Prov. Journal: Basketball schools plan to break away if UConn or Louisville leave

[toppencil]

The next school to jump ship will be the straw the broke the camels back. The 8 BB only schools (yes ND will be with them) will not accept any new football members from that point forward. The football schools will have to figure things out for themselves. Perhaps a football league that allows members to play in other leagues for other sports. You can thank BC, Syracuse and Pitt, all founding members who left. UConn joined as a BB only member. Xavier and Butler would be fine additions to the Big East.

 

[Rumrunner]

From Berry Tramel Oklahoma newspaper last night:

"The tide turns if Missouri leaves. If Mizzou goes, the Big 12 would lose geographic compactness no matter the replacement (unless it’s Houston, which would be over Texas’ dead body). So it would create more synergy to go from nine to 12. Add West Virginia, Louisville and Cincinnati. Replace Missouri with just one of those schools, and the new school would be on an island. Replace with three, and it would be like an eastern wing of the Big 12. Or heck, West. You could add BYU, Boise State and, ideally, Air Force, though the Falcons don’t seem to want to come.

I hope the Big 12 goes to 12 schools. I hope Missouri stays.

But if Missouri stays, the Big 12 is more likely to stay at 10."
http://blog.newsok.com/berrytramel/

If Missouri leaves for the SEC, looks like the Big East is screwed no matters what.

1. Missouri leaves Big 12 adds L'Ville, WVU, maybe Cincy

or

2. Missouri leaves adds BYU, Boise Community College, maybe

In the first scenario, bye bye automatic bid, football conference and basketball if the hoops schools leave.

In the second scenario, bye bye Big East football conference without any viable options. Basketball schools stay, Big East adds programs that won't bump up AQ status.

 

[Rumrunner]

McNamara still sticking by his story. If UofL leaves today, get the popcorn.

Heard Marquette wants nothing to do with proposed fb schools.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I wouldn't be shocked at all if the basketball schools break off on their own with these new additions. The only ones who have any cachet basketball wise are Houston (a long time ago), Temple, and Memphis - and they don't even appear to be choices right now. The others are piss poor basketball additions.

 

[ctchamps]

I'm not sure any of the BE schools, football or bb only schools, are thrilled with the choices they have to make. But they are putting aside their differences of opinion and are being proactive. It's a shame that desperation is the catalyst for doing things. But that is human nature and the BE is no different in how it approaches decisions than any other of the crisis that faces the world today.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

How much of this is being driven by Neinas, the current commisioner of the Big 12?

Over the past year, he has been paid huge money as a consultant and is the driving force behind the MWC/CUSA merger for football in order to get a BCS AQ bid. If BSU, , Houston, SMU, UCF all go to the Big East, he knows that the MWC/CUSA merger is a huge FAIL, the Big East retains its BCS AQ status, and his consulting company takes a huge hit. However, if he steals Louisville from the Big East, he knows that the Big East will crumble and his original recommendation for the MWC/CUSA merger may be a success.

Think he might have a conflict of interest in leading the Big 12 through this expansion and maintaining his multi-million dollar consulting firm for when he leaves the Big 12 commisioner position?

Don't think for a minute that this isn't a factor in all of this!

We may just be at the point of a perfect storm where ESPN, the ACC, and the Big 12 (via Neinas) all want the Big East Football conference to die for their own reasons. While not one of those entities is the lone culprit in killing the BE Football conference, they are each doing their part to make sure it fails. Nice team work!

 

[HuskyHawk]

This all makes sense. The 8 remaining schools don't have any fondness for SFU for sure, and probably see UC and Rutgers as adding little value. They could do better with Xavier, Butler, St. Joes etc.

Everything I've seen from the Big 12 suggests that Louisville is ahead of WVU with them. More midwestern. I think they worry about the geography. BYU has a similar geographic problem. I think they'd be the first choice, but they bring issues like UT does with their network, plus the other things. I think WVU is much too far east to add unless they went all in and added all 3 BE schools.

So UL could very well be the domino that falls. It's all with Missouri really. It that sense, same as it was last week.