Keep your eye on the Big East today

[Terry in Crapchester]

The Big East apparently has decided on the prospective members it wishes to add. They are prepared to extend football-only invites to Air Force, Navy and Boise State, and full conference invites to UCF, Houston and SMU. If all offers are accepted, that would give the Big East 12 members for football, and 17 (the same number anticipated when TCU originally committed to join) for basketball and many other sports. Football would split into east and west divisions, with the logical distribution being:

East: UCF, UConn, Navy, Rutgers, USF, West Virginia
West: Air Force, Boise State, Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, SMU

Under BCS rules, Boise's recent success, at least since the most recent BCS contract, would count for the Big East and prolly would be enough to allow them to retain AQ status. What's more, this realignment would make the Big East one of only two BCS conferences with presence in both Florida and Texas (the Meatgrinder is the other), and if scheduling is done right, would make the Big East the only conference to guarantee every member a road trip to either Florida or Texas every year (although the Pac-12 guarantees every member a road trip to California every year).

The rub, apparently, is that Air Force, Boise State and Navy are concerned about the Big East's long-term viability, given that none of the Big East's holdover members have committed to the conference. A vote is scheduled for later today on whether to raise the exit fee for the Big East. For all intensive purposes, that could be a make-or-break vote for the conference. http://louisville.rivals.com/content.as ... &PT=4&PR=2

[Left Seater]

My eye as in singular? What is going to happen to my other one?

So the Big East could vote to up it's exit fee while at the same time looking to get others to leave their conferences. I would think you invite first then vote to increase the fee so someone like cougar high could never leave.

Bottom line what is the first thing most people think of when they hear Big East? Basketball! There is your identity. everything else takes away from that.

[Goober McTuber]

East: UCF, UConn, Navy, Rutgers, USF, West Virginia
West: Air Force, Boise State, Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, SMU

Not convinced that’s an AQ league there. And you might have to compete with these guys:

The Mountain West Conference and Conference USA have agreed to form a merged 22-team football league, hoping the move will help solidify both conferences and improve their chances at obtaining a Bowl Championship Series automatic qualifying bid.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... y-alliance

[Terry in Crapchester]

My eye as in singular? What is going to happen to my other one?

Figure of speech, but I'm sure you already know that.

So the Big East could vote to up it's exit fee while at the same time looking to get others to leave their conferences. I would think you invite first then vote to increase the fee so someone like cougar high could never leave.

The problem is that you probably don't get Air Force, Navy or Boise State to join without first raising the exit fee. And you don't keep the AQ status without getting Boise, which may mean, as a practical matter, that you have to invite Air Force as well. But you raise an interesting point: perhaps the proper order of business should be to invite the prospective all-sports members first, then vote on raising the exit fee.

Bottom line what is the first thing most people think of when they hear Big East? Basketball! There is your identity. everything else takes away from that.

The problem with this argument is that without football, I'm not sure the conference survives for basketball.

True, the non-football schools conceivably could break away from the football schools, form their own conference, and maybe add a few more decent basketball programs along the way. That gives you a decent basketball conference, but a conference that's horrible in olympic sports. Both ND and Georgetown are already on record as being opposed to such a conference for that reason, and that idea would never come to fruition in the first place without those two schools onboard.

The only other option would be a limited, football-only merger with the Big XII, a la the recent C-USA/MWC merger, which keeps the football schools in the fold for other sports. I'm not sure the Big XII is interested in that, though.

[Felix]

East: UCF, UConn, Navy, Rutgers, USF, West Virginia
West: Air Force, Boise State, Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, SMU

Not convinced that’s an AQ league there. And you might have to compete with these guys:

The Mountain West Conference and Conference USA have agreed to form a merged 22-team football league, hoping the move will help solidify both conferences and improve their chances at obtaining a Bowl Championship Series automatic qualifying bid.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... y-alliance

the "merger" of C-USA and the Mountain West they're talking about is a stupid fucking idea.....22 teams in a single conference is simply unmanageable....what are you going to have 11 teams/division.....the idea of an east/west Big East conference is more plausible and would be a serious upgrade in television money/exposure over the Mountain West....as Herbstreit said last night during the BCS show, Boise State will continue to win and nobody will see them because of the ridiculous television contract the Mtn. West has with CBSSportsnetwork, Versus, and the MTN channel...

[Mikey]

For all intensive purposes,

Where's your self of steam?

[Terry in Crapchester]

East: UCF, UConn, Navy, Rutgers, USF, West Virginia
West: Air Force, Boise State, Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, SMU

Not convinced that’s an AQ league there. And you might have to compete with these guys:

The Mountain West Conference and Conference USA have agreed to form a merged 22-team football league, hoping the move will help solidify both conferences and improve their chances at obtaining a Bowl Championship Series automatic qualifying bid.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... y-alliance

the "merger" of C-USA and the Mountain West they're talking about is a stupid fucking idea.....22 teams in a single conference is simply unmanageable....what are you going to have 11 teams/division.....the idea of an east/west Big East conference is more plausible and would be a serious upgrade in television money/exposure over the Mountain West....as Herbstreit said last night during the BCS show, Boise State will continue to win and nobody will see them because of the ridiculous television contract the Mtn. West has with CBSSportsnetwork, Versus, and the MTN channel...

I thought the same thing myself, and in fact, I think this is, more than anything else, a defensive maneuver in case the Big East does expand. If the Big East does add the programs it's targeting, five of them would come from the MWC or C-USA, dropping that group down to 17. In that case, I think they drop Hawai'i (which planned to join the MWC in football only) and proceed as a 16-team conference with a full-scale merger:

East: Remaining C-USA programs minus UTEP
West: Remaining MWC programs plus UTEP

No way does that conference get AQ status, but at least it's assured of survival.

[MuchoBulls]

East: UCF, UConn, Navy, Rutgers, USF, West Virginia
West: Air Force, Boise State, Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, SMU

Not convinced that’s an AQ league there. And you might have to compete with these guys:

The Mountain West Conference and Conference USA have agreed to form a merged 22-team football league, hoping the move will help solidify both conferences and improve their chances at obtaining a Bowl Championship Series automatic qualifying bid.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... y-alliance

I'd have a hard time seeing the Big East lose it's AQ status by losing Pitt and Syracuse. TCU obviously hurts, but picking up Boise is a wash then.

The C-USA-MWC merger will do nothing for AQ status. As Terry mentioned, Boise should be pissed with this set up.

[Goober McTuber]

East: UCF, UConn, Navy, Rutgers, USF, West Virginia
West: Air Force, Boise State, Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, SMU

Not convinced that’s an AQ league there. And you might have to compete with these guys:

The Mountain West Conference and Conference USA have agreed to form a merged 22-team football league, hoping the move will help solidify both conferences and improve their chances at obtaining a Bowl Championship Series automatic qualifying bid.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... y-alliance

I'd have a hard time seeing the Big East lose it's AQ status by losing Pitt and Syracuse.

They should lose it because they weren't a good AQ conference before they lost Pitt and Syracuse.

[Terry in Crapchester]

I'd have a hard time seeing the Big East lose it's AQ status by losing Pitt and Syracuse.

They should lose it because they weren't a good AQ conference before they lost Pitt and Syracuse.

Pitt and Syracuse weren't contributing much to the Big East's AQ status in a positive manner. Between them, they received 2 AQ bids in the entire history of the conference. Neither of them achieved a ranking higher than 15 in the final regular season BCS standings.

By contrast, Cincinnati has only been a Big East member since 2005, has two AQ bids under its belt already, and was ranked higher than 15 in the final BCS standings on both occasions.

And despite the fact that the Big East was raided significantly by the ACC prior to 2005, the two conferences have had similar standing since that time.

[MuchoBulls]

I'd have a hard time seeing the Big East lose it's AQ status by losing Pitt and Syracuse.

They should lose it because they weren't a good AQ conference before they lost Pitt and Syracuse.

Pitt and Syracuse weren't contributing much to the Big East's AQ status in a positive manner. Between them, they received 2 AQ bids in the entire history of the conference. Neither of them achieved a ranking higher than 15 in the final regular season BCS standings.

By contrast, Cincinnati has only been a Big East member since 2005, has two AQ bids under its belt already, and was ranked higher than 15 in the final BCS standings on both occasions.

And despite the fact that the Big East was raided significantly by the ACC prior to 2005, the two conferences have had similar standing since that time.

Hasn't the Big East had a better rating than the ACC in that time, especially with the 2005 and 2007 WVU finishes?

[Goober McTuber]

I’ll leave it to you two to do the meticulous year by year comparisons since 2005, but Brian Kelly is no longer at Cincinnati. You have one ranked team in the league, and they’re barely top 15. ACC currently has three top 25, and two of those are teams ranked above your best. But I'm not here to sing the praises of the ACC, either.

[L45B]

For all intensive purposes,

Where's your self of steam?

It's a mute point.

[Killian]

For all intensive purposes,

Where's your self of steam?

It's a mute point.

I could care less.

[MuchoBulls]

I’ll leave it to you two to do the meticulous year by year comparisons since 2005, but Brian Kelly is no longer at Cincinnati. You have one ranked team in the league, and they’re barely top 15. ACC currently has three top 25, and two of those are teams ranked above your best. But I'm not here to sing the praises of the ACC, either.

You do bring up a good point about rankings and why there shouldn't be any until around this time of the season.

WVU and Cincinnati should end the season being ranked. Rutgers has an outside chance, but I don't think they are really that good.

[Goober McTuber]

I’ll leave it to you two to do the meticulous year by year comparisons since 2005, but Brian Kelly is no longer at Cincinnati. You have one ranked team in the league, and they’re barely top 15. ACC currently has three top 25, and two of those are teams ranked above your best. But I'm not here to sing the praises of the ACC, either.

You do bring up a good point about rankings and why there shouldn't be any until around this time of the season.

WVU and Cincinnati should end the season being ranked. Rutgers has an outside chance, but I don't think they are really that good.

I'm not convinced Cinci is that good either. They could easily lose their next three.

[MuchoBulls]

I'm not convinced Cinci is that good either. They could easily lose their next three.

I sure hope they lose this next one, but I am not sure which USF team is going to show up.

Only saving grace is that we started 0-2 in league play last season and then beat Cincinnati in our next game.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Exit fee was raised to $10 million. http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/n ... texpansion

[txangler74]

I have absolutely no interest in joining this bunch. But if it is our only way into a A.Q. conference so be it.

[socal]

For all intensive purposes

Where's your self of steam?

It's a mute point.

I could care less.

Irregardless.

[Mikey]

For all intensive purposes

Where's your self of steam?

It's a mute point.

I could care less.

Irregardless.

You're just looking for escape goat.

[Goober McTuber]

[MuchoBulls]

I have absolutely no interest in joining this bunch. But if it is our only way into a A.Q. conference so be it.

You'd rather stay in C-USA/MWC?

[MuchoBulls]

Methinks the Big East can add teams ad infinitum and it will still lose its AQ status.

If the 6 current teams mentioned stay and the 6 rumored teams join, then there is no way the Big East is losing its AQ status.

Saw something on one of our message boards that mentioned the Big East's Sagrain rating would put it ahead of the ACC if the move does take place.

[MuchoBulls]

This shit is hilarious. All these college presidents keep ranting about not wanting a playoff because it would interfere with the athletes' as students. Too much time away from the classroom.

Yet, now you have the possibility of Rutgers traveling to Boise fuckin' Idaho to play a ballgame. I know that's not a week's trip, but it is a damn good trek. And the real kicker is all those Bronco "students" will be traveling every other week or so to New Jersey, Maryland, and Connecticut. WTF?!?!

How is BSU gonna pay for that travel? Will there be a conference fund set up for stuff like that?

The entire realignment deal threw geography out the window, hence the rumors of when OU/OSU/Texas/TT were going to the PAC 12.

Boise will have money to pay for the road games with a better TV deal than what they have now.

[Left Seater]

So now ESPN is reporting that Mizzou will apply to the SEC sometime today.

The Big 12 will then look to West Virginia and Louisville.

If, and that's a big if, I don't see BSU saving the Big East as a football conference.

[Felix]

So now ESPN is reporting that Mizzou will apply to the SEC sometime today.

The Big 12 will then look to West Virginia and Louisville.

If, and that's a big if, I don't see BSU saving the Big East as a football conference.

I see BYU as a better option for the Big 12 than Louisville if Mizzou bolts for the SEC.....the sticking point with BYU is their absolute resolve that they won't play any sports on Sundays under any circumstances...they could be a football only participant, but I don't think that's how the Big 12 rolls....I'm pretty sure that's what lost BYU an invite to the PAC 10 12

you're right, BSU by themselves are not going to save an AQ status for the Big East....

[MuchoBulls]

you're right, BSU by themselves are not going to save an AQ status for the Big East....

If the 6 remaining BIg East teams do stay put and the 6 rumor additions do pan out, then the Big East isn't going to lose it's BCS bid.

[Van]

"Keep your eye on the Big East...."



"How does one cure insomnia?"

[Felix]

"Keep your eye on the Big East...."



"How does one cure insomnia?"

A++

[MuchoBulls]

Mucho - the Bulls are a good up-and-coming program. Y'all should tell the Big Least to fuck off and get into the ACC. Hell - even the SEC if that could work. The Big Least appears to be nothing more than insanely insecure right now.

I'd love for us to be in that position, but the bottom line is that there is no way the SEC is going to invite us over their other, more attractive, options.

Only chance we'd have at the ACC is if FSU accepted an invite into the ACC.

[Van]

Huh? FSU is already in the ACC. You must have meant the SEC.

[Terry in Crapchester]

A few responses to those who have posted more recently . . .

Sam:

1. Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I don't see a scenario where the Big East continues to play football but loses its AQ status. Either the Big East retains AQ status, or it disbands altogether (or at least for football).

2. I get what you're saying about conferences having regional connections. That being said, it's ridiculous to blame the current state of affairs in that regard on the Big East. The Big East is only reacting to the hand it's been dealt, they weren't the prime movers in the lack of correlation between geographic tie-ins and conference affiliation. I'd go back even farther than Mucho in that regard: imho, that correlation ended when BC joined the ACC, or possibly even when Penn State joined the B1G (yeah, I know Ohio is the next state over, but at least in this neck of the woods, most people consider the Pennsylvania-Ohio border as the unofficial dividing line between the east and the midwest, so Penn State's addition put the B1G into another region of the country).

3. As far as Boise goes, as I understand it, the NCAA's cutoff point for bus travel vice plane travel is 400 miles. That means that as it is, Boise, despite playing in the conference that makes the most geographic sense for them, still has to fly to every conference away game. By joining the Big East, they'd only have to fly a few hours further. As far as cost goes, if they join the Big East, it'll be for football only, so this is the situation that makes the most sense for them. As for the impact on education, I should point out that the team I root for travels extensively, pretty much entirely by design (in the modern era, anyway), yet still ranks at or near the top of NCAA rankings for graduation rates among its football players. So it can be done.

Lefty:

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see Louisville as a real good add for the Big XII. Louisville is pretty much a commuter school, and at least historically, basketball typically has been much more important than football. The football team only averaged about 35,000 in home attendance last season, which would put them at or near the bottom of the Big XII. Of the holdover Big East schools, West Virginia is the one that most "feels" like a Big XII school, but I would have to think that they'd jump ship in a heartbeat if the ACC were to come calling (yeah, I know the ACC turned them down earlier, but I'm not sure that wasn't a "not right now" rather than a "no way.") I think BYU might make the most sense for the Big XII, although the no games on Sunday rule might be a deal-breaker (toward that end, I'm somewhat surprised that BYU didn't get more consideration from the Big East -- the Big East's invite would've been for football only, and that rule wouldn't have been a factor in football).

Mucho:

Agreed that USF has next to no shot at the SEC (if Florida were to consent to adding an in-state member, it would be FSU, not USF). As for the ACC, a better possibility for USF might be if Miami's program were to receive the death penalty, or get shut down voluntarily.

[MuchoBulls]

Huh? FSU is already in the ACC. You must have meant the SEC.

That's what I meant.

The SEC would really have to throw a sweeheart deal at FSU for them to leave the ACC.

[Felix]

A few responses to those who have posted more recently . . .

I feel so left out....

By joining the Big East, they'd only have to fly a few hours further. As far as cost goes, if they join the Big East, it'll be for football only, so this is the situation that makes the most sense for them.

that's exactly what petersen said when asked about the possiblity of BSU joining the big east....they charter all their flights so increased costs for flying the team wouldn't be significant.....the biggest problem is transporting their equipment

[MuchoBulls]

Mucho:

As for the ACC, a better possibility for USF might be if Miami's program were to receive the death penalty, or get shut down voluntarily.

While that would be awesome, I wouldn't be banking on it.

[MuchoBulls]

that's exactly what petersen said when asked about the possiblity of BSU joining the big east....they charter all their flights so increased costs for flying the team wouldn't be significant.....the biggest problem is transporting their equipment

Good point on the transporting of the equipment.

Boise would stand to gain a nice jump in revenue going to the Big East, so that should more than offset their their travel budget for 4 conference road games, 1 or 2 of which a year would be a long distance.