Big East Says It's Going to 12(!!) football schools

[ctchamps]

Nope... I think we're going to ultimately end up in the ACC. I do think there's a slim chance the Big East survives as is... and that ultimately if you're going to attempt to remain viable you can't just slap a band aid on.

I'm pragmatic... I think the best chance the Big East has to survive is to add schools quickly... add enough to be a real true viable football conference... and to get them established as soon as possible. I think going to 12 schools is a positive sign because it means the football schools are getting more say in things.. if it were up to just the basketball schools they'd try to just replace 'Cuse and Pitt and leave it at that. Do I think the long term viability of the Big East is good? Nope... but IF it's going to work at all they can't just add two teams.

I think this development, if true, indicates the bb schools are throwing their weight into this process. Let's face it the BE is a lousy football conference but still an excellent bb conference even with the loss of Cuse and Pitt. So bring in Temple for all sports. That at least brings in a comparable bb program to Pitt and a better football program than Cuse.

So the BE bb schools are being very pragmatic.

This development may mean that the ACC won't necessarily be the prohibited best bb conference. And a lot of the teams being thrown about for football only are certainly an upgrade for Cuse and comparable for Pitt. This could mean that the next contract will be favorable. It might even be comparable to whatever the ACC negotiates. If I were the BE I would be contacting the various media peoples and ask which teams they would be interested in seeing in the NBE conference and what they might consider offering in the way of a contract. The media players can't approach the BE but the BE can approach the media.

 

[Hoophound]

SMU and Houston would go a long way towards this.

I find it discouraging that SMU and Houston seem to be lower on the list than other options. They are the best 1-2 punch followed by UCF.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

So bring in Temple for all sports. That at least brings in a comparable bb program to Cuse and a better football program than Cuse.

I hate Cuse as much as anyone else here...but did you really just say that with a straight face? Syracuse is light years ahead of Temple in basketball, and a step above Temple in football. To say that Temple is anywhere near Temple in terms of basketball is just not being intellectually honest.

 

[ctchamps]

This should and could have been done 2 years ago. The BE would still have Pitt and 'Cuse and be negotiating a killer TV contract. But that would require being proactive and the Providence crew has proven to be a very reactive.

I hope they are smart enough to let all the other re-alignment matters get worked out before making their big push to 12 teams. I get the feeling that none of the other conferences want to be the final executioner of the BE, but if they can pluck a couple from a group of 12 rather than a group of 6, the B-12 may feel comfortable grabbing L'ville, Cincy and or WVU.

They were considering this before Cuse and Pitt bolted. These two schools wanted different pastures because either they liked the ACC more than the BE in Cuse's case or because they thought WV was going to the SEC in Pitt's case. The bb schools didn't act badly. The BE couldn't prevent its football schools from wanting something else.

I would love this new conference to come about. And I would love it to be more successful than the ACC just to give payback to Swofford, BC, Miami, Cuse and Pitt. But more than the payback I would love the success to take place to demonstrate that going for the immediate payoff can sometimes end up shooting yourself in the foot.

 

[ctchamps]

I hate Cuse as much as anyone else here...but did you really just say that with a straight face? Syracuse is light years ahead of Temple in basketball, and a step above Temple in football. To say that Temple is anywhere near Temple in terms of basketball is just not being intellectually honest.

I meant to say Temple is comparable to Pitt in BB. Typed to fast. Sorry. Pitt has been successful for a decade. Temple has had a much longer tradition of being successful in bb than Pitt. It went through a period of being down, but it is on the rise again. It isn't at the level of Pitt currently but not far behind. I agree it is no where's near the level of Cuse.

Cuse holds the history over Temple in football by far. Right now Cuse is not much ahead of Temple in football. I would love to see that change and it is possible.

 

[Icebear]

Personally, this looks like a long term disaster to me. A conference destined to remain a mid-America conference. Army, Navy, Air Force, Houston, SMU these will never be programs that BCS desires to affiliate with long term. TV revenue will be weak.

 

[huskysupporter]

The Big East football conference should focus on teams in the geographical area, not teams 2000 miles away. I would see if UMASS would be willing to join. Same with Temple. See if Villanova will upgrade.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

The Big East football conference should focus on teams in the geographical area, not teams 2000 miles away. I would see if UMASS would be willing to join. Same with Temple. See if Villanova will upgrade.

Nova can't join until 2014. They are out of this initial push to 12 for that reason. UMass is simply not going to help with recruiting or our BCS standing. There is nothing wrong with adding schools in Texas. Having two teams in Texas and two in Florida is in the best long term interests of the football conference.

 

[HarryAGampel]

Other than WVU, nobody in the conference has respect/support/exposure on a national level in football. And while the acadamies do have some support nationally, let's not overstate their value. The PAC 10 or Big 12 aren't hard after Air Force even though they are better fit. The ACC isn't interested in Navy as far as we know. Nobody is looking to add Army.

BYU would obviously be attractive, but we can't land them. Boise is a longshot, and BYU is in a stronger position than Boise.

I believe ECU has been almost or as good as Navy in the computers, which we need for our BCS status.

I am going based on what is available. ACC won't take Navy because they don't need to and have better options. Big East is desperate here and I feel that the service academies and BYU are our best bets. Remember we still do have a BCS bid to offer. Take advantage of this power and get some teams with clout rather than the ECU and Temple's of the world.

 

[Excalibur]

The Big East football conference should focus on teams in the geographical area, not teams 2000 miles away. I would see if UMASS would be willing to join. Same with Temple. See if Villanova will upgrade.

The only way to guarantee that the reconstituted conference does not retain AQ status is to limit ourselves geographically.

 

[ctchamps]

I wish we could add the 3 Academies (Army, Navy, Air Force) and BYU as football only members. Basketball won't get out of hand and we can have an opt out clause if the Big East does dissolve (aka UConn gets an invite to the ACC). That gives 10 football teams and the new four come in with a definite following. Additionally traveling partners would be UC-Rut, Cinci-L-ville, WVU-USF, Army-Navy, -BYU. This seems ideal but i know it won't happen.

We get those schools and the new conference name can be the Militant Religious Conference. Or MeRCy Conference.

 

[BlueMAB]

I am going based on what is available. ACC won't take Navy because they don't need to and have better options. Big East is desperate here and I feel that the service academies and BYU are our best bets. Remember we still do have a BCS bid to offer. Take advantage of this power and get some teams with clout rather than the ECU and Temple's of the world.

If we're going to 12, we need more than Navy, AFA, and BYU. ECU has more clout than Temple even if you refuse to acknowledge it. Just look at their record, their stadium, and their attendance. In a BCS conference there is no reason they can't compete with UNC and NC State. They're better than Duke, and have more potential than WF.

IMO, BYU is not coming to the Big East. They will go Big 12 or stay independent. What makes you think BYU is even a possibility?

 

[BlueMAB]

The Big East football conference should focus on teams in the geographical area, not teams 2000 miles away. I would see if UMASS would be willing to join. Same with Temple. See if Villanova will upgrade.

This will guarantee we lose BCS status. 100%

 

[NutmegState]

Navy
Air Force
BYU
Houston
Temple
UCF

 

[huskysupporter]

This will guarantee we lose BCS status. 100%

But adding SMU won't?

 

[BlueMAB]

Navy
Air Force
BYU
Houston
Temple
UCF

Where are people getting BYU from? Who is reporting them as a possibility? Is it wishful thinking?

 

[HarryAGampel]

If we're going to 12, we need more than Navy, AFA, and BYU. ECU has more clout than Temple even if you refuse to acknowledge it. Just look at their record, their stadium, and their attendance. In a BCS conference there is no reason they can't compete with UNC and NC State. They're better than Duke, and have more potential than WF.

IMO, BYU is not coming to the Big East. They will go Big 12 or stay independent. What makes you think BYU is even a possibility?

This is all speculation and clearly our opinions are as big of a guess as the next guys. But we have AQ status still and if we fought hard I feel could get those 4 schools (especially if Missouri stays). ECU's record and attendance are impressive, yes. But they have no national exposure. This does nothing for TV contracts and bowls. You can make the argument that most BE school's don't have that either but we should be looking for the best available to improve our next deal. I still don't get the point of over saturated conferences and think getting to 10 teams with solid schools is better than getting to 12 with weak schools. Again, this is all opinion, nothing 100% fact based.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The Big East football conference should focus on teams in the geographical area, not teams 2000 miles away. I would see if UMASS would be willing to join. Same with Temple. See if Villanova will upgrade.

I am in agreement on UMass. It is better than ECU or UCF or Memphis long-term, because what will save the BCS bid is markets, not random schools in a league. And UMass is much better than the alternatives academically. I would prefer my 16 team east/west split i proposed earlier, but if it is to be just 12 and Boise and most western schools are out of the picture, then I think UMass makes the cut.

We don't need two Philly teams, and Villanova's heart isn't into this. Take Temple and move on.

 

[huskydave]

There is nothing wrong with adding schools in Texas. Having two teams in Texas and two in Florida is in the best long term interests of the football conference.

With the talent pool and the level of college football enthusiasm in those states, having multiple teams there seems like a no-brainer ...

On another note, the service academies bring an academic and patriotic cache that would make up for any possible on the field struggles. It would look downright unAmerican to strip that conference of it's AQ status.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

But adding SMU won't?

No, adding SMU won't. They are a superior program with a superior history, market, and on field product in a fertile recruiting ground where people care about college football. They also have a billion dollar endowment.

 

[huskydave]

We don't need two Philly teams, and Villanova's heart isn't into this. Take Temple and move on.

Agreed, if they were on board, it would have happened by now.

 

[BlueMAB]

But adding SMU won't?

Where did I say we should add SMU and nobody else?

SMU is ranked in the low 30's in computer polls right now. They are 30 in the Harris Poll.

Where are UMass and Villanova ranked? You're aware that the BCS uses computer rankings as part of the evaluation for which conference maintain AQ status right?

 

[BlueMAB]

This is all speculation and clearly our opinions are as big of a guess as the next guys. But we have AQ status still and if we fought hard I feel could get those 4 schools (especially if Missouri stays). ECU's record and attendance are impressive, yes. But they have no national exposure. This does nothing for TV contracts and bowls. You can make the argument that most BE school's don't have that either but we should be looking for the best available to improve our next deal. I still don't get the point of over saturated conferences and think getting to 10 teams with solid schools is better than getting to 12 with weak schools. Again, this is all opinion, nothing 100% fact based.

So what makes you think we can get BYU? Just because we have a BCS bid? You don't think the Big 12 would step in the way they did with TCU if it appeared BYU was going to go to the Big East?

 

[ctchamps]

So what makes you think we can get BYU? Just because we have a BCS bid? You don't think the Big 12 would step in the way they did with TCU if it appeared BYU was going to go to the Big East?

Probably. But that would mean one less current BE team removed.

 

[BlueMAB]

I am in agreement on UMass. It is better than ECU or UCF or Memphis long-term, because what will save the BCS bid is markets, not random schools in a league.

Markets???

http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/bcs_explained.html

Standards For Future BCS Automatic Qualification
The champions of the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and Southeastern Conferences will have annual automatic qualification for a BCS game through the 2013 regular season, based on mathematical standards of performance during the 2004-2007 regular seasons.
The 2008-2011 regular seasons will be evaluated under the same standards to determine if other conferences will have annual automatic qualification for the games after the 2012 and 2013 regular seasons. The champions of no more than seven conferences will have annual automatic berths.
If the BCS continues under the same or similar format, conferences will be evaluated on their performances during the 2010-2013 regular seasons to determine which conferences will have automatic qualification for the bowls that will conclude the 2014-2017 regular seasons.
The evaluation data includes the following for each conference (1) the ranking of the highest-ranked team in the final BCS standings each year, (2) the final regular-season rankings of all conference teams in the computer rankings used by the BCS each year and (3) the number of teams in the top 25 of the final BCS standings each year.
Conference agreements with bowls will continue. The Pac-10 and Big Ten champions will host the Rose Bowl if their teams are not in the BCS national championship game. Likewise, the Southeastern Conference champion will host the Sugar Bowl, ACC champion will host the Orange Bowl and Big 12 champion will host the Fiesta Bowl.

 

[NutmegState]

Probably. But that would mean one less current BE team removed.

Ding!

 

[BlueMAB]

Probably. But that would mean one less current BE team removed.

I'm not opposed to adding BYU. My goal has always been to retain the BCS status. In that respect, Boise, BYU, and Navy need to be at the top of the list. Then UCF, SMU, and Houston.

If we could add those 6, I would be happy. I don't think we can get BYU though, and I think Boise is a long shot.

 

[NutmegState]

There has also been rumors of issues between BYU and the Big12. Not saying it's not happening, but there might be an opportunity there...

 

[ctchamps]

I'm not opposed to adding BYU. My goal has always been to retain the BCS status. In that respect, Boise, BYU, and Navy need to be at the top of the list. Then UCF, SMU, and Houston.

If we could add those 6, I would be happy. I don't think we can get BYU though, and I think Boise is a long shot.

I'm less invested in the specific teams, but your suggestion has merit.

When this all plays out, it is obvious there won't be 100% satisfaction with all UConn fans or BE universities. Everyone has their own idea of what is best for their university (in our case UConn) and for the BE. I think it is less important that our ideas become sacrosanct and more important to rally behind whatever effort Herbst undertakes, whether that is to get into another conference or to save the BE.

I think there are a lot of well meaning people who are losing themselves in this process and are taking their suggestions personally. These people will ultimately resent any configuration for UConn that doesn't meet their approval. And this will result in their attempt to see that configuration fail. That is not UConn serving, that is self serving. And it impedes success for the university.

 

[UConn64BA72JD]

Thinking outside the box . . .Why don't we raid the ACC and invite, say, NC State and MD to join us? I know the chances of this happening is, at best, infinitesimal considering the $20 million buyout fee and maybe other stipulations the conference has placed on its members.