Is a BE split off the table?

[businesslawyer]

Read it again. I said the FB schools did not have the votes. I meant amongst themselves. There must be enough FB schools that in the past believed a mongrel is better than a purebred.

Now answer my questions, why is the hybrid model not working? Why have 5 schools left the conference for what is a questionable increase in revenue?why is splitting now not a worthwhile option for the FB schools to really explore? If adding two FB/BB schools to the current BE maintains its BCS status, wouldn't the same adds maintain it as a stand alone conference? Why is staying in a hybrid conference more beneficial to Uconn than being in an all sports conference? If the hyrid works so well, why are the majority of the FB schools looking to move to other conferences?

1. o.k., I now understand what you're saying. But you have no facts to support that maybe it's only a majority of football schools that didn't want to split, but even if that's the case why didn't a majority want to leave?

2. It is not the hybrid nature that caused Miami or Syracuse or Pitt to leave. It is the fact that they were invited to join a football conference with more prestige and more money. The football schools having split off would not have changed that at all. It's that simple.

 

[uconNYC]

broken record: splitting off from the BE basketball schools means we will be playing basketball and Olympic sports against ECU, SMU, UCF, Memphis, Marshall, etc. Does that notion excite you?

 

[mattp]

anyone that thinks we should split should go to the Big East tournament one year. i'm about 80% football fan to 20% bball fan and even i don't see any reason to throw away what is one of the premier athletic events of the year for no reason.

06029, do you really think Cuse and Pitt would have stayed if we had split an added UCF or whatever other realistic group you want? how would splitting have provided stability? if you're Louisville or WVU and you're deciding between the B12 and BE, the bball side can come into the equation. college basketball is unquestionably the Big East's best asset. why would we severe our best asset? when does that ever make sense?

 

[freescooter]

anyone that thinks we should split should go to the Big East tournament one year. i'm about 80% football fan to 20% bball fan and even i don't see any reason to throw away what is one of the premier athletic events of the year for no reason.

06029, do you really think Cuse and Pitt would have stayed if we had split an added UCF or whatever other realistic group you want? how would splitting have provided stability? if you're Louisville or WVU and you're deciding between the B12 and BE, the bball side can come into the equation. college basketball is unquestionably the Big East's best asset. why would we severe our best asset? when does that ever make sense?

It makes sense when keeping your best asset means your biggest asset can't do what it needs to grow. I was an advocate of splitting way back when BC was still in the fold. And I would argue that we simply don't know what would have happened had the Big East football schools split earlier. Pitt & Syracuse might have still left, but it is also possible that with BC remaining and having the flexibility to take actions to do what was best for the football schools, the league could have moved more quickly to add others which might have upgraded the quality of play more quickly and improved the league's profile. Maybe it would have been in position to make a strong play for members of the B-12 last time it looked ot collapse. Maybe it would have been inposition to attract a Maryland. But the fact remains that 5 of the original Big East members have left. And all of them, except VaTech, have at one level or another made comments about the problems of the hybrid league.

Now given our present situation, I don't favor a split right now. But I do think it is necessary to plan for one in the next 5 years. Get stabilized. Get developed. Get out. should be the motto of the football side.

 

[mattp]

if the BE split before the ACC poached us the first time there's a decent chance we'd be with the bball schools. you have to keep that in mind when you go back that far. when we still had Miami, Vtech and BC we probably could have split and made plays at other BCS teams, but that ship has sailed so long ago it's hardly worth thinking about, and we weren't a football school then anyhow.

 

[businesslawyer]

if the BE split before the ACC poached us the first time there's a decent chance we'd be with the bball schools. you have to keep that in mind when you go back that far. when we still had Miami, Vtech and BC we probably could have split and made plays at other BCS teams, but that ship has sailed so long ago it's hardly worth thinking about, and we weren't a football school then anyhow.

No other BCS school was joining us. Kansas et al weren't going to bail on the Big XII if the Big East was stronger -- they were looking for a landing if the Big XII fell apart. Maryland -- please. We were, even before the first raid, the weakest BCS conference. Not on the field necessarily, but certainly in terms of revenue and prestige. i

 

[Husky68]

The football schools didn't need the vote of a single basketball school to split over the last few years. So, again, stop making your case and ask yourself why it is that they didn't leave?

You think there is one reason alone for not splitting? Let's see: Syracuse and Pitt did not want to separate to FB only as would require more commitment and look even worse as they split and left 7 or 6 team conference (or other new guys also if expanded more). Also, think they wanted to sign an ESPN contract with BE and then leave? Rutgers thinks they will get B10 offer next time out. WV is working to get to SEC and sees their simpliest way out is have FB schools with BB so they aren't "FB school league killers" and also the additional commitment a FB conference only makes (like Pitt and Syracuse). Louisville/Cin. are new guys in BCS and are good BB schools and see medium term stability in the combo league and "eventually" FB schools will expand either within BE or outside (counting on Syracuse and Pitt as part of the power of FB schools). USF is newby in FB and more concerned with just getting better and being part of BCS conference is good enough for them. Uconn is not about to go behind the backs of other schools and takes others at face value that will not either. Sees things same as Louisville/Cin.

So, yes each had reason, and only Pitt and Syracuse had their reasoning work out. How exactly do you as a group decide to go on your own when two of the group are without your knowledge making suggestions, and asking questions at your meetings with the eye on "I'm almost out, I'm almost out, let me not show a tell". Think Syracuse has been eyeing ACC since ?; when did Pitt and Syracuse know each other were on ACC list.

It would definitely be better to go on their own for 7 of the 9 if it kept the other 2 in. 3 teams (Uconn, WV, Rutgers) were in the second part of "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me"; 3 teams (Cin, Lou, USF) were in "the 2003 scenario won't happen again mode", happy to be in any BCS league and playing BB in MSG is cool; 2 team (Pitt, Syr) were in "I'm going to do or say anything I need to in order to get out of BE with the minimum of commitment = do not under any circumstances go to a FB only BE or sign a new ESPN contract).

So the "THEY" had different reasons for not leaving the BB schools. Sometimes decisions are made poorly, especially when a participant in the decision making does not reveal all the facts. I mean poorly for the left over 6/7, not poorly for the 2 who beat it.