Steve Politi, Newark Star-Ledger: Big East can't survive WVU's departure

[Rumrunner]

http://mobile.nj.com/advnj/pm_104357/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=ZzHrSIkf

"That means Rutgers is just one of five remaining football-playing schools in the Big East –but even that's just a technicality. If the Big East's football alignment were a solar system, West Virginia would be the sun. If it burns out, all the doomed planets will just go careening into space. Big East football cannot survive its departure.

John Marinatto –who, as leaders go, has been about as effective as the last King of Prussia –waited so long to make his next move that there is no longer a move he can make."

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Is your position that the remaining Big East schools will shut down their athletic programs?

 

[businesslawyer]

Polito's shots at Providence ignore the obvious -- Air Force and Navy and Boise State are waiting to see whether there is a Big East to join before they announce anything. And the basketball schools aren't, and shouldn't, consent to inviting SMU, Houston and UCF as all sports members to save football unless and until they know they have football members who actually want to be saved. Which, at the moment, they don't.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I think the more reasoned position is what other program of value wants to join the Big East now. What do we have to offer football-wise? Without WVU, we're not keeping our BCS bid, the only hail mary chance is to get Boise, but why would they join? They probably have a better shot sticking with the MWC than joining the Big East which very likely could get poached again. Sure, we can get ECU, Temple, and UCF, but they're going to do nothing to solidify the BCS bid, and might be better positioned to stick with the merged MWCUSA to have a shot at the BCS bid. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Houston says thanks but no thanks now.

 

[warbler1055]

This is not good news for UConn !!!!

http://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-west-virginia-big-12-conference-20111025,0,4160863.story

 

[nadav]

I would rather stick with the catholics in "olympic" sports and play Football as an Associate Member of CUSA then just be in an all sports league with what's left of the BE and a few CUSA schools added. Hopefully, that is, until the ACC invite comes.

 

[freescooter]

Remember when the Big East wouldn't survive the loss of Miami? Miami was the sun at that time.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Houston, Boise, AFA and the rest are coming once whoever is left decides they have fished out every pond and there are no bites, no matter what some idiot writer says. Those schools have to figure that out pretty soon though. Waiting hasn't done USF, UConn, Rutgers, Louisville and Cincinnati any favors so far.

The right move here is a "best of the rest" of 12-16 teams from CUSA, Big East, MWC and maybe Temple. Form a new league or piggy back the Big East name, cut a new TV deal, and prepare to play rough with the BCS legally to hold onto the automatic bid.

 

[CTMike]

Is your position that the remaining Big East schools will shut down their athletic programs?

You know, despite every single time you have mentioned this, not a single person has ever proposed this.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You know, despite every single time you have mentioned this, not a single person has ever proposed this.

What does "Big East can't survive" mean? A conference is just an affiliation of member institutions, and since this conference is shrinking rapidly, if the "Big East can't survive", does that mean the member institutions won't survive?

 

[HartbeatHusky]

Houston, Boise, AFA and the rest are coming once whoever is left decides they have fished out every pond and there are no bites, no matter what some idiot writer says. Those schools have to figure that out pretty soon though. Waiting hasn't done USF, UConn, Rutgers, Louisville and Cincinnati any favors so far.

The right move here is a "best of the rest" of 12-16 teams from CUSA, Big East, MWC and maybe Temple. Form a new league or piggy back the Big East name, cut a new TV deal, and prepare to play rough with the BCS legally to hold onto the automatic bid.

I agree that all of the schools mentioned will more than likely be on their way to the BE once it seems like all of the moves are done. If they are the primary schools that the MWCUSA would be trying to earn a BCS bid based on why would they dilute their chances and stay when they can just move up to an AQ conference? I think we need to really think about making a run at BYU for football. Travel would be less of an issue if they are coming in with Boise, Air Force, SMU, and Houston.

 

[jpm25]

What does "Big East can't survive" mean? A conference is just an affiliation of member institutions, and since this conference is shrinking rapidly, if the "Big East can't survive", does that mean the member institutions won't survive?

Speaking for myself: of course not.

 

[RS9999X]

I think we have to entertain a complete split between football and everything else.

Some overlap but enrollment in each conference has separate criteria. I think this is where the basketball schools are at. It's under discussion now and 1 more team loss beyond WVU (Lousville or UConn) and it's over. UConn won't go with the football teams for basketball. It makes no sense now.

 

[RS9999X]

So who replaces WVU? Is it the Philly decision or ECU?

I vote for ECU. The Philly decision can wait for Louisville or when Bosie and decline an invite

 

[SubbaBub]

Remember when the Big East wouldn't survive the loss of Miami? Miami was the sun at that time.

As it turns out, it didn't. 2003 wasn't that long ago.

BB attractions are for now, ND, Nova, GT, Louisville. I just threw up in my mouth a little.

Espn is running a story on what ND and Uconn to the ACC north would look like.

ND, Uconn, cuse, pitt, MD, Va, VT,BCU.

To whatever college sports overlord is really in charge, by the grace of Greg Economou, please let this happen.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[Druken Friar]

I thought some positive mojo was in order here.

​

Animal House: Germans Bombed Pearl Harbor

 

[CTMike]

Through no fault of its own, our football team is essentially being demoted to C-USA. And that really sucks. I understand that there may not be another alternative at this time. It still sucks, it's undeserved, it doesn't fit with the vision of our school, nor the committment we've made to football.

 

[jostar1]

Houston, Boise, AFA and the rest are coming once whoever is left decides they have fished out every pond and there are no bites, no matter what some idiot writer says. Those schools have to figure that out pretty soon though. Waiting hasn't done USF, UConn, Rutgers, Louisville and Cincinnati any favors so far.

The right move here is a "best of the rest" of 12-16 teams from CUSA, Big East, MWC and maybe Temple. Form a new league or piggy back the Big East name, cut a new TV deal, and prepare to play rough with the BCS legally to hold onto the automatic bid.

Yes, I agree. Why fold now? We have two more years with the departing schools and anything can happen in two years.

 

[Richmondhsky]

As it turns out, it didn't. 2003 wasn't that long ago.

BB attractions are for now, ND, Nova, GT, Louisville. I just threw up in my mouth a little.

Espn is running a story on what ND and Uconn to the ACC north would look like.

ND, Uconn, cuse, pitt, MD, Va, VT,BCU.

To whatever college sports overlord is really in charge, by the grace of Greg Economou, please let this happen.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

Where did you see the ESPN story on ND and UCONN? Just looked at their site and couldn't find it.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

Big East blog is saying that Boise, Houston, SMU, and Air Force are pushing for BYU to be added to the new Big East. The Big East may need to bite the bullet and invite all of these schools for all sports if it would sweeten the pot and then divide into two separate east and west basketball divisions/conferences and run the football league as a separate entity with it's own commissioner.

 

[sportsart]

Nelson, it's the "ad absurdum" fallacy. Argument by invoking the premise to the extreme.

How long you been waiting to drop that on us? (Seinfeld to George)

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Big East blog is saying that Boise, Houston, SMU, and Air Force are pushing for BYU to be added to the new Big East. The Big East may need to bite the bullet and invite all of these schools for all sports if it would sweeten the pot and then divide into two separate east and west basketball divisions/conferences and run the football league as a separate entity with it's own commissioner.

I don't think it does sweeten the pot for Boise or AFA. I think there is a good chance you end up with a larger Big East football conference that has two separate leagues for basketball, with the eastern half sticking with the basketball schools.

 

[huskyrob1]

This is not good news for UConn !!!!

http://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-west-virginia-big-12-conference-20111025,0,4160863.story

Not good news at all. We are duckked big time, unless the ACC takes us and Rutgers now that ND will be a member of the Big 12 in all sports except football very very soon. If Blumenthal ever wanted to sue someone it should be John Marinatto, Mike Tranghese and the estate of Dave Gavitt.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Nelson, it's the "ad absurdum" fallacy. Argument by invoking the premise to the extreme.

The gradual dissolution of the Big East is certainly bad news enough, but shutting down athletics departments is an absurd position held by noone and serves no purpose to the argument.

Then people on this board should stop invoking scenarios where the logical conclusion is shutting down the athletic department.