ESPN Conversation

Googie7136

I never understood how American belonged, and the same goes for Boston University. Second-rate schools that do nothing for the league's brand at all.
331 Days ago

TDenverFan

Here's how the PL and BU benefit, IMO: PL: -BOston Fanbase -More Stability BU: -Improved conference academically -Improved conference athletically -Could start a rival with crosstown team Holy Cross
341 Days ago

dc61565

Boston fanbase? Look at their basketball attendance figures. When they hosted their conference championship game 2 seasons ago the arena was half full. And I believe a good portion of the people in attendance were fans of the other team
339 Days ago

jimmycyo

Holy cross is in Worcester not Boston.
339 Days ago

jjm2189

A new place to excel in all the sports no one cares about.
341 Days ago

J28831

I like this move by the Patriot League. In addition to having schools in the NYC, Philly, and DC area they were able to expand into another major city while still remaining a geographical-sensible conference. It's a good move by BU, as well. Alums living in or near the major east coast cities will be able to catch more games without hauling all the way to New England.
341 Days ago

bsportsfreak2

Why would the Patriot league invite BU? The Patriot league has a phenomenal reputation for academics and BU honestly is not as prestigious as those schools. Their SAT scores for accepted students are way lower and their acceptance rate is significantly higher. BU does not bring much to the table given they are not great at sports and don't have the great academic reputation of these schools either. They are much larger than these schools and do not seem like a good fit at all. I am surprised the Patriot league would want them them.
342 Days ago

J28831

Obviously, you didn't attend a Patriot league school.
335 Days ago

bsportsfreak2

tfk345, yes those ratings are sometimes off I agree with you. The point is that BU is clearly not nearly to the academic level of schools in the Patriot league such as Colgate, Holy Cross, Army, etc. Their acceptance rate is well higher than any of these Patriot League schools and the SAT scores are lower. I do not think BU is a bad school, I actually think it is a good school, but not up to the level of the Patriot league schools. I was just questioning why the Patriot league would want them given they're worse in academics and much larger than the rest of the members.
336 Days ago

jimmycyo

What school did you go to? Stop being such a hater, your dissing my alma mater! Where did you go to school, I bet it sucks compared to BU!
339 Days ago

NGesualdi17

BU is nothing like the rest of the schools... it is a way larger research university. Thus the grad programs and research undergrad programs are more prestigious than anything the Patriot League currently has. Check out Times Higher Education if you want to know anything about school rankings, that's what professors use with regards to how good a school is. Lastly, BU's athletic facilities are better than 2/3 of the Big East, let alone the Patriot League. It's a smart move for both sides.
339 Days ago

dc61565

They might have nice athletic facilities but the only sport they care about it hockey. They couldn't even come close to selling out a conference championship game. It was an embarrassment
339 Days ago

jjm2189

BU accepts too many students. It's all about the money.
341 Days ago

bkervick

BU has a college of general studies with a fairly high acceptance rate, but the other individual colleges within the University have a much lower acceptance rate.
341 Days ago

schmolik1

Boston University is ranked 53rd by US News and World Report among national universitties. Only Lehigh is ranked higher. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/boston-university-2130
342 Days ago

HGMCG8

Yes I disagree as I thought Boston College would be ranked higher than that. Go Eagles
339 Days ago

tfk345

Hey, not wanting to get into a fight but I just checked that Forbes list and it says Cornell is #51 and UPenn is #52 while BC is #26 and Holy Cross is #27. I don't really care but many would disagree with that ranking; would you not agree?
341 Days ago

bsportsfreak2

You are very unintelligent if you just used this as evidence. Nearly all of the schools in the Patriot League are not included in that list. This is because many of the schools in the Patriot League are not considered as a national university in their rankings and are categorized differently. If you want a list that incorporates all the schools and does not split them up into categories, look to the Forbes list. Here you will see Army at #3, Navy at #17, Holy Cross at #27, Lafayette at #33, Colgate at #37, Bucknell at #48....keep going way down below and you will find Boston University at #82. Next time you want to bring in a list of schools or try to make an intelligent argument, check to make sure the list actually takes into account the schools you are comparing. I'm not saying BU is a bad school, I am saying it is a bad fit for the Patriot League because it is not as academically as strong as many of the member schools and is also significantly larger.
341 Days ago

tfk345

I like BU and have a good opinion of them but I don't quite get the "we are in a more prestigious academic conference" now angle. I understand the Ivy League having its conference but do you think Stanford, Northwestern or Notre Dame give a hoot about the "academic prestige" of the teams they play against? Its like deciding to get your gas at the station that has the cleanest bathrooms and nicest convenience store; kind of missing the big point.
342 Days ago

kramer7160

For Boston Univ. hockey is their equivalent to College football. They are staying in the power hockey conference, so your point is proven correct with that. For the non-ice sports, they know they aren't really an elite school so, and if something gets cited like Fencing is ranked 5th in the nation that may be but, BU doesn't really care about being in elite conference for track, so they would rather be in an elite academic conference instead.
342 Days ago

1990_big_z

TBS could use a winter sport to fill in gaps between baseball and March Madness, and NCAA ice hockey would be perfect for TBS TBS could also team with other Turner Networks to carry the NCAA Ice Hockey Tourney, scheduling around the men's hoops tourney as needed - heck even Cartoon Network could air games in the hockey tourney
342 Days ago

kramer7160

True would be nice if those types of tournaments, the Beanpot, the Great Lakes Invitational etc. were picked up by bigger networks but regional tourneys don't have the national draw.
342 Days ago

1990_big_z

Of course the Beanpot's stature could be increased by being aired on a national network, that is, one which is readily available on cable (like TBS)
342 Days ago

1990_big_z

The Ivy League has set the standard for conference stability. The current membership of the Ivy League will stay as it is forever.
342 Days ago

tfk345

I hope it works out well for BU and they are happy. If I was the AD I would remember that a guy named Pitino once coached there and he had no problem getting good players to come to Boston and play hard and getting people super excited. I understand cutting football and it probably was the smart thing to do but I think BU people would love to see their school think big in basketball; it is a natural for such a large and wealthy school in the northeast and basketball is a major revenue producer.. UConn was a joke till Calhoun went there so it can be done. The AD's job is to find the right guy, someone who can make things happen and to think big. Good luck either way.
341 Days ago

J28831

I think academics played a role in the decision, but was not the 'major factor'. I think BU was thinking more about their alums living in or near the major east coast cities who will now be able to catch a game in the area w/o hauling all the way to New England or one of the SUNYs.
341 Days ago

tfk345

What I am implying is that the focus is off the true target. The Ivy League is one of a kind and is beside the point; these are small schools with large endowments but they are known specifically for their academic excellence and sports is an afterthought. For a very large school in a major metropolitan area to make academic prestige the major factor in deciding which sports conference to join is stupidity and the AD sounds foolish. They should raise their standards and I don't mean academically. Nobody at BU is going to get excited about playing Lehigh or even Holy Cross which is nearby. I went to BC and I would rather see BC play BU in hockey and not Harvard; am I getting through to you? I feel no satisfaction in beating Harvard in hockey unless they have a strong team that year. I always feel satisfaction beating BU even when BU has a bad team. I always feel satisfaction beating Notre Dame in football. I always feel satisfaction beating UMass in basketball. My point is that I do not care about the academics of the opponent; I care about the intensity of the rivalry and that is what might make me send a larger donation to BC or make me want to watch the game.
341 Days ago

ChocoboCDII

Are you implying the Ivy League doesn't do that? They have some of the best rivalries of all time. They have the best alumni support of any schools. They're among the richest schools in the world. Academically, they have the best national image. There's more to a university than just the athletics department.
341 Days ago

tfk345

What about: Intense rivalries Exciting the fan/student base Bringing in the most revenue possible Developing a national image Galvanizing the alumni and enhancing the endowment Those things seem to matter more to me than saying: "Hey, we just kicked MIT's butt today on the field of battle!" Rah rah
342 Days ago

ChocoboCDII

This should be good for their lacrosse program. The Patriot League has been stronger than the America East conference.
342 Days ago

thr3es

i played them when they were in the pioneer league. i'm excited to see how they do when they start up d1. patriot league will be a great challenge for them and i think provide them opponents that will help grow the sport on campus and in the city. it will be nice to have quality teams to play against and coming in to boston to see. good luck terriers!
342 Days ago

ChocoboCDII

I really hope they can do well. It'd be nice to see the sport grow further, and that will only happen if it's feasible for new programs to compete. Michigan's struggles are somewhat disheartening in that regard. Loyola's championship has finally broken the ACC/Ivy/Cuse/Hopkins reign though, so maybe parity is finally coming to the sport. And as the only show in Boston, BU should be set up pretty well.
341 Days ago

fightingmuskie

This move makes zero sense. Boston University should be looking to go to the CAA not making a lateral move to a conference with a similar profile as the AmEast.
342 Days ago

McMillanKevin

I would have waited for an invite to the CAA before making the jump.
342 Days ago

McMillanKevin

Yes, football schools, which is why Davidson and Charleston are considered to be the two front runners for an invitation. Charleston doesn't play football, and Davidson plays in the Pioneer which is a non-scholarship league. Stony Brook has been rumored as well, and they play football. But Davidson, Charleston, and BU were considered the 3 first options, none of which would play football in the CAA, thanks for your input though.
341 Days ago

1990_big_z

The CAA certainly wasn't gonna go to two Boston schools - Northeastern left to get away from BU (but they still play each other) the CAA is focused on adding football-based schools right now as well - BU hasn't played since '97, and VMI is a good candidate to join the CAA based mainly on the fact that they have a football team
342 Days ago

kramer7160

Boston U.'s major sport is hockey and this move doesn't affect hockey. This move puts them in a more prestigious academic conference which is what I think they were aiming for. Is it a competitive move up from America East to the Patriot, for basketball at least I would argue slightly, but its negligible.
342 Days ago

kramer7160

I am glad to see that you agreed with my statement.
342 Days ago

schmolik1

You did see Lehigh beat Duke this year? Bucknell beat Kansas back in 2005. I would say the Patriot is a step up over the America East.
342 Days ago

1990_big_z

Sometimes you can't upgrade to a better conference. In fact, I think Air Force should join to be with Army and Navy, as well as to have an even number of members in the PL. Air Force would pay for all the smaller schools' travel costs, a similar arrangement to what Hawaii will do for the Big West.
342 Days ago

McMillanKevin

Oh yeah and help pay for the all the terrible schools to come out west and play them in sports that Air Force will destroy them in. All just to enhance their rivalries with Army and Navy.
342 Days ago

McMillanKevin

Yeah enhance those rivalries for non-revenue sports and increase travel costs in the same process. Good call.
342 Days ago

1990_big_z

to enhance the rivalries with Army and Navy
342 Days ago

McMillanKevin

Why on Earth would Air Force do that?
342 Days ago

duke basketball sux

boston u sports blow
342 Days ago

mikeleeph

Aren't they getting rid of their traditional rivalries, at least in basketball with this move? At least they had traditional geographic rivalries with teams like Vermont, UNH, Hartford in America East. It was tough enough losing the football teams and losing the rivalries with UConn and UMass. Hard to see them developing any rivalries with any teams in the Patriot League. Guess it's just a hockey school going forward.
342 Days ago

kramer7160

They pick up Holy Cross. Just looking at it from a basketball perspective, they only have 16 conference games so they have quite a few non-conference to play with and they can keep games against UNH, Vermont, and Hartford if they so choose, and the same goes with UConn and Umass.
342 Days ago

schmolik1

Holy Cross?
342 Days ago

abercrombieco2

Interesting move , thought caa was going after Boston u, maybe this means caa is going after Bucknell? And patriot is getting Boston u in case Bucknell leaves?
342 Days ago

gosports09

bucknell wont leave the patriot for th caa
339 Days ago

McMillanKevin

Never thought of it like that, good thinking aber
341 Days ago

gotham77

Wait...we play sports other than hockey here at BU?
342 Days ago

kramer7160

Yeah, Boston Univ. isn't leaving Hockey East so joining the Patriot League for everything else makes sense.
342 Days ago

kramer7160

Welcome Boston University. Should be fun getting another Massachusetts school They should have a decent rivalry with Holy Cross right off the bat. As for the patriot league tourney, I guess for basketball have a play-in game for the 8 v. 9 seeds at the home court fo the top seed. Should be interesting
342 Days ago

Cappiethedog

If the Big West turns down Boise State's application for membership(and the Big Sky, as well), thus making orphans out of Broncos' non-football teams, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that Boise would look east, once again, as in the "Little East"(no disrespect, I love Vermont basketball) for it's mediocre sports programs, football notwithstanding. The Broncos have no leverage. They're in a bind. As a result, Boise State would be a more likely America East candidate than Air Force.
342 Days ago

1990_big_z

To have an even number of members the PL should go after Air Force
342 Days ago

321DKing

Does Drexel really have a comparable academic profile to the other PL schools? I think it makes more sense to be looking at schools like Northeastern, Fordham (going back to the PL), or even William and Mary as a possible 10th team. W&M presents an interesting case, considering they'd likely move to the PL to be more competitive in basketball a la American 11 years ago. They also fit the academic and school size of the 8 current PL schools. BU is a HUGE outlier with 33k students compared to an average of 4 or 5k at the other PL schools.
342 Days ago

schmolik1

Drexel is rated #88 among national universities according to US News & World Report.I would say they qualify academically. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/drexel-university-3256
342 Days ago

skinswillwin05

Drexel could be a good potential member. I don't think they would want to leave the CAA though. Lafayette and Lehigh are sort of an "in" to the Philly area, but of course a school actually located there would be a true "in." I think a school like Fairfield or Stony Brook would be a good fit for the Patriot League, especially Stony Brook since they have football.
342 Days ago

1990_big_z

right now the A-10 should add Long Island and Winthrop to stay at 16 for 2013.
342 Days ago

schmolik1

Unless they get raided again, I doubt the A-10 is looking for any more members.
342 Days ago

schmolik1

The CAA is falling apart and they are too Virginia centric. Having the tournament in Richmond cost Drexel an NCAA bid last year.
342 Days ago

1990_big_z

Fairfield is a program on the rise. They could get to the NCAA tourney next year and beyond if they keep getting good players.
342 Days ago

Cappiethedog

Why in the world would the Atlantic 10 want Fairfield?
342 Days ago

1990_big_z

I have Drexel and Fairfield eventually going to the A-10, and Stony Brook staying in the AE with football going CAA
342 Days ago

schmolik1

How about Drexel? It gives the Patriot League an in to the Philadelphia area and gives Lehigh, Bucknell, and Lafayette an extra in state rival.
342 Days ago

skinswillwin05

MWC also had a Versus deal. Not sure what their TV deal is at the moment with the merger with CUSA. Air Force has nothing to gain from joining the Patriot League. Nothing is stopping them from playing Army/Navy in out of conference play, which they do in many sports. It would be a huge downgrade for Air Force, and the Patriot League members surely do not want to deal with obscene travel times during the school year, as they are very academically focused.
342 Days ago

skinswillwin05

You have no clue what you are talking about. I played in the Patriot League, it is bush league. The MWC has mega TV deals all over the place, the Patriot League has a small deal with CBS Sports Network. This is a moronic idea.
342 Days ago

1990_big_z

Need I remind you that MWC also is on CBSSN? And I make a good point about the travel costs as well.
342 Days ago

skinswillwin05

Um because the Patriot League is a mid-major conference located in the Eastern United States. These are primarily smaller schools that do not have unlimited funds to spend on traveling out to Colorado to play Air Force. In addition, Air Force would never-NEVER-leave the MWC to join a middling Patriot League.
342 Days ago

1990_big_z

Air Force should love nothing more than to be in the same conference as Army and Navy. Air Force could pay for the smaller schools' travel if needed. Hawaii is paying for their Big West conference mates' travel to Honolulu as well, so it could work for Air Force and the PL as well.
342 Days ago

skinswillwin05

You can't be serious.
342 Days ago

1990_big_z

We have West Virginia in the Big 12, so why not?
342 Days ago