

[CarDashian]

I'm waiting for the standard "it's going to happen - it's a given - insiders have told me - yadda, yadda, yadda.

 

[DCFRANKLIN]

Further to the point re: forward thinking, I don't think LA based Fox Sports is the optimum home for VU, Gtown & St. Johns. I realize they were there when the BE imploded, and we were lucky they were and grateful for the unprecedented coverage, BUT... they are 3,000 miles away from our east coast base. The BE is essentially an afternoon drive/Saturday morning thing for them. I think they would be better served to focus on the PAC 12 and let the BE go. Philly based Comcast or Stamford CT based NBC Sports would make a better home for our brand. NY based CBS Sports Network is another option. The BE is too midwest and too mid-major for my taste. We need to start lobbying behind the scenes for a Big City push into whichever Power 5 conference will listen. The options appear limited to the ACC and Big 12, both of which are somewhat betwixt and between what they once were and what they will be in the future (assuming they have a future as presently constituted).

 

[steve_vu9196]

FCS football is a black hole of irrelevance. We fund 75% of what a mid/low-tier FBS program funds. There are 128 FBS teams. There are 42 bowl games now. Which would you rather do: 1. Make the FCS playoffs, perhaps make a run to an FCS title or 2. Play an FBS schedule, and make the Mieneke Muffler Bowl?

Given that the BE has no football, we could play independent, or join the AAC or MAC.

 

[NovaUSMC01]

FCS football is a black hole of irrelevance. We fund 75% of what a mid/low-tier FBS program funds. There are 128 FBS teams. There are 42 bowl games now. Which would you rather do: 1. Make the FCS playoffs, perhaps make a run to an FCS title or 2. Play an FBS schedule, and make the Mieneke Muffler Bowl?

Given that the BE has no football, we could play independent, or join the AAC or MAC.

steve,

I would argue there is no difference between the Mieneke Bowl and the FCS playoffs.

 

[steve_vu9196]

steve,

I would argue there is no difference between the Mieneke Bowl and the FCS playoffs.

I'd say there's a big difference. To get glory in the FCS playoffs you need to play 4 games, and entail all the associated expenses - to win a trophy. A low-level bowl is one game, and you get a payout of at least $500k, which will cover all your expenses.

I'd rather play at the top, and strive to get a bowl game every year, than be a level down and able to win a "championship". If we had more schollies, there's no way we have as bad a kicker as we did last year, and we would have beaten an ACC team. In the MAC or AAC I believe our team would regularly have a winning record.

 

[NovaUSMC01]

I'd say there's a big difference. To get glory in the FCS playoffs you need to play 4 games, and entail all the associated expenses - to win a trophy. A low-level bowl is one game, and you get a payout of at least $500k, which will cover all your expenses.

I'd rather play at the top, and strive to get a bowl game every year, than be a level down and able to win a "championship". If we had more schollies, there's no way we have as bad a kicker as we did last year, and we would have beaten an ACC team. In the MAC or AAC I believe our team would regularly have a winning record.

Steve-

We actually see eye to eye. What I was getting at is in terms of prestige and relevance there is virtually no difference on the national radar between the two. I agree, I would rather compete at the top. By far. Just is never going to happen. It killed me to see way more Liberty people at our HOME playoff game last year. Killed me.

 

[Gangtackle11]

Totally agree. I would love to see Villanova play in the AAC, but the stadium issues among others will leave us to ponder what could have been in the CAA & FCS.

 

[planocat]

Getting into a bowl game does not guarantee a profitable payout. How much did Uconn lose on their bowl game just a few years ago?

 

[DCFRANKLIN]

I disagree that only winning the National Championship is determinative of a successful season. That statement is an insult to all Villanova athletes who have participated in the NCAA tournament, have defeated higher seeds, and are justifiably remembered for their achievements. John Pinone for one. Brett Gordon for another. The 2010 Villanova football team for a third. And the 2014 Villanova football team should be applauded as an NCAA Elite Eight participant that won a memorable comeback victory over Liberty before falling just short vs. Sam Houston State without our starting QB and Payton Award winner.

 

[qwe026]

steve,

I would argue there is no difference between the Mieneke Bowl and the FCS playoffs.

They both suck

The big east is a fantastic home for villanova basketball. Much rather be in villanova's current position than pitt or bc who may be in a conference with more top end teams than us but receive a lot less TV exposure and are not in as good a position to succeed. Some people have to get over this idea that being a janitor at McDonald's is better than being ceo of Burger King, which is exactly what any person longing for the acc prefers.

 

[qwe026]

Totally agree. I would love to see Villanova play in the AAC, but the stadium issues among others will leave us to ponder what could have been in the CAA & FCS.

Patriot league is better than the aac. Conference of Americans has horrible schools in it. Could not imagine a worse football schedule than ECU, usf, Ucf, Tulane, uconn, etc.... Just horrible.

 

[Gangtackle11]

Patriot league is better than the aac. Conference of Americans has horrible schools in it. Could not imagine a worse football schedule than ECU, usf, Ucf, Tulane, uconn, etc.... Just horrible.

Yes you are right. ACC or FCS. Ha

 

[qwe026]

You realize that there are two conferences, the aac and ACC? They are not the same.

Of course acc football is better than fcs. But the AAC isn't really, it costs a lot more money, has just as few fans, and the schools are a bunch of garbage commuter schools

 

[Gangtackle11]

I do. I was agreeing on AAC, half joking on ACC.

 

[nova525]

Anyone want to wager what number QWE** will be up to by football season. I have the over/under at 47.