Thamel : Big East Could Grow To 14 Team Fb And 18 Team Bb

[NutmegState]

West:
Boise
BYU
Air Force
Houston
SMU
Louisville
Memphis

East:
UConn
Rutgers
Cincinnati
Navy
Temple
USF
UCF

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/29/s...nvitation-joining-big-12.html?_r=2&ref=sports


Sorry if posted in another thread, didn't see it

 

[HartbeatHusky]

I really like that set up there. I just don't see why you don't go to 20 and let BYU and Boise in for all sports as well. We're going to let them prop us up in football and in my opinion if they are interested in getting their other sports in the BE should be receptive. From the comments I've read I get the feeling that at least BYU really does want Big East basketball if they are going to be in the Big East.

Then, when Nova moves up, which I'm sure is a condition of allowing Temple in for all sports, you invite another all sports member from out west and just stay at 16 in football and 21 in basketball. Basketball could go to a 20 conference game round robin schedule and it would be TV gold.

 

[nycscooby]

What a show, our athletes deserve a better fate but that's what happens with a small minded administration.

 

[upstater]

I really like that set up there. I just don't see why you don't go to 20 and let BYU and Boise in for all sports as well. We're going to let them prop us up in football and in my opinion if they are interested in getting their other sports in the BE should be receptive. From the comments I've read I get the feeling that at least BYU really does want Big East basketball if they are going to be in the Big East.

Then, when Nova moves up, which I'm sure is a condition of allowing Temple in for all sports, you invite another all sports member from out west and just stay at 16 in football and 21 in basketball. Basketball could go to a 20 conference game round robin schedule and it would be TV gold.

Those new schools are probably not so hot to join in all sports either because of the traveling expense alone.

 

[CTMike]

Hooray C-USA.

 

[NutmegState]

Aside from being invited to the ACC, do you have a better idea Scooby?

 

[NutmegState]

In terms of perception and historical brands, this league looks lack luster, but the reality is this would be a strong and viable football conference.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

This really is going to be a much better football conference than the old BE. It's going to take getting used to but I think it raises the quality of BE football substantially and gives it a national profile.

 

[coachcap]

The Times article didn't mention all of the specific teams listed in Nutmeg's post. I would swap out Memphis for Southern Miss. Even though Hattiesburg is a pain in the neck to get to, Southern Miss. is a much more competative program. (I don't believe that the Big East would see any influx of FedEx $$ with the addition of Memphis).

 

[FDNY99]

The one thing this set up does is protect the confence if Louisville, Cincy, Rutgers, and us leave as has been talked about.

 

[uconnric]

It's not great, but it's probably the best we could do right now. Football level would be better than what it is right now, especially with Syracuse gone. They did nothing for the league in football.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Part of me wants Nevada in the mix. It is the main state school for one of the fastest growing states in the country. It has a good football program run by one of the most important innovators in college football in the last 10 years. The big negative is that Ault is 97 years old. I think he was an grad assistant for Pasqualoni at WestConn.

 

[tzznandrew]

Part of me wants Nevada in the mix. It is the main state school for one of the fastest growing states in the country. It has a good football program run by one of the most important innovators in college football in the last 10 years. The big negative is that Ault is 97 years old. I think he was an grad assistant for Pasqualoni at WestConn.

If we're going all in on Football side of things, have a league, only related really in name, with its own, distinct, commissioner, and go to 16 on the football side of things. Add Nevada and, it, Hawai'i, and move Louisville or Memphis to the East.

Oh, and pray like hell you get into the ACC as soon as you can.

 

[NutmegState]

Nevada wouldn't be a horrible West member. I could get behind that.

From where I'm sitting, the league's priority should be 1a Boise, 1b BYU. Our options for strengthening the East are limited (UCF,Navy,Temple), we need to make the West as strong as possible. BYU is more attractive than Boise in the long term, in my opinion.

If the Big East's expansion comes to fruition, and BYU isn't a part of it, I will be very dissappointed. BYU is a legitimate and worthy replacement for WVU.

 

[TRest]

If we're going all in on Football side of things, have a league, only related really in name, with its own, distinct, commissioner, and go to 16 on the football side of things. Add Nevada and, freak it, Hawai'i, and move Louisville or Memphis to the East.

Oh, and pray like hell you get into the ACC as soon as you can.

I am praying like hell and ignoring the various fantasy lineups. There is literally no potential football conference we can put together that makes any sense, unless it is not AQ and solely east coast teams.

 

[upstater]

This really is going to be a much better football conference than the old BE. It's going to take getting used to but I think it raises the quality of BE football substantially and gives it a national profile.

Based on what?
I don't see how any of these schools are better at football than WV and Pitt.

 

[DW4UCONN]

I have finally recovered from the initial shock and rage over this whole expansion mess and agree with Rick Pitino. The BE has to keep the BB side strong by bringing in Memphis and Temple. Looking at the conference set up Nutmeg posted shows a pretty well balanced competitive conference that Uconn FB can compete for the AQ. Bringing in Houston, Memphis and Temple replaces Syracuse, Pittsburgh and WVU to keep BE BB strong. There are no other available BB schools out there that can do that. I also agree with Heartbeat that BYU and Boise State should be given full membership.

 

[NutmegState]

I am praying like hell and ignoring the various fantasy lineups. There is literally no potential football conference we can put together that makes any sense, unless it is not AQ and solely east coast teams.

You don't think a potential Big East East makes sense? Remember when looking at the western division, we would probably only play 3 or 4 of them a year, meaning one to two road trips West of Cincinnati per year. That's really not a big deal.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Based on what?
I don't see how any of these schools are better at football than WV and Pitt.

You don't think Boise St. and BYU are at least as good as WVU and Pitt?

 

[Chin Diesel]

What a **** show, our athletes deserve a better fate but that's what happens with a small minded administration.

I'd rather see our kids playing in Houston, Dallas, Orlando, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Boulder, etc than playing in Syracuse, Morgantown, Blacksburg, etc.

Truth be told, even though Memphis as a city to live in is horrible and the schools academics are a joke, it's a great place to visit for a weekend and it's easily accessible from anywhere in the country.

And even though Boise is located in the middle of no where, they have been very good for a decade and there are a dozen really good schools in abysmally small media markets.

The prospect of Uconn being in a conference with geographically aligned schools isn't happening any time soon. I don't see how having a conference with a national profile is small-minded.

 

[NutmegState]

To the folks pooh-poohing the Big East's expansion plans, you need to start dealing with reality. Praying, hoping, holding your breath, and stomping your feet isn't going to get UConn into the ACC. If the ACC invites us, we will accept, but until then, the best plan of attack is to build the Big East into the strongest possible football conference, both in terms of quality and tv markets.

 

[TRest]

You don't think a potential Big East East makes sense? Remember when looking at the western division, we would probably only play 3 or 4 of them a year, meaning one to two road trips West of Cincinnati per year. That's really not a big deal.

We upgraded football to play in a BE conference full of the old eastern independents. I was excited to play BC, Syracuse, WVU and Miami in football. The only school left from that is RU and maybe Temple, the historic bottom feeders of the original BE football conference. The remainder is basically CUSA. Not that BE teams traveled well to begin with, but we will get even fewer fans of the opponent at our home games.

 

[TRest]

To the folks pooh-poohing the Big East's expansion plans, you need to start dealing with reality. Praying, hoping, holding your breath, and stomping your feet isn't going to get UConn into the ACC. If the ACC invites us, we will accept, but until then, the best plan of attack is to build the Big East into the strongest possible football conference, both in terms of quality and tv markets.

That is going to happen regardless of how I feel about it.

 

[NutmegState]

We upgraded football to play in a BE conference full of the old eastern independents. I was excited to play BC, Syracuse, WVU and Miami in football. The only school left from that is RU and maybe Temple, the historic bottom feeders of the original BE football conference. The remainder is basically CUSA. Not that BE teams traveled well to begin with, but we will get even fewer fans of the opponent at our home games.

And your point is what exactly? That we should close up shop? happens, and it has. We need to buck up and make the best out of a bad situation. A strong UConn in the revamped Big East makes us more attractive in future expansion, not less.

 

[NutmegState]

That is going to happen regardless of how I feel about it.

So you are readily admitting that you are pointlessly whining? Why pointlessly do anything?