East Carolina

[UConnDan97]

In an effort to remove myself from discussions involving "the league who shall not be named," I wanted to get back to what happened for the Big East when the additions were announced. Tulane....I can't even be brought to try to understand the argument for Tulane, and it hurts my tummy, so let's talk about East Carolina. I think that ECU is a good football program with a smaller but vocal and enthusiastic fanbase. They seem to have fantastic attendance records, having averaged over 40,000 people for the last 5 years:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowdy–Ficklen_Stadium

They have an 8-4 record this year and will go bowling, posting a 7-1 C-USA record. Their losses are all to respectable teams, two of them being new Big East additions (South Carolina, UNC, UCF, and Navy). I like this addition for the league, and I think it helps solidify the product after the two recent losses. ECU will not be as strong as the Ville or Rutty obviously, but I'm happy they are joining.

Tulane....Jesus H. Christ, Tulane....It would have made much more sense to sign up Fresno and send Temple back to the east. We are going to need a new "rival" in the setup without Rutty, so I suppose that will now become Cincy. Tulane....holy $#it....

Welcome aboard, ECU!

 

[huskypantz]

They're a solid football school and a relatively good add. Not a good add for TV market or academics (which we've realized doesn't matter anyway) and not syre about their overall AD performance although I thought they had some solid baseball teams. They won't do us wrong on the football side of things.

 

[Final4 42]

I think in Tulane's case:

They have a new coach they hope will turn things around (Saint's wr coach) and they are building a brand new on campus stadium which will boost attendance as no one wants to goto a game in the terrible Superdome. They have finished a new baseball stadium in 2008 (great competition for Uconn's team). Finished a brand new basketball practice facility last year and are planning a new football practice facility after the stadium is done, so they have started to re-dedicate to athletics and will be a better Big East member then some of the other additions.

I also just read that Tulane's better Big East basketball games will be played in the New Orleans arena ala St Johns with MSG.

 

[Marty Jackson]

They're a solid football school and a relatively good add. Not a good add for TV market or academics (which we've realized doesn't matter anyway) and not syre about their overall AD performance although I thought they had some solid baseball teams. They won't do us wrong on the football side of things.

are you referring to Tulane or ECU...
Tulane is pretty strong academically. That is about the only thing going for them.
Thought there were other better options: Nevada, Fresno, Tulsa (although their AD is in trouble recently for gambling), UNLV...

 

[huskypantz]

are you referring to Tulane or ECU...
Tulane is pretty strong academically. That is about the only thing going for them.
Thought there were other better options: Nevada, Fresno, Tulsa (although their AD is in trouble recently for gambling), UNLV...

ECU, sorry I was going by the thread title

 

[uconNYC]

I really could careless what schools the NNBE adds. Just wish we stayed at 12 schools so we can play everyone at least every other year. With 14 teams, there is a chance you dont face a school for 3-4 years. I don't want to wait 4 years to play Boise.

 

[ZooCougar]

I have been to a game in East Carolina. A friend who is an alum invited me along,
It was back in 2002 but I doubt much has changed. It was CUSA game against Tulane. Honestly, if we were trying to bolster football competiveness, they should have been added along with Cincy, Louisville, USF.

My personal observations were simply that their fanbase is dedicated, they have a BIG tailgating scene, it was pouring rain, but the atmosphere was still great.

Greenville is not a great place. Going to a game there, you really need a solid exit strategy!

The pet theory here and from Aresco is that planting some middling school in the Big East will make them better. I think that only applies to schools that already putting an effort in. ECU has been doing that for a while now. I think they would have been just as successful as a Cincy and they would have grown. Maybe even exceeded-they definitely would be better than USF and we would have lost to them a bunch of times.

Anyway, check them out. They have a pretty deep history. Some pretty big wins over the years.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Carolina_Pirates_football

 

[WestCoastHusky]

BE added Tulane because of the location. Tulane is located in New Orleans and they just invested $125M into their facilities. School got really screwed after Katrina. Prior to Katrina, I believe Tulane is one of the CUSA teams with better records.

Tulane is also solid academically and an AAU member. Scott Cowen, president of Tulane, is also an UCONN grad. He will also soon to be head of AAU. I hope he can help get his alma mater into the AAU soon.

 

[ZooCougar]

They're a solid football school and a relatively good add. Not a good add for TV market or academics (which we've realized doesn't matter anyway) and not syre about their overall AD performance although I thought they had some solid baseball teams. They won't do us wrong on the football side of things.

This is cynical. But your statement made me realize something. This team should have been added ages ago. Nobody else but the Big East would want them because they don't have a market, but they actually do have a solid football tradition. I don't think they can be another Virginia Tech (although Tech looks terrible at the moment).

 

[IMind]

The Tulane addition echos the Houston addition... more potential than substance. I still don't know why the wouldn't add another westernish team... perhaps because they were interested in adding an all sports team. The Big East is running out of all sports teams with easy travel locations especially in the east. Were they going to add UAB or Southern Mississippi? UMass? MAC team? Hell at this point in time Kent State might have been a better addition, but I could see Cinnci having an issue.

 

[UConnDan97]

Agreed on the fact that ECU was a good pickup. I have favored them in the Big East for quite some time, and I welcome their arrival.

As far as Tulane goes; I don't care about academics, because academics doesn't put food on the table in college athletics. I've been saying this ever since I arrived on the Boneyard scene, and based on what happened this week, I'm finally seeing people starting to agree with me. Tulane is a fine academic school. But their sports stink. They are investing (as is Memphis) in their programs now, preparing for an upgrade, but their presence here (as well as Memphis's) damages this conference. As UConNYC has already alluded to, we would be better off with 12 instead of 14 (ridding ourselves of the running jokes that are Memphis and Tulane).

We don't need help on the basketball side. That's what Nova, GTown, and Marquette, etc., are here for. Memphis being good in basketball does not help the image of this conference. But at least it made Pitino happy, so he should enjoy all the games that he's going to have against them in the future......what?.....he won't have any???......well ain't that some !....

 

[ZooCougar]

We should have added ECU instead of Memphis in the first place.

 

[chiller99]

Some side notes.,as stated a great place for tailgating and partying!Great looking coeds-very little pretend airs from the fans,they started the stadium small and have expanded it several times.Im an alum and on the positive side Ill say the Pirates truly built this program starting off as everyones homecoming game .ECU has played a tough schedule and earned a place of respect on the weekly football slip bettors mind by playing everyone tough.Has put quite a few players in the NFL,and although its s typical small school home G-vegas or Greenville is about an hour from some beautiful beaches and in opposite direction about an hour from Raleigh

 

[ZooCougar]

Some side notes.,as stated a great place for tailgating and partying!Great looking coeds-very little pretend airs from the fans,they started the stadium small and have expanded it several times.Im an alum and on the positive side Ill say the Pirates truly built this program starting off as everyones homecoming game .ECU has played a tough schedule and earned a place of respect on the weekly football slip bettors mind by playing everyone tough.Has put quite a few players in the NFL,and although its s typical small school home G-vegas or Greenville is about an hour from some beautiful beaches and in opposite direction about an hour from Raleigh

I forgot to mention the hotties. Lots and lots of hotties.

If we end up staying in the Big East long term, I bet we will be wondering what we were thinking in not bringing them in in the first place.

When I think ECU, I see them in the same vein as Cincy and VT potential wise.

One thing I don't get, is why we didn't add them for all sports. Tulane Hoops is good enough, but ECU isn't?

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

All other considerations aside, I have absolutely zero interest in going to Greenville and a lot of interest in returning to New Orleans. Unfortunately, nothing about Tulane as an opponent influences the latter.