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Can we realign for some non-con fun?

Long Beach State v Creighton

OMAHA, NE - FEBRUARY 18: T.J. Robinson #20 of the Long Beach State 49ers splits Doug McDermott #3 and Gregory Echenique #0 of the Creighton Bluejays at CenturyLink Center February 18, 2012 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Eric Francis/Getty Images)

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Realignment has a number of long-term side effects that may take some time to become obvious. Some immediate effects have begun to crop up as well, like the question of whether CAA defectors will be allowed to participate in league championships on their way out the door, like Missouri did in the Big 12 this season. That’s a question of what might happen at the end of the season, but some bloggers have questioned whether a non-conference throwdown or two might be arranged as schedules undergo seismic change as well.

Specifically, Patrick Marshall of the Creighton-centric blog consortium at White & Blue Review wonders if a matchup of two powerful mids might be arranged early in the year:

With VCU’s sudden move to the A-10 starting this upcoming season (rather than next season, as originally planned), that means they suddenly have some games still to schedule. They need to add as many as four games, because the A-10 will play two fewer conference games than VCU would have in the Colonial, and because VCU had two non-conference games scheduled against A-10 teams.

Two strong coaches and teams from two strong leagues make for an interesting storyline to start the season.


It’s certainly an intriguing proposition, and well worth exploring. VCU, along with other CAA teams, opted out of the Bracket Busters event, in part because they weren’t getting the scheduling bump they might have wanted. Getting Creighton and VCU together would provide a nice matchup for television audiences, and a respectable opponent for both participating teams. There’d still be the question of where the game would be played, but I think it would behoove the Blue Jays to make the trek - they don’t have the name recognition of Final Four participant VCU, and a televised trip to talent-rich Virginia could pay future dividends.

I like it. Let’s get this rumble on the docket.