Big East Invests in exploring Villanova upgrade

[Rumrunner]

Hello, nightmare.

 

[coachcap]

Ya got a link?

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

this had to be a stipulation of the temple invite.

 

[metsfan2323]

Where is this coming from? Make it stop.

 

[John Greene]

How is it possible that any conference could be blackmailed into helping a Villanova upgrade in order to get a team like Temple in. I refuse to believe it until it happens.

 

[Rumrunner]

No link yet. From the Temple/Big East press conference. Big East is hiring a consultant to liasion with Villanova to help in Nova's upgrade.

 

[SubbaBub]

If this "consultant" can conjure up a 35k seat stadium complete with season ticket holders then fine, otherwise...yada yada yada.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[justinslot]

I think it was more a concession to Nova to pay for the expenses of studying a move up...there was nothing definite about it, as far as I can tell. The whole presser seemed to be about saving as much Nova face as possible, and that could have been part of it. Nova still doesn't seem to have any idea what they want re: football. But whatever's happening, it's not going to happen anytime soon. The only definite statement about new membership was that the 14th team is intended to be another Western partner, which everyone's assuming means Air Force.

 

[noeynox]

His many studies do they have to conduct? Either its feasible or it isnt. Nova needs to not half ass it if they are serious.

 

[Rumrunner]

From the Villanova President:

"To achieve this, my fellow presidents and I developed a framework in which the Big East membership clearly and tangibly recognizes the equity that Villanova has built for the Conference in the Philadelphia market over many years. The framework also positively addresses some very important and unique logistical issues related to television exposure, scheduling and facilities. Importantly, the Conference offered a strong vote of confidence in our football program by providing substantial financial resources to us to assist in best positioning it to move forward in this dynamic landscape."

 

[TRest]

The nightmare has already taken place. Nova joining in football is just assbanging the corpse at this point.

 

[FDNY99]

I hope Herbst and Manuel were on the phone trying to find us a home after this fiasco! In a way I hope Nova does upgrade...they aren't that good now in FCS and they have zero facilities and will not be ND like in fund raising! It will be like having an inconference FCS game each and every year.

 

[justinslot]

I hope Herbst and Manuel were on the phone trying to find us a home after this fiasco! In a way I hope Nova does upgrade...they aren't that good now in FCS and they have zero facilities and will not be ND like in fund raising! It will be like having an inconference FCS game each and every year.

Just like playing in the ACC, in other words. If Nova actually does use Duke as their upgrade model, that is, as was their initial plan.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Little more than a gut feeling here but it appears that the conference settled with WVU prior to performing sufficient due diligence on Boise St as some of the statements that surfaced (from supposed BE sources) prior to Boise St officially stating that they could not join for football in 2012. They (those in charge) likely felt that BSU would come running the second the BE said "we need you".

Having to replace WVU at this late a date put the conference in a major bind and Temple was the only reasonable solution. This solution however led to a scathing article recently in a Philly paper (which had to come from a NOVA source) about how Nova's backyard should be protected by the BE. In order to solve the football scheduling issue, Nova needed some form of quid pro quo.

We heard from September 2010 through May 2011 about how Nova was seriously looking into upgrading their football program with a scattered rumor that they weren't really taking any serious steps and were attempting to upgrade on a wing and prayer . These rumors were normally followed very quickly with some damage control statement that yes, they were taking the move seriously and were devoting considerable time and money into the decision. If Nova did in fact thoroughly and professionally investigate the upgrade from the time the public first became aware of the possibility through the point where the football members staged a coup to stop the rubber stamping of an FCS football program into a BCS conference, the upgrade exploration that the conference evidently will be paying for would have been completed some fifteen months ago.

I am convinced that when a call is made to the BE offices they answer by saying "Hello, this is Peggy!".

 

[auggie22]

smart move, big east. the only thing better than having a toe-hold in the philly college football market, is having two. in fact, the only thing better than two is three - with a few subsidies, maybe we can convince st. joe's to start up a football team.

 

[UConnDan97]

I'll believe it when I see it. Unlike UConn, which was able to get significant financial backing from the state, Villanova doesn't have that ability to drum up tens of millions of dollars for a new stadium. Even if they find a way to share the Linc with Temple, they would need to upgrade other things such as campus practice facilities, etc. Also if I'm not mistaken, their increase in football scholarships will need to be offset by an increase in female scholarship sports or a decrease in another male sport, due to Title 9.

There is a lot that has to happen for a small Catholic school to make the jump to FBS, and like I said, I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[socttrojan]

smart move, big east. the only thing better than having a toe-hold in the philly college football market, is having two. in fact, the only thing better than two is three - with a few subsidies, maybe we can convince st. joe's to start up a football team.

LMFAO

great post Auggie

 

[socttrojan]

I'll believe it when I see it. Unlike UConn, which was able to get significant financial backing from the state, Villanova doesn't have that ability to drum up tens of millions of dollars for a new stadium. Even if they find a way to share the Linc with Temple, they would need to upgrade other things such as campus practice facilities, etc. Also if I'm not mistaken, their increase in football scholarships will need to be offset by an increase in female scholarship sports or a decrease in another male sport, due to Title 9.

There is a lot that has to happen for a small Catholic school to make the jump to FBS, and like I said, I'll believe it when I see it.

agreed,
this financial support almost sounds like a reimbursement for expenditures Nova has already incurred, now that they realize w/ Temple in the league, their pipe-dream of a BIG-boy fb program is just that

i'm coming around to this new BIG east football league, seems like a bunch of schools w/ some mojo, a whole lotta enthusiasm (which has been seriously lacking in places such as Syracuse & Pitt in recent years), not to mention LARGE student bodies in some new & equally LARGE markets, and the potential for some intriguing match-ups/rivalries:

UCF/USF
Memphis/Louisville
Boise vs. anybody
Navy @ San Diego St. should be an event given the US Navy presence out there
Rutty @ Temple will sell-out the Linc, adding another improving northeastern program is a definite plus
Houston has been akin to a Cinci-type program recently, and even SMU has the cache' of having June Jones as head coach, the guy wins wherever he goes.

i'm bullish on the new BIG east

i'd rather be rogue than on bended knee "begging harder"

 

[Fishy]

The Big East needs to think long-term and short-term and in the long term, it probably makes sense to have Nova in the football conference if it's feasible. They basically can't count on any of the current football members to be here in five or ten years.

And Nova was right to needle some concessions out of the Big East. UConn did when their vote was needed in the past.

 

[uconnbaseball]

Have to bring back this...Meatball at it again.

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12500671/will-get-fooled-again

 

[metsfan2323]

I don't think Villanova minds Temple joining the Big East as much as they fear the ACC being raided, and then adding Temple to the ACC along with UCONN and Rutgers.

 

[Dann]

u guys are missing the boat on this one. i hate the idea of nova moving up and temple etc just like all of u. but there is 1 true reason why nova would possible move up and they are going to get answers before they would ever actually do it. they are using the BE and marinate becuase they know how stupid this clown really is. u think they couldn't really figure out a way to split the eagles place with temple? i bet between the eagles place and the philies place they can figure it out, put there big boy pants on and ask around. they would upgrade if and only if the acc would then be interested down the road. they wouldn't upgrade to play in this new big east and not share the same identity as gt/sju. nova isn't looking to lose to sdsu 50-10 in october in cali. them upgrading is using the big east as a building block for a confrence move. they view upgrading football to duke level as possibly enough to get the acc to add them for all sports in which case they would invest in fball. if not, then fball isn't happening and they would rather be with gt/sju...for nova its all about what will the fball investment get us. if its the acc with certain schools then yes please, if not then no thanks its not worth the $$/time/pita etc...

all of this exploring is them seeing if the acc is interested. and i'm sure while we haven't heard a sniff of it, but gt is also quietly thinking about it. these schools think that small private and prestigious schools can live well in the cf world and they are dead wrong. the stanfords and vandys of the world are rare breeds. but its all the snobs dreams on the east coast one day for bc/cuse/pitt/nova/gt/duke/wake/miami to all be in a great bball league that gets a seat at the football table somehow, maybe even gt/vt stick around for that hot mess and nd joins in other sports.

point is nova is looking to build and jump or sit tight with bball bros. depending on what the chances are of jumping they will do whats best for them.

 

[Rumrunner]

Huskyfan Dan is correct. Villanova would want the Big East to incubate their football program, with the goal not being a successful fbs program in the Big East, but to be palatable to the ACC. Whether the ACC would want a small, POOR (endowment-wise)BC-light is up for debate. But that is what Nova wants.

Some more details:

The BE is giving Nova $1m right now to upgrade its football facilities. There would be $2m more if Nova upgrades. The BE would also waive any entry fee.

I guarantee that Nova has no intention, or wherewithal, to spend $100m plus to upgrade the soccer stadium and build training facilities. They probably will get some weak agreement with the BE to play 3 games at the linc(Temple/politicos/lurie/eagles) and 3 at 18k ppl park.

http://mobile.philly.com/sports/?wss=/philly/sports/colleges/villanova/&id=141822943&viewAll=y#more

 

[Fishy]

There is no one in the Big East or soon to be in the Big East who is not hoping to use the Big East as a stepping off point to something better.

This is nothing more than a blinding glimpse of the obvious.

 

[coachcap]

smart move, big east. the only thing better than having a toe-hold in the philly college football market, is having two. in fact, the only thing better than two is three - with a few subsidies, maybe we can convince st. joe's to start up a football team.

Actually,if you look a little south of Philly, there's a team in Newark , Delaware maybe looking for a new home. Perish the thought!