Q&A with Jim Delany

[RutgersLBI]

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-big-ten-jim-delany-q-and-a-20190312-story.html

His response below indicates that the B1G tourney won't be going back to MSG in the near future.

Let’s compare the last four venues that have hosted the men’s tournament. Start with Washington.

I think it was good but would have been a lot better had Maryland advanced. It was our first time out there. The weather was good, the games were good. I would say the response was moderate; it was not as good as anyone had hoped for.

Madison Square Garden?

Very good. We had three or four sessions sold out. A lot of single-digit games. Terrific vibe. It was hard because we compressed the (conference) schedule. It was tight, but the teams that got into the postseason fared pretty well. Madison Square Garden was a great experience. I know a lot of people in the Midwest didn’t appreciate that, thought it shouldn’t occur. But we thought it was an important part of building a region out. The players and coaches loved it.

Is there a future at MSG?

We made an effort to try to wedge ourselves in, but we weren’t successful. They extended (a deal) with the Big East, so congrats to them. But I’m really glad we went.

 

[bac2therac]

having the tourney at MSG was successful but if they are not going to be the top dog for MSG with the dates, then you cannot shift to a week before.

I think in general the better hoops is played by the Big 10 and eventually that BE contract will dry up as the years go on and BE slips is popularity

 

[RUPete]

Jerry Carino got a little dig into Delany in his BE Tournament column today, but they better hope that the local teams can stay good for a long time.

 

[bac2therac]

I never thought the BE slide would happen right away, it has only been 5 years? Obviously Villanova propped the conference up big time but this year is a huge step down...will they recover? Alot of medicority really. Yes its good that most teams except maybe De Paul can beat everyone else in league but look at the top and how fare they have fallen.

Expect the slow incremental slide to continue another notch over the next few years. BE is not going to drop from where its not in the top 6 or 7 conferences but I can see them leveling off to where the AAC is basically the same strength.

 

[rufeelinit]

Doesn't Villanova have a very strong class coming in next year? They got caught by their own success. They needed either DiVincenzo or Spellman to hang around one more year. I think they will remain a national contender most years but am not sure if they will raise the level of play across the conference. Ewing seems to have Georgetown heading in the right direction, Cooley does a nice job at Providence and Marquette/Creighton have very strong fan support.

 

[TDIrish27]

16,500 at the Pru on Saturday

 

[bac2therac]

how many Nova fans

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

Carino is a fan who has a job of covering college and HS hoops as a SHU alum....no one believes for 1 second that if Delany had full buy-in from all the schools on MSG, the check he would have written would have sealed the deal. But the B1G is a Midwestern based organization and I am fine with MSG elevating the Big East status in basketball. At the end of the day, the overall college basketball product is better if the Big East is respectable and doesn't fall behind as I believe it has and will continue to do revenue wise.

To have 16K at Prudential for Nova on a Saturday afternoon is great but not reality based attendance which is probably 5K to 7K for Seton Hall most normal nights during the work week. Everyone has better attendance on the weekends.

There's no dig required by Carino if he and the Big East are secure in their status. But the product and overall programs are very balanced if not dominant like the ACC etc. This year is either a blip on the radar or a decline for the Big East in general. I do know anyone stating that the B1G isn't trending up, is fooling themselves.

 

[Local Shill]

Carino is a fan who has a job of covering college and HS hoops as a SHU alum....no one believes for 1 second that if Delany had full buy-in from all the schools on MSG, the check he would have written would have sealed the deal. But the B1G is a Midwestern based organization and I am fine with MSG elevating the Big East status in basketball. At the end of the day, the overall college basketball product is better if the Big East is respectable and doesn't fall behind as I believe it has and will continue to do revenue wise.

To have 16K at Prudential for Nova on a Saturday afternoon is great but not reality based attendance which is probably 5K to 7K for Seton Hall most normal nights during the work week. Everyone has better attendance on the weekends.

There's no dig required by Carino if he and the Big East are secure in their status. But the product and overall programs are very balanced if not dominant like the ACC etc. This year is either a blip on the radar or a decline for the Big East in general. I do know anyone stating that the B1G isn't trending up, is fooling themselves.

Everyone’s an alum of somewhere. He is very fair and objective. If you think otherwise, you’re fooling yourself.

 

[bowlgoal]

A great answer from Delany would have been; not sure on MSG but we are thinking about the RAC as an upcoming venue.

 

[bowlgoal]

Everyone’s an alum of somewhere. He is very fair and objective. If you think otherwise, you’re fooling yourself.

Jerry is actually not only fair and objective but he wants Rutgers to succeed. Tough being a SHU alum and fan and covering Rutgers but he sincerely likes Pikiell and everything Rutgers is doing. I've known Jerry for years. He's a good guy and knows his stuff.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Everyone’s an alum of somewhere. He is very fair and objective. If you think otherwise, you’re fooling yourself.

He does a good job but after RU beat Seton Hall and the B1G successful tourney at MSG, he definitely showed that he isn't so fair and objective. He came across bitter and like a SHU fan.

 

[RUPete]

Everyone’s an alum of somewhere. He is very fair and objective. If you think otherwise, you’re fooling yourself.

I like Jerry's columns but he does tend to let his anti-football, SHU homerisms seep in once in awhile. I wouldn't say he's overly biased, it's just human nature. I think you fool yourself by thinking that doesn't play a part at all.

Though not a big deal, the little Delany dig was foolish and uncalled for. He still has a red ass over the BE break-up. He has no one to blame but the league's weak and myopic leadership for that.

 

[BigEastPhil]

Big east extended contract with msg. No way we can go back. Have the tourney at Barclays when big 10 comes back. Was there for acc tourney last 2 years and there was juice. All the Big East has is MSG and thus all Big east fans treat it as the holy grail. Bottoms line is that conference is a shell of itself. I would not be excited at all to see DePaul, Creighton, Butler, Xavier. It s a glorified Atlantic 10 conference with Villanova propping it up and getting inconsistent props from local teams and gtown

 

[e5fdny]

MSG or stay where it is.