Navy, Boise State, Ucf, Smu, , Uh In Big East By Friday

[Rumrunner]

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/29532522/33074577

Following Tuesday's Big East meeting in Philadelphia, representatives from those four schools –plus Navy –held a conference call. All four schools are “100 percent” on board in joining together with the only possible hang-up being Boise State finding a conference home for its Olympic sports –most likely the WAC or West Coast Conference.

Navy has told the other schools on Tuesday's call it “is definitely in” and Air Force is expected to join once Navy commits to the Big East, a source said.

 

[FluxTZ]

This is gonna be the island of misfit toys, haha. I can deal for now I suppose...

 

[SAMCRO]

Exhale.... It ain't pretty, but it allows all of us to live to fight another day. The FB side of things just got better than it is today. The BB side of things not so much.

 

[metsfan2323]

Better than what we have now. Onward and upward. Hopefully these 11 can sell their new conference to BYU.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

Hopefully the conference decides to have the Conference Championship game at the higher ranked team's home stadium. Because the attendance at a 'neutral site game' would make the ACC Championship game look like a huge crowd.

Can you imagine a UConn vs SMU game being played in Tampa? Or a USF vs Houston game being played in Denver? That has disaster written all over it!

 

[HarryAGampel]

Why SMU? Can anyone tell me? One of their walk-ons had to write an open-ed to their students angrily pleading them to come to games. I'd much rather take an ECU at this point.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

Why SMU? Can anyone tell me? One of their walk-ons had to write an open-ed to their students angrily pleading them to come to games. I'd much rather take an ECU at this point.

Here are a few reasons:

-SMU football is a better 'name' school than ECU. I know in the past 5 years ECU has been better. But history and name does count for something (how else could you explain Syracuse actually being wanted by another conference?)
-SMU delivers a much better market for the Big East to negotiate with (Dallas) in their next TV contract than ECU would.
-SMU helps balance out the league georgraphically (helping to establish a Western division) more than ECU would.
-SMU is a much better academic institution than ECU.
-And lastly....it is ECU. I don't know what it is. But something about ECU just rubs me the wrong way. They have been milseading recruits for the past 6 years telling them 'we will be in the Big East in a couple of years' even when they had absolutely no chance. But that is just personal opinion.

 

[SAMCRO]

Why SMU? Can anyone tell me? One of their walk-ons had to write an open-ed to their students angrily pleading them to come to games. I'd much rather take an ECU at this point.

Quite simple, the Dallas market. All Realize that SMU doesnt deliver the market! But it does bring a presence there where games will be broadcast locally. Also a travel partner for Houston. Love it or hate it, this was about adding a good FB (Boise, Houston, And lesser degree AFA, SMU, Navy, and UCF) along with big TV markets (Houston, Dallas, Orlando, and both Acadamies which are national (and global on armed forces networks). This is not what we all envisioned, but it is a nice save when put in a dicey situation. This league is now stronger than what the ACC is today in FB, and still keeps us a top 1-2 BB league. The Big East just made lemonade.

 

[Chin Diesel]

SMU may be #3 in Dallas but it's a sizable #3.

And it's a heck of a lot more viewers than ECU being #1 in whatever market it is in.

 

[Murph]

All of these schools joining have to know there's a chance at least one of UConn/Louisville/Rutgers could still leave the conference.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Quite simple, the Dallas market. All Realize that SMU doesnt deliver the market! But it does bring a presence there where games will be broadcast locally. Also a travel partner for Houston. Love it or hate it, this was about adding a good FB (Boise, Houston, And lesser degree AFA, SMU, Navy, and UCF) along with big TV markets (Houston, Dallas, Orlando, and both Acadamies which are national (and global on armed forces networks). This is not what we all envisioned, but it is a nice save when put in a dicey situation. This league is now stronger than what the ACC is today in FB, and still keeps us a top 1-2 BB league. The Big East just made lemonade.

I see the term "travel partner" being used a lot with regard to conference expansion. Is that just a figurative term or do you mean to imply that you actually literally travel with the other school? I don't see how that is possible or how that would even occur? Not being a wise ass...legitimately not sure.

I'm one of the biggest Big East fans going and have argued for the Big East in the past vs the ACC, but I'm not sure how we stack up with them in football. I think Boise State may be the best of them all, but the ACC is much deeper at the top with Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, etc.

That all being said, I think that's a solid football league, that should retain AQ status.

 

[NEforceUConn]

ECU's local fanbase would be top notch in this new BE. The game atmosphere in Greenville and the way the team travels is impressive - think WVU. Sure crummy tv market but when ECU goes to a bowl game they would go in huge numbers.

I guess Temple is good for UConn's recruiting base and also is a drivable local game. So for the northern teams UConn, RU, Temple, and Navy that's 3 easy away games.

So its mixed for me, but I do identify with the dissappointment ECU fans must feel.

 

[NEforceUConn]

................

I'm one of the biggest Big East fans going and have argued for the Big East in the past vs the ACC, but I'm not sure how we stack up with them in football. I think Boise State may be the best of them all, but the ACC is much deeper at the top with Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, etc.................

Maybe the ACC would have a slight edge in depth right now, but give this new league a chance. The ACC has been around for years and all they can produce is a hugely over rated FS team, a Clemson team that always self destructs, and a Georgia Tech team that has at least one WTF games? (I agree VT is the real deal).

UL will be back soon and who knows how Houston and SMU will improve. Remember, sans this year, UConn was on a roll with W's over ND, USC an ass whuppin on UVA, and a BCS appearance. You got to think we will get back on track next year.

 

[noeynox]

SMU is in a decent market, and when they we're top ranked, they drew great crowds. In a BCS conference I guess there is a hope for a return to the golden days.

 

[UCHuskies08]

I'm pretty encouraged by this. Gives us a viable home for the foreseeable future (which these days, I guess is about a week?).

 

[SAMCRO]

I see the term "travel partner" being used a lot with regard to conference expansion. Is that just a figurative term or do you mean to imply that you actually literally travel with the other school? I don't see how that is possible or how that would even occur? Not being a wise ass...legitimately not sure.

For our other sports, say Baseball, BB, soccer, etc... If they're travelling to play at USF, they'd schedule UCF the same road trip. Reduces the number of trips to FL (or Texas) for the other sports.

 

[Vowelguy]

I see the term "travel partner" being used a lot with regard to conference expansion. Is that just a figurative term or do you mean to imply that you actually literally travel with the other school? I don't see how that is possible or how that would even occur? Not being a wise ass...legitimately not sure.

It's a figurative term.

The best example is in the PAC, where all the schools are paired and they each travel [separately] to an opposing pair every weekend (in Bball season). So, both Arizona schools will travel to Oregon. Arizona-Oregon & Ariz St-Ore St will be the matchups on one night. Then Ariz-Ore St & Ariz St-Ore two nights later.

In the Big East, I imagine that the schedule will be set up so that when a team travels to play SMU, they'll stay there and play Houston a couple of days later. Saves on travel costs and time. (Obviously this doesnt apply to football.)

 

[SubbaBub]

In FB, the idea of a travel partner means that UConn would play in Texas and Florida every year. This is important for recruiting purposes. When the PAC-12 set its divisions, this was the most contentious issue. The northern schools wanted to play in LA every year to showcase for recruits.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Thanks guys that makes sense to me now. So its not so much Houston and SMU travel together, but when UConn baseball goes to Texas they can knock out two series in 1 trip.

 

[businesslawyer]

Kudos to the Presidents and the main office for apparently making a very weak and flavorless lemonade out of lemons. It is not what anyone wants, and I don't know that its long for the world, but it's a football confernece that is still 6th best with a fighting chance to keep AQ status, and a major basketball league.