Big East Conference Status

[UConnDan97]

At risk of getting smart remarks, like "dead", I wanted to take a look at what the new conference is going to look like after the Boise announcement. Here is what I believe we are looking at:

1) I think it will only be natural that SDSU will get re-absorbed by the Mountain West, and I just don't see any way that we can keep them without it becoming more of a clusterf#$k.
2) I think this was the straw that broke the camel's back for Navy.
3) Although it is still up in the air for Houston and SMU, I don't have a feel for how strong a desire they will have to join the Mountain West versus the Big East.

Scenario A: UConn, Cincy, USF, Temple, UCF, SMU, Houston, Memphis, Tulane, ECU

With this lineup, there is no need for divisions but also there is no ability to play a championship game, unless they decide to go with a two 5-team divisional setup. Barring any further expansion (I'm not sure where it would come from anymore, since I don't believe this lineup will be strong enough to get much more money than the other lower-tier leagues do), we will have a 9-game conference schedule with 3 OOC games.

Scenario B: UConn, Cincy, USF, Temple, UCF, SMU, Houston, Memphis, Tulane, ECU, Rice*, Tulsa*

With the addition of two more teams, the two 6-team divisions with championship game are restored. I have put in Rice and Tulsa in these spots (one happens to be likely the best football team we might be able to acquire, and the other now has decent football and will help keep the Texas teams interested). But really, it could be any two teams that we can acquire, and there is nobody out there that increases our revenue anyways. Now, we need to be able to at least sell content to the networks, and we are running out of it.

Scenario C: UConn, Cincy, USF, Temple, UCF, SMU, Houston, Memphis, Tulane, ECU, Navy, *Army

It's possible that the quick addition of Army keeps Navy here. If so, that's not a bad idea. Make them the last game of the year in order to respect their rivalry, and hope the Texas schools stay along for the ride. UConn will obviously travel well to Michie Stadium, so that would be a small consolation for us.

I like Scenario C the best, and I think it makes the most sense to quickly get out there and try to acquire Army. My fallback would be Scenario B, in order to lock up the Texas wing. Finally, if we have to live with Scenario A, it is what it is. Death by a thousand cuts. I'm so tired of realignment....

 

[zls44]

Can you imagine poor Army and Navy having to play Cincy and UConn in basketball? If either team ever wins by less than thirty, the coach should be fired.

Geno might win by a thousand.

 

[UConnDan97]

Can you imagine poor Army and Navy having to play Cincy and UConn in basketball? If either team ever wins by less than thirty, the coach should be fired.

Geno might win by a thousand.

I guess it's conceivable to just add them for football in order to counter the fact that Navy is just being added for football. And in that case, you could try to bring Rice and Tulsa on board to make the 14 team conference (2 football-only's)...

 

[Vowelguy]

I guess it's conceivable to just add them for football in order to counter the fact that Navy is just being added for football. And in that case, you could try to bring Rice and Tulsa on board to make the 14 team conference (2 football-only's)...

Rice? Are you kidding me?

 

[UConnDan97]

Rice? Are you kidding me?

They just beat up on Air Force in a bowl game. They also beat Kansas and SMU this year. They happen to reside in Texas (Houston). And for those that care about it (I don't, really), they are a top-flight academic institution. And this is where we are as a conference right now. So no....I'm not kidding you...

 

[upstater]

Schools might be enticed by all the NCAA credits that remain with the league. The BE can also lower entry fees to nil and then require little penalty for leaving the league to new teams.

 

[UConnDan97]

Schools might be enticed by all the NCAA credits that remain with the league. The BE can also lower entry fees to nil and then require little penalty for leaving the league to new teams.

The NCAA credit stuff and past exit fees loom large, don't they? It's the main reason that I don't agree with anybody who thinks that UConn/Cincy/USF/Temple will make their way into the MAC or the C-USA without the situation being way more screwed up than it is currently. And that's truly saying something...

 

[Vowelguy]

They just beat up on Air Force in a bowl game. They also beat Kansas and SMU this year. They happen to reside in Texas (Houston). And for those that care about it (I don't, really), they are a top-flight academic institution. And this is where we are as a conference right now. So no....I'm not kidding you...

And what did they do in the previous 20 yrs?

I would rather be in the A10 or C7, and stick FB in the MAC, than be with Rice & Tulane.

 

[UConnDan97]

And what did they do in the previous 20 yrs?

I would rather be in the A10 or C7, and stick FB in the MAC, than be with Rice & Tulane.

And if basketball drove the bus in terms of tv dollars, then you would be right. After the last two years, do you still believe that basketball drives the bus? Do you think that if it drove the bus, that the Big East could have even been touched by anyone else???

 

[uconNYC]

I'm for joining the C7 and going independent in football. If that is not possible then Scenario A is best. I bet Aresco goes with Scenario B - the worst one. Someone needs to put a leash on Aresco before he does something stupid again like adding Tulane.

 

[HuskyHawk]

They just beat up on Air Force in a bowl game. They also beat Kansas and SMU this year. They happen to reside in Texas (Houston). And for those that care about it (I don't, really), they are a top-flight academic institution. And this is where we are as a conference right now. So no....I'm not kidding you...

Agreed. I mentioned Southern Miss as an option but at least Rice was in the old SWC, is a great school and is SMU's historic rival. Rice also has a great baseball team.

Option C is dead OK in the water. We need an all sports league and Army/Navy can't play at that level.

Option A is the default at this point. Not sure going to 12 adds anything. Nobody wants that conf championship game anyway.

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[UConnDan97]

I'm for joining the C7 and going independent in football. If that is not possible then Scenario A is best. I bet Aresco goes with Scenario B - the worst one. Someone needs to put a leash on Aresco before he does something stupid again like adding Tulane.

Just out of curiosity, why don't you like the Army football add to keep Navy better than Scenario A?

 

[UConnDan97]

Agreed. I mentioned Southern Miss as an option but at least Rice was in the old SWC, is a great school and is SMU's historic rival. Rice also has a great baseball team.

Option C is dead OK in the water. We need an all sports league and Army/Navy can't play at that level.

Option A is the default at this point. Not sure going to 12 adds anything. Nobody wants that conf championship game anyway.

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It's the type of conference championship that would find its way on NBCSports. At this point, how likely do you think it is that there is any interest at all from ESPN or even FOX? I'm guessing that at this point, it's NBC or bust...

 

[HuskyHawk]

And what did they do in the previous 20 yrs?

I would rather be in the A10 or C7, and stick FB in the MAC, than be with Rice & Tulane.

Actually I like Rice and Tulane. Its Memphis that is embarrassing.

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[uconNYC]

Just out of curiosity, why don't you like the Army football add to keep Navy better than Scenario A?

I think better to stay at 10 teams and avoid a championship game that nobody will care about.

 

[UConnDan97]

Here is a "Scenario D", presented by Blaudschun via ZLS on another thread, along with my response to a possible merger. Just some food for thought:

http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=4584#more-4584​

​

Right now, C-USA is working off of a dual tv deal (if I understand it correctly) between FOX and CBS that pays out about 1.2 million per team. I would be interested to know two things:

1) Does a merger void those contracts?
2) How much more do we believe that we would get out of a tv deal?

It's pretty sad to think that we are almost certainly going to make less money in future tv dollars than we currently make....ughh!....

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sp...ence-usa-signs-new-tv-agreement-with-fox.html

 

[zls44]

Here is a "Scenario D", presented by Blaudschun via ZLS on another thread, along with my response to a possible merger. Just some food for thought:

http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=4584#more-4584​

​

Right now, C-USA is working off of a dual tv deal (if I understand it correctly) between FOX and CBS that pays out about 1.2 million per team. I would be interested to know two things:

1) Does a merger void those contracts?
2) How much more do we believe that we would get out of a tv deal?

It's pretty sad to think that we are almost certainly going to make less money in future tv dollars than we currently make....ughh!....

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sp...ence-usa-signs-new-tv-agreement-with-fox.html

Literally less than ten percent of what the rejected ESPN deal was.

Thanks again, Pitt!

 

[Vowelguy]

And if basketball drove the bus in terms of tv dollars, then you would be right. After the last two years, do you still believe that basketball drives the bus? Do you think that if it drove the bus, that the Big East could have even been touched by anyone else???

No. But Tulane and Rice suck so much, I think UConn would be just as well giving up on FB, or going to the MAC.

 

[zls44]

UConn will not drop football.
But it's clear that adding it is currently a nightmare, full regret decision.

For those who disagree: with football, UConn is in a conference with UCF and Tulane. Without it, its in a conference with Georgetown and Marquette.

 

[UConnDan97]

UConn will not drop football.
But it's clear that adding it is currently a nightmare, full regret decision.

For those who disagree: with football, UConn is in a conference with UCF and Tulane. Without it, its in a conference with Georgetown and Marquette.

...and in both scenarios, we are looking at a relative contract amount of in between 1 to 2 million. For the basketball fans, they obviously would want the latter. For the football fans, they obviously would fight like hell to stay 1-A. For UConn as a whole, I think that it is imperative to try to progress the football as much as you can, because that is the ONLY way you get into a top-notch paying conference (ACC, B1G, Big12, etc.). Aspiring to be the A-10 isn't really aspiring at all...

 

[Revrat]

Now I know nobody likes our WVU tweeters but I do believe that he does have some people that hear things. He has repeatedly said that he does not think that UCONN is going to the big12 but that ESPN is trying. He reiterated that tonight. I don't think it's going to happen but he has continually brought it up. I just hope that somehow ESPN would try to find us a home. Just a small ray of hope I guess. We need something.

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[ScottVib]

This isn't a realistic scenario... the better play would be to continue the plan of taking the best 2 out of C-USA (or trying again for Army to get to 12 if Navy still comes (football only for both))

The current C-USA looks like:

UTEP
Tulsa
Rice
La Tech
Southern Miss
UTSA
Marshall
FAU
FIU
Middle Tenn
Charlotte
North Texaas
Old Dominion
UAB

14 - teams....

Blaudschan's plan involves either UConn, Cincy, USF deciding to join that conglomeration (taking it to 17)... or Baranowsky now kicking out most of the newly added teams to re-admit the clubs that the "Big East" already brought in.

A far superior plan at this point is to form the "new conference" with the 10 remaining all sports schools, adding the next two best, if and only if Army and Navy won't both join for football only.

 

[upstater]

Actually I like Rice and Tulane. Its Memphis that is embarrassing.

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Memphis = Basketball

 

[upstater]

UConn will not drop football.
But it's clear that adding it is currently a nightmare, full regret decision.

For those who disagree: with football, UConn is in a conference with UCF and Tulane. Without it, its in a conference with Georgetown and Marquette.

I think you're missing a lot of logical steps in your assessment.

 

[Revrat]

I still think Memphis could do football. Back when they had a USFL team or whatever it was they had killer support. Not saying they will but the city can at least support it. Maybe the right coach could turn it around. That being said I want no part of it

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