More About Big East Leadership

[gars44]

Article from the Pitt beat writer regarding Providence and Marinatto perhaps not being sufficiently "proactive" for Pitt and WVA, and the prospects of losing one or both unless something happens. I'm not sure what that something is, but I'm assuming it has to do with the basketball onlies. We now know that the whole ACC expansion was allowed to occur because the BE didn't appreciate how important football had become, and didn't do enough to appease Miami. Not saying that we would be that much better off with Miami or BC right now, but we certainly would be a lot better off if we could have kept Virginia Tech. And this whole thing goes down the drain if we lose Pitt, WVA, either or both. So, I'm not sure what this guy is actually referring to, but hopefully, Providence is listening. I'm not overly confident that Marinatto has the cajunes for the job. This is a brutal business, and looking at that pudgy-faced boy, I'm not real confident.

http://blogs.sites.post-gazette.com.../29387-about-this-big-12-stuff-and-some-notes

 

[businesslawyer]

I'm truly floored by this. The football schools need to be in or out. If Providence can serve its multiple masters to the satisfaction of the football schools, great, stay. If it can't then the football schools need to form their own conference, which isn't my first choice but so be it.

But the football schools as a group can't win this war if they are not acting together and committed to each other. And if they are, and the office in Providence isn't doing it for them, quit whining individually and leave together.

 

[junglehusky]

So other than bringing in more teams to the BE - say Maryland/BC - what else could Marinatto really do to prevent Pitt from leaving if they get a sweetheart deal (say from the B1G... Big12-3 would never happen)? I get that folks are getting antsy since it seems the BE's trump card (new TV contract in 2012) may be less of a trump card in the event the superconference era starts this year. But what realistically can he do? I think it's up to the school presidents to take leadership on this, and hopefully they decide to stick together.

PS -" appease" Miami? Would you have been OK with them taking a huge, disproportionate chunk of the league's TV revenue, which probably wouldn't even have been enough to get them to stay?

 

[upstater]

Wait, are you saying that the football schools haven't picked an informal representative among themselves already?

Marinatto DOES represent the basketball schools, and the football schools.

What are these people expecting?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Article from the Pitt beat writer regarding Providence and Marinatto perhaps not being sufficiently "proactive" for Pitt and WVA, and the prospects of losing one or both unless something happens. I'm not sure what that something is, but I'm assuming it has to do with the basketball onlies. We now know that the whole ACC expansion was allowed to occur because the BE didn't appreciate how important football had become, and didn't do enough to appease Miami. Not saying that we would be that much better off with Miami or BC right now, but we certainly would be a lot better off if we could have kept Virginia Tech. And this whole thing goes down the drain if we lose Pitt, WVA, either or both. So, I'm not sure what this guy is actually referring to, but hopefully, Providence is listening. I'm not overly confident that Marinatto has the cajunes for the job. This is a brutal business, and looking at that pudgy-faced boy, I'm not real confident.

http://blogs.sites.post-gazette.com.../29387-about-this-big-12-stuff-and-some-notes

The whole article comes right out of the writer's butt. He takes comments made by Pederson and Luck in different contexts, and then uses them for a filler blog post that is guaranteed to generate page hits. This is the same writer that has a chubby for UCF and brings it up every time expansion candidates come up. Read his sources, there is not a single original or new comment or information referenced in the whole blog post.

There is no reason to be proactive. Let the cards fall where they may and promise to stick together. No one is leaving for the ACC or Big 12, and there is nothing anyone can do if the Big 10 comes calling anyway.

 

[Uptop]

The whole article comes right out of the writer's butt. He takes comments made by Pederson and Luck in different contexts, and then uses them for a filler blog post that is guaranteed to generate page hits. This is the same writer that has a chubby for UCF and brings it up every time expansion candidates come up. Read his sources, there is not a single original or new comment or information referenced in the whole blog post.

There is no reason to be proactive. Let the cards fall where they may and promise to stick together. No one is leaving for the ACC or Big 12, and there is nothing anyone can do if the Big 10 comes calling anyway.

Exactly! Any conscience writer on this subject matter would never include Southern Missisippi and Marshall as potential candidates; which he has in the past. This is a LAZY article! Zeise is a Temple alum who still habours angst for having the Owls justifiably kicked out of the conference

Here's a HUSTLE article with a more accurate WVU prespective

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I'd be lying if I claimed to have read the bulk of what Zeise has written in his career but over the past half dozen or so years I've read a reasonable number of his articles and I cannot remember one that qualified as quality journalism.

It is no secret that the bulk of the football participants are less than happy with the conference's leadership as it pertained to expansion (the biggest issue was the virtual rubber stamp that Marinatto was willing to give Nova on their upgrade) but this complaint is ridiculous. I personally believe that the idea of Louisville and Pitt as expansion candidates for the B-12 was a measured move to let their membership (primarily the northern members) know that they want to save that conference and would be willing to break apart potential destinations of lesser current members in the process. At the moment it would be difficult for the B-12 to lure any current BCS member into their conference (although the same can be said for the BE), the decisions of Oklahoma and Texas will ultimately decide the fate of the B-12.

 

[SAMCRO]

the decisions of Oklahoma and Texas will ultimately decide the fate of the B-12.

This!

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

There's little to nothing for the Big East to do right now. KU/KSU/Mizzou, et al are not going to part ways with OU and Texas until one or both of them leaves. BC and Maryland aren't parting with the ACC without either proof the Big East is more profitable, which couldn't possibly happen until next year, or that the ACC is going down the tubes, if it gets raided by the SEC. The only thing the conference can, and should, be doing is making contact with potential candidates to talk about some possible scenarios. This is not something that's going to get reported right now, since all parties in such conversations don't want anyone else getting a hint that they're possibly leaving too. It's well known that the BE was ready to offer the Kansas schools, as well as MU and maybe one or two more if the Texas and OU legion went to form the Pac-16 last year. This is what the conference needs to be doing right now again, making these contacts, and now having the TV contract as a big bargaining chip in its back pocket makes things more interesting. But of course, we're not going to hear about any of these off the record phone calls gauging interest and discussing hypothetical scenarios, so drawing conclusions as to the conference leadership's ability to lead and performance, at this point, is foolish. Something else has to happen first (OU/Texas move or SEC to 14/16), and the BE needs to be in a position to very quickly jump in and strengthen itself right away to make it a predator in the inevitable snowball effect subsequent to the first big move, instead of being the prey. But there's nothing for the conference to do right now to solidify Pitt and WVU? What are they going to do? Magically get ND to join? Convince KU to pre-emptively break with OU and Texas? Bring in UCF and ECU? All non-starters.

 

[junglehusky]

You make an effective argument slurpees/brassbonanza, but... Marinato is pudgy-faced! That trumps everything!

 

[Revrat]

My god it seems like people are finally on the same page. There is Zero that the Big East can do to be "proactive" other than talking to other schools about what if scenarios. But no school is coming to the Big East before being turned down by the PAC12, SEC, Big 10. After that its whichever league gets raided least between the ACC and Big East that survives. Most likey they merge. It really all will depend on what the Big 10 does in the long run. if the SEC goes after The ACC big 10 may go after the big East. but who knows. Lots of chips need to fall first

 

[gioff23]

I'd be interested in readers thoughts if the B10 or ACC asked UConn to join. Would we want that? I ask as I get the sense people don't see the commish as being public enough in his thoughts - none of us have a clue what he or the conference's plans are. Are we upset because we are not rumored and a bit fearful of bein left behind? Or are we committed to staying and making the BE a survivor conference?

 

[SAMCRO]

For me,
1st choice is a 12 or 16 team Big East conference with current BE teams and 3-7 solid BCS-like additions where all schools play FB. That won't happen
2nd choice is a merger b/w BE and ACC (which could be the in line w/ my 1st choice).
3rd choice is an ACC invite.
4th choice is a B1G invite.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I'd be interested in readers thoughts if the B10 or ACC asked UConn to join. Would we want that? I ask as I get the sense people don't see the commish as being public enough in his thoughts - none of us have a clue what he or the conference's plans are. Are we upset because we are not rumored and a bit fearful of bein left behind? Or are we committed to staying and making the BE a survivor conference?

It would depend on what the current state of the Big East is. If teams had already been poached, and we were in the process of replacing them with CUSA schools, 100% yes. If we're in the state we're in, still waiting on the TV negotiations, I'd say hold off. I'm not convinced the ACC is a good long term solution, and our football program would likely wallow at the bottom of the b1g and not be very competitive, plus it may dilute our basketball programs, so I'm not convinced it'd be the best move were the BE to get a solid TV contract and have the ability to poach a few BCS schools from other places.

 

[RS9999X]

The BE dodged a bullet by avoiding dilution in footballl and adding Memphis and ECU as many proposed at one point.

You need to understand Pitt isn't getting it done on the field. As such the only thing for the coach and AD to yap about are conference affiliation and dollars and blame it all on recruiting and low prestige because they are a BE affiliate.

The only real short-term threat is the Big-12 taking 2 to 4 BE teams while the contract is being negotiated. Now that's a messy lawsuit.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I don't see the Big 12-3 taking BE teams happening. The Big 9 is one move from OU or Texas away from being done. I imagine their previous TV contract has some provision for what happens if a team (aTm) leaves. So would any Big East team really want to join a conference one step away from implosion or downgrade in status to Texas and a bunch of clowns? Plus, don't forget that TV revenue is structured to screw everyone but Texas and OU, and I can't imagine any Big East team would be able to command money at that level.

 

[upstater]

I'd be interested in readers thoughts if the B10 or ACC asked UConn to join. Would we want that? I ask as I get the sense people don't see the commish as being public enough in his thoughts - none of us have a clue what he or the conference's plans are. Are we upset because we are not rumored and a bit fearful of bein left behind? Or are we committed to staying and making the BE a survivor conference?

The Big 10 = $10-15 million more a year. In the future, $15 more million a year is going to count for something.

 

[FDNY99]

I'd be interested in readers thoughts if the B10 or ACC asked UConn to join. Would we want that? I ask as I get the sense people don't see the commish as being public enough in his thoughts - none of us have a clue what he or the conference's plans are. Are we upset because we are not rumored and a bit fearful of bein left behind? Or are we committed to staying and making the BE a survivor conference?

I would like to see us in the Big 10. I think that the vision Pres. Herbst has for UConn puts us on the same track as the state schools (state flagship research instutions) in that conference.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

My god it seems like people are finally on the same page. There is Zero that the Big East can do to be "proactive" other than talking to other schools about what if scenarios. But no school is coming to the Big East before being turned down by the PAC12, SEC, Big 10. After that its whichever league gets raided least between the ACC and Big East that survives. Most likey they merge. It really all will depend on what the Big 10 does in the long run. if the SEC goes after The ACC big 10 may go after the big East. but who knows. Lots of chips need to fall first

Not exactly. Everything hinges on the next TV deal. If a year from now, it is apparent that the Big East is on the verge of a monster contract, everything changes.

The only scenario where the ACC is the surviving conference relative to the Big East is if the Big 10 and SEC grab a bunch of Big East teams to get to 16, which doesn't seem very likely.

 

[ZooCougar]

The people here who apologize and rationalize the performance of the twits ( it's so tempting to put an a between the w and the t back there) need to have their heads checked. We're risking the Athletic Department's fate to appease 8 parasites and an Italian Jabba the Hut.

 

[Revrat]

Not exactly. Everything hinges on the next TV deal. If a year from now, it is apparent that the Big East is on the verge of a monster contract, everything changes.

The only scenario where the ACC is the surviving conference relative to the Big East is if the Big 10 and SEC grab a bunch of Big East teams to get to 16, which doesn't seem very likely.

There is no next TV deal if the hits the fan now. teams will jump well before the negotiations ever start. Anyone that believes the big three will not renew their contracts is fooling themselves. The Big East contract would not stand a chance against a 16 team Big Ten or 16 team SEC or 16 team PAC10. Whether you believe it or not everything is negotiable and we will wait in line to see who goes where. The only way the Big East is in line for a new contract is if the status quo remians. I don't think it will. Now a 16 team ACC\Big East with the whole east coast as a weapon is another thing entirely.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

The people here who apologize and rationalize the performance of the twits ( it's so tempting to put an a between the w and the t back there) need to have their heads checked. We're risking the Athletic Department's fate to appease 8 parasites and an Italian Jabba the Hut.

What would you like them to do? Split and add ECU and UCF? That would be that absolute worst thing possible right now. The CUSA clowns are worthless and a split makes the conference look unstable, there would be questions as to whether the BCS bid remained, who's in charge, etc. Bad, bad idea right now. You want them to add other BCS teams? No realistic acquisition will leave their conference unless something else happens, as I outlined above. You're not going to hear about any conversations they're having with other schools right now, and that's the way it should be. Thus, there's no performance to rationalize or apologize for right now from anyone at the Big East offices.

 

[ZooCougar]

What would you like them to do? Split and add ECU and UCF? That would be that absolute worst thing possible right now. The CUSA clowns are worthless and a split makes the conference look unstable, there would be questions as to whether the BCS bid remained, who's in charge, etc. Bad, bad idea right now. You want them to add other BCS teams? No realistic acquisition will leave their conference unless something else happens, as I outlined above. You're not going to hear about any conversations they're having with other schools right now, and that's the way it should be. Thus, there's no performance to rationalize or apologize for right now from anyone at the Big East offices.

The only conversation Marinara is having, is the one with Delany who gives him his marching orders. Marinara isn't in the football business, he's in the keep the Parasitic Hoop Schools well fed business.

 

[TRest]

PS -" appease" Miami? Would you have been OK with them taking a huge, disproportionate chunk of the league's TV revenue, which probably wouldn't even have been enough to get them to stay?[/quote]

Isn't that exactly what the BE tried to do to get them to stay? We should have kept VT and tossed Syracuse.

 

[oswald12]

There is no next TV deal if the hits the fan now. teams will jump well before the negotiations ever start. Anyone that believes the big three will not renew their contracts is fooling themselves. The Big East contract would not stand a chance against a 16 team Big Ten or 16 team SEC or 16 team PAC10. Whether you believe it or not everything is negotiable and we will wait in line to see who goes where. The only way the Big East is in line for a new contract is if the status quo remians. I don't think it will. Now a 16 team ACC\Big East with the whole east coast as a weapon is another thing entirely.

The Big 10 is not going to expand to 16 just because someone else did. They need to add teams that create value in order to increse their contract. Assuming Texas/Oklahama go to Pac 12, there is no team outside of ND that will add the 25mm annually needed to keep the per team payout where it is. We just saw the Big 10 go through an exhaustive expansion search and they came up with one team, Nebraska. And that worked because of the additional revenue the championship game brought. There is no added bonus to going to 16, at least in the curent market. Same with the SEC - we'll see if there is demand out there for them to go to 16, or if they will stick with 13/14.