The New York Post is reporting that the Atlantic 10 conference presidents are meeting to discuss the pending Big East conference break-up that could affect their league as the seven departing Catholic schools are likely to invite one or more from that league to join them. Xavier and Butler are prime candidates to join the Big East's "Catholic 7" in their new league.
The A10 is concerned that those two schools and St. Louis may already have "one foot out the door." The Presidents of the other conference schools arranged for the meeting with the intention of trying to solidify commitments from membership.
Creighton has also been in touch with representatives of the "Catholic 7" schools according to the Post report. Apparently the Omaha school is seen as an option to strengthen the western branch of the new conference.
In another move seemingly based entirely on markets and geographic proximity, the Post has reported that Duquesne may also become a program of interest — despite their lack of recent big time basketball success. The Dukes haven't made an NCAA tournament appearance since 1977, though they managed to make it to the Final Four in 1940, when they appeared in both the NCAA tournament and NIT. In the 21st Century, the Dukes have reached the NIT once and the CBI twice — in a conference that will rely on postseason success for brand-building, recruiting, exposure and finances, adding the Dukes should not be a priority.