The President of Tulane smack talks the Big East

[Rumrunner]

conferences where we would be a very good fit. If you look at the ACC, they have academic institutions that are very comparable to us, Wake Forest and so on. So I think if you’re looking at an overall fit from an academic and an athletic point of view, I think the ACC and I certainly think the Big 12 fits, given their proximity and some of the institutions that they have.

If you look at the Big East now, the Big East is no more than the old Conference USA. Every school in the Big East with the exception of Rutgers and UConn will have come from Conference USA and the Mountain West. My view is that the Big East is not a power conference, and anyone who thinks they are doesn’t know athletics. The power conferences now are the Big 12, the Pac-12, the ACC, the Big Ten and the SEC.

http://m.thehullabaloo.com/mobile/s...cle_3df2eb5c-7507-11e1-a6d0-0019bb30f31a.html

 

[Husky1964]

,I think the guy is a Uconn grad, but his words however painful, ring true.

 

[huskypantz]

If Tulane had been invited, he'd be singing the praises of the Big East. Reality is that his fine academic institution got passed by for Boise Community College.

 

[Hoophound]

You can say whatever you want, "the Big East isn't a power conference", "its time for Calhoun to retire" blah, blah, blah. Reality is, until the results on the field are seen, nobody knows. The Big East will certainly improve some of these old CUSA programs just like it did last time. If it does, the NBE is a power conference. The NBE is going to be pretty good, I am certain of it. The problem is, will the NBE get a contract that will enable it to grow and prosper? Without the money and spin of a big network deal, no conference can thrive. The ACC is successful because of ESPN, yet the product stinks.

 

[epark88]

As co-chair of the committee that's working to create the new C-TBA, he's obligated to say that. Nothing personal against his alma mater, I'm sure - just business.

That said...this new Big East has a chance to be really good on the field, but will not have the off-field political 'cache' of the other five conferences for a long time - if ever - unless it strings together a bunch of NC runs in a hurry...

 

[Rumrunner]

It's part of his job, for sure, to pump up the Boba Fett conference. Pretty stark in his proclamations. I wouldn't be surprised that aside from Marinatto, and a few stragglers in Houston, Orlando and Tampa, that Tulane's view of the BE is the overwhelming view, rightly or wrongly. Perception=reality.

 

[Adios]

"Every school in the Big East with the exception of Rutgers and UConn will have come from Conference USA and the Mountain West. My view is that the Big East is not a power conference, and anyone who thinks they are doesn’t know athletics. The power conferences now are the Big 12, the Pac-12, the ACC, the Big Ten and the SEC. The other thing I’ve seen is that the parity is getting much better even between the power conferences and all the rest. When I was fighting the fight back in 2003 around the BCS, the Boise States, the TCUs, the Utahs were never thought of in the same breath as the power conferences. Now, they’re all joining the power conferences because they’ve proved their way in football."

He contradicted himself right there. Moving on....

 

[zls44]

It's part of his job, for sure, to pump up the Boba Fett conference. Pretty stark in his proclamations. I wouldn't be surprised that aside from Marinatto, and a few stragglers in Houston, Orlando and Tampa, that Tulane's view of the BE is the overwhelming view, rightly or wrongly. Perception=reality.

Why do you think that perception exists? It certainly is NOT unfair.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

,I think the guy is a Uconn grad, but his words however painful, ring true.

Cowen is not only a UConn alumnus, Lou Holtz recruited him to play football for the Huskies. Due to some kind of illness, this linked UConn Traditions alumni magazine article suggests Cowen never played for UConn. After Tulane and Cowen reached out to the Big East last year and their efforts were obviously shot down, he's playing as well as he can with Tulane's weak gridiron cards.

 

[rich1122]

To shut these jokers up we need to do it on the field. Including the ACC as a power conference weakened his comments substantially.

 

[metsfan2323]

The Big East needs to adopt an Al Davis mentality, Just win baby.

 

[Nostical]

Say what you will, but he's the guy who was most instrumental in prompting the BCS to let the non AQ's have a chance to sit at the adult table. And if UConn and Rutgers ever do leave for greener pastures, he'll be exactly right in his assessment.

 

[UConnDan97]

conferences where we would be a very good fit. If you look at the ACC, they have academic institutions that are very comparable to us, Wake Forest and so on. So I think if you’re looking at an overall fit from an academic and an athletic point of view, I think the ACC and I certainly think the Big 12 fits, given their proximity and some of the institutions that they have.

If you look at the Big East now, the Big East is no more than the old Conference USA. Every school in the Big East with the exception of Rutgers and UConn will have come from Conference USA and the Mountain West. My view is that the Big East is not a power conference, and anyone who thinks they are doesn’t know athletics. The power conferences now are the Big 12, the Pac-12, the ACC, the Big Ten and the SEC.

http://m.thehullabaloo.com/mobile/sports/tulane_sports/article_3df2eb5c-7507-11e1-a6d0-0019bb30f31a.html

The reason why we are still much better than the C-USA is because we took their best teams and left them with.....Tulane....

(I know, I know; please nobody type anything about Memphis! I'm still hurting a little inside on that one)

 

[Waquoit]

Say what you will, but he's the guy who was most instrumental in prompting the BCS to let the non AQ's have a chance to sit at the adult table. And if UConn and Rutgers ever do leave for greener pastures, he'll be exactly right in his assessment.

"If" we leave for greener pastures? You and Sue have been winking that it's a matter of when. Now it's "if"? We are so screwed. When you lose Nostical...

 

[rich1122]

Say what you will, but he's the guy who was most instrumental in prompting the BCS to let the non AQ's have a chance to sit at the adult table. And if UConn and Rutgers ever do leave for greener pastures, he'll be exactly right in his assessment.

I would rather just stay where we are and make our pastures greener.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Why do you think that perception exists? It certainly is NOT unfair.

Because the American public by far and large are morons?

The Big East has been at worse the ACC's equal since the 2003 raid and with Boise State coming in to replace West Virginia we shouldn't lose a beat.

 

[upstater]

,I think the guy is a Uconn grad, but his words however painful, ring true.

ACC?

By adding Pitt and Cuse? Sure, I'd trade Pitt and Cuse in a second, but I don't think Boise and the other schools are lacking when compared to Pitt and Cuse.

By the way: "Now, [Boise St. is] joining [a] power conference because they’ve proved their way in football."

Wait, what?

 

[rw005]

As Butchy would say:

Schedule a series with them!

 

[Rumrunner]

It appears that the Marinatto koolaid is sweeter to many of you than I would have thought. Don't conflate a BCS ranking with the value of a football program. I would have thunk Notre Dame taught that lesson already.

The New^ Big East has the following in 2011:

School. FB attendance

Memphis State: 10,937 (actual)
SMU: 20,890
UCF: 34,283
Boise CC
SDSU: 28,435
UConn: 36,668
Rutgers: 43,761
Houston: 31,726
USF: 44,550
Cincy: 32,293
Temple: 28,060


So what happens when these goliaths start battling one another? These numbers are horrid. Down right CUSA like...

 

[UConnDan97]

It appears that the Marinatto koolaid is sweeter to many of you than I would have thought. Don't conflate a BCS ranking with the value of a football program. I would have thunk Notre Dame taught that lesson already.

The New^ Big East has the following in 2011:

School. FB attendance

Memphis State: 10,937 (actual)
SMU: 20,890
UCF: 34,283
Boise CC
SDSU: 28,435
UConn: 36,668
Rutgers: 43,761
Houston: 31,726
USF: 44,550
Cincy: 32,293
Temple: 28,060


So what happens when these goliaths start battling one another? These numbers are horrid. Down right CUSA like...

It's odd that you forgot to mention the attendance of the C-USA teams, no? Here is the head to head against C-USA's remaining schools, based on Wikipedia's 2011 numbers (which I believe is where you got yours from):

C-USA
1) ECU - 50,012 (vs USF 44,550)
2) So. Miss - 28,400 (vs Rutgers 43,761)
3) UTEP - 26948 (vs UConn 36,668)
4) Marshall - 25,874 (vs UCF 34,283)
5) Tulsa - 22,541 (vs Cincy 32,293)
6) Tulane - 19,771 (vs Houston 31,726)
7) Rice - 17,329 (vs SDSU 28,435)
8) UAB - 16,579 (vs Temple 28,060)

By the way, all of Boise State's attendances in 2011 were well over 30,000, which would boost the Big East's numbers even more. And Memphis is reported at 20,078; we have to rely on reported numbers since that's what you're using for all schools.

If I'm eyeballing those numbers, I would say that we are safely 10,000 to 15,000 higher in average attendance. The verdict is: NO, NOT DOWNRIGHT C-USA LIKE...

 

[RS9999X]

There is a difference between Triple AAA and the Majors. Tulane is still stuck in Double AA and even more hampered in recruiting than they were.

 

[upstater]

It appears that the Marinatto koolaid is sweeter to many of you than I would have thought. Don't conflate a BCS ranking with the value of a football program. I would have thunk Notre Dame taught that lesson already.

The New^ Big East has the following in 2011:

School. FB attendance

Memphis State: 10,937 (actual)
SMU: 20,890
UCF: 34,283
Boise CC
SDSU: 28,435
UConn: 36,668
Rutgers: 43,761
Houston: 31,726
USF: 44,550
Cincy: 32,293
Temple: 28,060


So what happens when these goliaths start battling one another? These numbers are horrid. Down right CUSA like...

And these numbers are somehow lower than the old BE? They're not.

 

[RS9999X]

Old BE averaged ~45,000
NBE averages ~34,000
New C-USA averages ~26,000


OLD BE (2010)
1. WVU 57,648 (6 games) (NCAA 33 overall)
2. UofL 50,648 (7) (41)
3. Pitt 50,486 (5) (42)
4. Rutgers 48,931 (5) (46)
5. USF 40,690 (6) (58)
6. Syracuse 39,639 (5) (63)
7. UConn 37,898 (5) (66)
8. Cincy 36,329 (6) (69)

 

[upstater]

Old BE averaged ~45,000
NBE averages ~34,000
New C-USA averages ~26,000


OLD BE (2010)
1. WVU 57,648 (6 games) (NCAA 33 overall)
2. UofL 50,648 (7) (41)
3. Pitt 50,486 (5) (42)
4. Rutgers 48,931 (5) (46)
5. USF 40,690 (6) (58)
6. Syracuse 39,639 (5) (63)
7. UConn 37,898 (5) (66)
8. Cincy 36,329 (6) (69)

If Pitt averaged 50k, I'm Warren Buffet.

 

[Rumrunner]

I should have been more clear. It's not that CUSA is so great. It's how bad the New ^ Big East is compared to the (as described by the Tulane President) REAL power conferences. His point was not how favorable CUSA compared to the BE. Rather, it was that the BE is no longer a powrr conference. Let's face it, if one has to rely on a Rutgers as one of the better programs in the BE, well, there goes that argument.

Let's take a look at the ACC. Ouch.

BC 35,701
Wake Forest 33,127
Va Tech 66,233
NC State. 57,583
Clemson. 78,736
Fl State. 77,953
UNC. 55,583
Ga Tech. 47,116
MD. 42,355
Duke. 25,344
UVa. 48,877
Miami. 49,437

That kicks the New Big East's . Big time.

Arguing that the New BE is better than CUSA is like arguing over who's the tallest midget.