The A-10′s Next Step

Bryan Albin
Associate Sports Director

With the announcement of VCU’s move to the A-10 earlier this week, one thing became clear: football is not the only driving force in conference realignment. Universities that play basketball as their primary sport are starting to make moves to better prepare themselves for life in Division I basketball with super-conferences patrolling the top.

With Temple and Charlotte on the way out, but Butler, and now VCU, on the way in, the A-10 has positioned itself to be considered the premier “Mid-Major” basketball conference in the country. However, VCU joined because the conference is now in a position to be nothing less than major. It has been speculated that one of the primary reasons VCU left the Colonial Athletic Association to go to the A-10 was because of the ability to secure at-large bids into the NCAA basketball tournament, whereas CAA teams rarely secured such bids. In last year’s tournament alone, the A-10 had four teams in the tournament, while the CAA had only its conference champion, VCU, in the tournament, while Drexel, a team that won 19 straight games before losing to VCU in the conference championship game, was left home.

So now that the A-10 has cemented its status as a basketball conference, what is the next step to insure that the A-10 remains a league with the ability to secure three to five bids in the NCAA tournament each year? The answer is it’s time to go to an 18 game conference schedule. Whether or not the A-10 decides to continue its expansion to 16 teams will not have any effect on this year. Changing the conference schedule from 16 games to 18 this year is something that will improve the conference’s chances of getting more at-large bids immediately.

This is how to do it. Divide the league into three divisions of five teams. The divisions would be as follows:

A-10 West:  Charlotte, Dayton, Duquesne, St. Louis, Xavier

A-10 North:  Fordham, Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure, Temple, Umass

A-10 South: George Washington, La Salle, Richmond, St. Joe’s, VCU

So, for example, GW would play each team in the South division home and away, making eight games within the division. Then, GW would play the other 10 teams in the conference once, with five home games and five road games.

The ways in which the conference would benefit are huge. First and foremost, when you take away two non-conference games, which for some teams in the league are likely to be cupcakes, and replace them with two games against competitive teams in conference, it immediately make every team in the conference’s strength of schedule and RPI better. Secondly, each team gets more opportunities for quality wins, which is a key factor in the selection committees eyes. Third, the groundwork would be set for the future of the A-10, whether it consists of 14 or 16 teams, to have divisions that feature more home and away series among teams, which creates more rivalries and likely results in less travel for the athletes themselves.

The top three conferences in the RPI at the end of the year, the Big XII, Big 10 and Big East, all played 18 game conference schedules. To be a major conference in college basketball these days, 18 games is the way to go. Each of those conferences had at least half of its members qualify for the NCAA tournament at the year’s end. Major conferences that don’t include the SEC and ACC. When competing against major conference teams from the SEC and ACC, teams that have an easy time attracting high profile non-conference games, mid-majors need to look for every opportunity possible to get a leg up and boost their RPI’s. Adding two conference games is the easiest way to offer tougher games to every team’s schedules.

Let’s face it, at the end of the day, the public perception of the A-10 will be solely dependent on its performance in the NCAA tournament each year. Therefore, the conference has to put itself in position to earn as many bid into the NCAA tournament as possible. That’s why Butler is coming, it’s why VCU is coming, and it is exactly why the A-10 will likely pull in another two teams in the near future who want to be part of an elite, basketball-first conference. The A-10 has shown great vision throughout the realignment process, so one has to think it’s ready to take this next step. Besides, what GW fan wouldn’t like to see Shaka Smart, Chris Mooney and Phil Martelli in the Smith Center each year?

VCU Newest Addition to A-10

The Atlantic 10 Conference will expand to 15 member schools for the 2012-2013 athletic season.  VCU was accepted to the conference by the Atlantic 10 Council of Presidents, chaired by Xavier President Father Michael Graham.   The announcement came this afternoon from Father Graham and A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade.  ”The addition of Virginia Commonwealth University to the Atlantic 10 further strengthens us as the nation’s premier basketball-driven conference,” Father Graham said.  VCU will begin competing in the A-10 as of the fall of 2012.  The Rams will be departing the Colonial Athletic Association.

VCU has had recent success on the hardwood, with the men’s basketball team making the Final Four in 2011, under the coaching of Shaka Smart.  That Cinderella story was ended by Butler, who will also join the A-10 for the 2013-2014 season.  This was followed up this past season by  a trip to the round of 32.  GW Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Lonergan praised the arrival of his new competition. ”VCU has a terrific program and is led by one of the top young coaches in the country in Shaka Smart.  It is very exciting to have them join the A-10 Conference,” said Lonergan.  GW took a loss to VCU, 75-60, at the Verizon Center this past season.  GW will also get to face VCU in the other 15 sports which it brings to the A-10.

Butler to Join A-10

Today, the Atlantic 10 Conference welcomed its newest member school.  Butler University was unanimously accepted to join the conference by the Presidents of the current A-10 member schools.  The announcement was made at a press conference by A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade and Xavier President and Chair of the Atlantic 10 Council of Presidents, Father Michael Graham.  “The Presidents of the A-10 member schools could not be more enthusiastic about adding Butler University to our conference,” Graham said.  Butler will be leaving behind the Horizon Conference.  They will join the A-10 for the 2013-2014 season, the same season which will see the departure of the Temple Owls for the Big East Conference.  Though the addition of Butler will keep the A-10 at 14 members, Father Graham said, “The question was never replacing Temple, the question was advancing the status of the Atlantic 10 Conference.”

Butler men’s basketball boasts an impressive record in recent history, visiting the NCAA Final Four in two of the last three seasons.  “Butler’s program has been among the elite programs in the country in recent years, having advanced to the NCAA Championship game in back-to-back years in 2010 and 2011. For us, to be able to compete in conference play against the level of competition that Coach Brad Stevens and his team brings, is very exciting to our players and staff,” said GW men’s basketball coach Mike Lonergan.  The Colonials will also compete against the Bulldogs in 17 of the 21 A-10 sports in which Butler participates.

News Package: Jonathan Tsipis Introduced as New Women’s Head Basketball Coach

As reported as the likely choice on Wednesday, Jonathan Tsipis was named the ninth head coach in GW women’s basketball history Friday afternoon. Sports Director Nkwa Asonye attended the press conference after a reception and had the coverage.