Been a reader, not a poster. Everyone seems to assume that the BCS will exist in its current form, if it does exist as it does now, that they will keep the calculation for AQ status at all, and if they do have a calculation that they will not change it. Big assumptions. Next, everyone is assuming the money will be as it is now. Is the winner of the next BCS contract (presumably ESPN, Fox, or NBC) going to pay top dollar (currently $125 million per year) for a BCS game that includes what they view as bad match ups and unattractive tv brands? The Big East can assume that these things don't matter (and the Big East commish seems to miss a lot) but it does not change the potential and actual realities. All these are very big assumptions that are far from guaranteed.
BCS. The next question is why keep Syracuse and Pitt in the league (and WV and UL if they go)? The Big East will need teams that are going to be in the New New Big East to do well. That is the bottom line. How does it help the Big East to have WV, Syracuse and Pitt potentially taking the BCS Bowl game from the real Big East programs that will stay (UConn, Rutgers, Cincy, Louisville - hopefully - and new members) and are not guaranteed to have a shot at a BCS game down the road? The remaining and new Big East members, that if that get that exposure, might be able to convince the naysayers the Big East can compete?
Bowls. Most of the bowl affiliations, including the Big East's, expire or have opt outs at the end of the current BCS contract. How does it help to have the departing schools take bowl slots that the Big East only has signed up for two more years, such as the Champs Bowl? How does it help to have WV potentially in that game essentially building its brand for the BIg 12? When it could be a real Big East member in that game. Not to mention what about the positive impact of a win by that real Big East school. If WV wins, it will not matter and will only help the perception that the best teams are leaving. While many here might like to assume it will all be above board, the Champs Bowl is an ACC bowl with a pro ACC committee. Is that committee going to take Rutgers or Pitt if they can choose? Uconn or Syracuse? They are going to take Pitt and Syracuse. Same with the old Tire Bowl. When BC was leaving how did it help the Big East that BC was selected to UNC instead of a member of the Big East that was going to stay? How is it going to help to have 3 or 4 schools that are on their way out the door potentially taking the BIg Easts top 3 spots. Again, the Providence Putzs are clueless if they think the Champs bowl is going to pass on Pitt to take Rutgers, Cincy or Uconn.
Contrary to the consensus here, why keep them in the conference? To deal with scheduling issues? Big deal. Maybe the Big East needs them for one year to handle that issue. What the Big East needs is have the members who are staying and new members who are joining to go to a BCS bowl and win. It needs the same at the bowl level. The Big East will need teams to take advantage of this window and win, get teams ranked that are STAYING in the Big East. How weak will the Big East look if WV next year represents the Big East at the BCS, Pitt is at the Champs Bowl and Cuse is at the Tire Bowl?
What about the New NEw Big East TV rights? Come the end of the existing contract (2013), the Big East has to sell what it is without these schools. It would be a lot better to walk in there with a USF program that just went to the BCS bowl and beat Auburn for example, than hat in hand with WV and UL having gone in 2012 and 2013.
The same for hoops. Is it going to help to potentially have Louisville, Syracuse or Pitt crowned the Big East champ or winner of Big East tourney? How does it help to give any exposure for that tournament to them. Isn't it better to take these two years to promote the new schools and the ones that are going to remain at Madison Square Garden?
What about the current money? The New New Big East will have to get its new members here asap. Say they enter next year. How does it help to split the money with the 2-4 members who are leaving when that money could be going to the programs that are joining or staying?
Get more money from the departing schools. As a complete side note, it is highly likely the Big East can get favorable terms if those schools want out before 27 months. Take more money form the departing schools and use that money to promote the schools that are staying. They are leaving anyway.
Who is gong to be on the Big East's side? The BCS is going to do what it wants to do. If it is helpful to keep the departing schools in to keep the BCS AQ status, the Providence boys are going to be proven wrong again. If they change the rules and the Big East gets the short end of the stick, who is going to argue? Every non Big East school would benefit from an open slot. Only the Big East schools would lose out. Rutgers, Uconn, Lousiville and Cincy are not going to have the clout to stop it. Does the Big East think politicians in Kentucky are going to fight for Louisville to the detriment of Kentucky? Or in Ohio for Cincy over Ohio State? Yes, when Tulane took action vs the BCS it worked. But they were really fighting for every school not in the BCS conferences. Are those schools going to demand inclusion for the Big East in the future if they believe it will potentially benefit them to have another open BCS slot?
At the end of the day, the only and best defense the New New Big East teams will have is its performance. Everyone else will want the Big East to lose its bid. If the New New Big East does not compete in the BCS bowl and prove itself, it will be used against the conference when the next contract is done. The BCS can change the rules or lower the $$$ payout to a BCS conference. WV beating Georgia and Oklahoma is what made the “Big East does not belong in the BCS” talk end. It gave the other BCS conferences no where to go with that argument. If you don't think they want that Big East BCS slot then and now, you are nuts. They will take if they can.
Tell me again how keeping Syracuse, Pitt, and WV and or UL in the conference for 2 years does that? Why stack the deck against the New New Big East by giving those leaving the potential to take BCS appearances and bowl slots that reward players for a good season, generate huge buzz, help recruiting, and promote the schools that appear in them. Don't tell me it is better to beat Pitt, Syracuse and WV and get there anyway. If Uconn does and gets to the BCS bowl game great. But why even take the chance with the BCS slot for the next 4 years (assuming the BCS honors the 2 year grace period)?
Many Big East fans and all of the Big East leadership have NEVER thought long term, they always think short term and make poor assumptions. When Providence has thought long term it has done a half ass job. It has cost the conference time and time again. This is it. This is the last hoorah to make this work. Kick out Cuse, Pitt, WV and UL. Take more money from them and kiss them goodbye. Get busy with the new conference. Get busy promoting the new teams that will be the only product the Big East has to sell to its TV partner. Use the current TV money for the members who are staying and joining, don't let Cuse, Pitt and WV have a piece of it. And as for the BCS bid, defend it. Because they (BCS and their Network Partner) will take it away if they want. If you think otherwise, there is probably a job opening for you in Providence to be the next commish of a non AQ conference who is seeking vision and leadership.
BCS. The next question is why keep Syracuse and Pitt in the league (and WV and UL if they go)? The Big East will need teams that are going to be in the New New Big East to do well. That is the bottom line. How does it help the Big East to have WV, Syracuse and Pitt potentially taking the BCS Bowl game from the real Big East programs that will stay (UConn, Rutgers, Cincy, Louisville - hopefully - and new members) and are not guaranteed to have a shot at a BCS game down the road? The remaining and new Big East members, that if that get that exposure, might be able to convince the naysayers the Big East can compete?
Bowls. Most of the bowl affiliations, including the Big East's, expire or have opt outs at the end of the current BCS contract. How does it help to have the departing schools take bowl slots that the Big East only has signed up for two more years, such as the Champs Bowl? How does it help to have WV potentially in that game essentially building its brand for the BIg 12? When it could be a real Big East member in that game. Not to mention what about the positive impact of a win by that real Big East school. If WV wins, it will not matter and will only help the perception that the best teams are leaving. While many here might like to assume it will all be above board, the Champs Bowl is an ACC bowl with a pro ACC committee. Is that committee going to take Rutgers or Pitt if they can choose? Uconn or Syracuse? They are going to take Pitt and Syracuse. Same with the old Tire Bowl. When BC was leaving how did it help the Big East that BC was selected to UNC instead of a member of the Big East that was going to stay? How is it going to help to have 3 or 4 schools that are on their way out the door potentially taking the BIg Easts top 3 spots. Again, the Providence Putzs are clueless if they think the Champs bowl is going to pass on Pitt to take Rutgers, Cincy or Uconn.
Contrary to the consensus here, why keep them in the conference? To deal with scheduling issues? Big deal. Maybe the Big East needs them for one year to handle that issue. What the Big East needs is have the members who are staying and new members who are joining to go to a BCS bowl and win. It needs the same at the bowl level. The Big East will need teams to take advantage of this window and win, get teams ranked that are STAYING in the Big East. How weak will the Big East look if WV next year represents the Big East at the BCS, Pitt is at the Champs Bowl and Cuse is at the Tire Bowl?
What about the New NEw Big East TV rights? Come the end of the existing contract (2013), the Big East has to sell what it is without these schools. It would be a lot better to walk in there with a USF program that just went to the BCS bowl and beat Auburn for example, than hat in hand with WV and UL having gone in 2012 and 2013.
The same for hoops. Is it going to help to potentially have Louisville, Syracuse or Pitt crowned the Big East champ or winner of Big East tourney? How does it help to give any exposure for that tournament to them. Isn't it better to take these two years to promote the new schools and the ones that are going to remain at Madison Square Garden?
What about the current money? The New New Big East will have to get its new members here asap. Say they enter next year. How does it help to split the money with the 2-4 members who are leaving when that money could be going to the programs that are joining or staying?
Get more money from the departing schools. As a complete side note, it is highly likely the Big East can get favorable terms if those schools want out before 27 months. Take more money form the departing schools and use that money to promote the schools that are staying. They are leaving anyway.
Who is gong to be on the Big East's side? The BCS is going to do what it wants to do. If it is helpful to keep the departing schools in to keep the BCS AQ status, the Providence boys are going to be proven wrong again. If they change the rules and the Big East gets the short end of the stick, who is going to argue? Every non Big East school would benefit from an open slot. Only the Big East schools would lose out. Rutgers, Uconn, Lousiville and Cincy are not going to have the clout to stop it. Does the Big East think politicians in Kentucky are going to fight for Louisville to the detriment of Kentucky? Or in Ohio for Cincy over Ohio State? Yes, when Tulane took action vs the BCS it worked. But they were really fighting for every school not in the BCS conferences. Are those schools going to demand inclusion for the Big East in the future if they believe it will potentially benefit them to have another open BCS slot?
At the end of the day, the only and best defense the New New Big East teams will have is its performance. Everyone else will want the Big East to lose its bid. If the New New Big East does not compete in the BCS bowl and prove itself, it will be used against the conference when the next contract is done. The BCS can change the rules or lower the $$$ payout to a BCS conference. WV beating Georgia and Oklahoma is what made the “Big East does not belong in the BCS” talk end. It gave the other BCS conferences no where to go with that argument. If you don't think they want that Big East BCS slot then and now, you are nuts. They will take if they can.
Tell me again how keeping Syracuse, Pitt, and WV and or UL in the conference for 2 years does that? Why stack the deck against the New New Big East by giving those leaving the potential to take BCS appearances and bowl slots that reward players for a good season, generate huge buzz, help recruiting, and promote the schools that appear in them. Don't tell me it is better to beat Pitt, Syracuse and WV and get there anyway. If Uconn does and gets to the BCS bowl game great. But why even take the chance with the BCS slot for the next 4 years (assuming the BCS honors the 2 year grace period)?
Many Big East fans and all of the Big East leadership have NEVER thought long term, they always think short term and make poor assumptions. When Providence has thought long term it has done a half ass job. It has cost the conference time and time again. This is it. This is the last hoorah to make this work. Kick out Cuse, Pitt, WV and UL. Take more money from them and kiss them goodbye. Get busy with the new conference. Get busy promoting the new teams that will be the only product the Big East has to sell to its TV partner. Use the current TV money for the members who are staying and joining, don't let Cuse, Pitt and WV have a piece of it. And as for the BCS bid, defend it. Because they (BCS and their Network Partner) will take it away if they want. If you think otherwise, there is probably a job opening for you in Providence to be the next commish of a non AQ conference who is seeking vision and leadership.
