When you’ve got 16 teams to maneuver through a conference schedule, "fair and balanced" tends to go out the window.
So now that the Big East has released its conference schedule for the 2010-11 season, including the three repeat opponents each school will play, someone will cry foul.
Syracuse, for example, has to play Georgetown, Villanova and sleeper Seton Hall twice (plus travel to Louisville, Marquette and Connecticut), while Villanova, one of the favorites, has repeats with Georgetown and Pittsburgh but has a slightly easier road slate.
But the truth is, this year it’s really hard to tell what’s easy and what’s hard. With a number of Big East stars in New York City tonight, waiting for their names to be called in the NBA draft, the league is in a state of flux.
Pittsburgh, an overachieving team a year ago, will be the likely preseason favorite, but the pecking order of the conference won't be nearly so cut and dry.
Which means whether you think this schedule is fair or not, it ought to be entertaining.
Note: Repeat opponents in italics
CINCINNATI
Home: Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, West Virginia
Away: DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Syracuse, Villanova
CONNECTICUT
Home: Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, USF, Syracuse, Villanova
Away: Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Seton Hall, West Virginia
DEPAUL
Home: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Villanova, West Virginia
Away: Cincinnati, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia
GEORGETOWN
Home: Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Syracuse, West Virginia
Away: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Notre Dame, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, Villanova
LOUISVILLE
Home: Connecticut, DePaul, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, West Virginia
Away: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, USF, Villanova, West Virginia
MARQUETTE
Home: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Notre Dame, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, West Virginia
Away: Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Villanova
NOTRE DAME
Home: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova
Away: Connecticut, DePaul, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia
PITTSBURGH
Home: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Marquette, Notre Dame, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia
Away: DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, USF, Villanova, West Virginia
PROVIDENCE
Home: Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John’s, USF, Villanova
Away: Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia
RUTGERS
Home: Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, Seton Hall, USF, Villanova, West Virginia
Away: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Notre Dame, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Villanova
ST. JOHN’S
Home: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, USF, Syracuse
Away: Cincinnati, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, Seton Hall, Villanova, West Virginia
SETON HALL
Home: Connecticut, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, USF, Syracuse, Villanova
Away: Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, West Virginia
SOUTH FLORIDA
Home: DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Syracuse, Villanova
Away: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, West Virginia
SYRACUSE
Home: Cincinnati, DePaul, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Villanova, West Virginia
Away: Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, Villanova
VILLANOVA
Home: Cincinnati, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John’s, Syracuse, West Virginia
Away: Connecticut, DePaul, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse
WEST VIRGINIA
Home: Connecticut, DePaul, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF
Away: Cincinnati, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Villanova