Big East is the best basketball conference? That's the funniest thing I've heard all week Josh. Good joke. Of course the Big East was the fifth-ranked league in the country last year and has been higher than fifth just twice in the past decade, according to the Sagarin ratings. I know you're a Syracuse fan Josh, but don't lose touch with reality. :)

Any conference with Georgetown, Louisville, Pittsburgh, and the 2008 National Champion Marquette Golden Eagles is, in fact, the nation's best.

Big East is certainly the deepest conference, and having 2 out of the last 4 champions is impressive as well. I think it's probably the best conference, but the Pac-10 can give 'em a run for the money. Especially with OJ MAYO at USC!!!

I will say the Big 10 conference is a joke. Every year they have one solid team and 10 of the most overrated teams in the country. It's the worst. It should be a one-bid league. The MVC is a better league. The SEC is also overrated, but Florida has just been OUTSTANDING the last couple of years. The rest of the conference has been okay. They're all legit, unlike the Big 10, but at times seem overrated.

And the ACC, well, if it wasn't for Dick Vitale and his crazy yammering about Duke I might actually follow this conference. Who knows how good they are because as soon as ESNP says ACC I change the channel!!

My favorite thing about college hoops in the past couple of years has been the parity among the conferences. Ten years ago, putting the MVC or Colonial Athletic Association up there with the best conferences in the country would have been ridiculous, but that's not the case anymore.

Hey, could the NCAA do anything to get Dick Vitale off the air? The guy hasn't had an intelligent thing to say since the early 90's when he was actually an excellent commentator.
Since then though, he has been AWFUL!

"Ten years ago, putting the MVC or Colonial Athletic Association up there with the best conferences in the country would have been ridiculous, but that's not the case anymore."

I would hardly say they are the best conferences. In the last 4 years alone there have only been two mid majors even make the Elite Eight (that???s only 2 out of 32 for a whole 6%). George Mason on their run even beat a mid major to get to the elite eight so there was going to be one in. And look at last year 3 mid-majors who advanced to the round of 32 played a mid major in their opening game. Sure they can win a quick one game series but would struggle with a full major conference schedule. Parity - hardly good 4 year team chemistry vs majors losing super talent early to the draft. I have to agree with you on one thing ??? the Big East may be the deepest, what do they have like 30 schools in the league?

I would agree with the last poster. Most of those MVC teams wouldn't make the tourney if they played in a major conference. Probably none of them...EVER. They are however good enough to win a one game playoff now and again.

So competitive cheer isn't NCAA sponsored?

So what? Is it any less valuable than if the NCAA sponsored it? No.

Neither is rugby NCAA sponsored...but given the way the NCAA continually uses a sledgehammer approach, why would they want to be?

Only good enough to win a one-game playoff? George Mason beat three former national champions in 2006. The Horizon League's Butler was in the Sweet 16 this season. That's more than one-and-done.

George Mason's run started with a win over Mich. St. who had lost 7 of their last 11 games and even lost to Hawaii that season. UNC shocked everyone that year with a solid record but had only one contributing senior, their best player was an overachieving hard working freshman. Next they beat Wichita St. good mid-major nothing more. I'll give the big shocker was UConn ??? they just flat choked. Those are all good wins with only one as shocking. Mason on the other hand was led by three seniors that year. Butler first beat a mid major round one and then beat the last team probably to get in to the NCAA's from the ACC in Maryland. Butler runs a complex offensive system that is very different than the norm today and on a one day scout very hard to prepare for. I am not saying these teams are not good teams but they would not win a single one of the major conference's titles. And being a former champion does mean they are good now heck Loyola (Ill.) won a championship in 1963. I can see the title for the next loss for Loyola now "Butler beats former National Champion last night..."

Flukes, those are flukes. The way the NCAA Tourney is set up it's possible for a mid-major to make a nice run in the tourney, but if you placed them in the Big East they would lose most nights. They would get a few nice wins, but would never make the tourney.

I have to say I feel sorry for the Men's Wrestling squad at Oregon. I guess Title IX strikes again. At least we'll have another competitive cheer squad to follow in the next few years! Go CHEER SQUADS! I guess a cheerleading team isn???t enough anymore. Soon maybe we'll have competitive softball cheer squads, and bowling cheer squads so that Oregon can get their wrestling program back!