I submit you are all missing something about Notre Dame's interest in any of the conferences. They want to be independent in football, but they want conference affiliation in all other sports. Well, if the BE implodes or not, with football schools going somewhere (Conn and RU to ACC, WVU, Louisville, TAMU to B12, etc.) the BE basketball schools aren't going anywhere. The new Big East could well be the basketball schools, plus maybe Xavier, Dayton, St. Bona, etc, PLUS ND. They still have football independence AND a conference for all their other sports. The ball is still in NDs court and their decision on whether to join a conference or not really won't affect their non football sports. Their only question will be the strength of the non-football competition.