Sounds like they expected a split with adding Depaul and Marquette. I think BE needs to tell Notre Dame to bring football or put hoops in another league.
Marquette and DePaul were added because they wanted to make sure that if a split happened later on that both leagues would have enough members to be viable and survive on their own.
Wether some want to admit it or not the biggest reason that there was no a split right away was the fact that keeping the BCS bid was not guaranteed and with the football contract getting slashed, the schools thought the best way to keep some money was to keep a strong basketball league and use that strength to maintain some financial strength.
Now at this time
A) the BCS bid is safe
B) football TV money has increased.
So the need to keep the basketball league as a safety net is GONE. Now the football schools can look at other options without fear.
Wether TS2 and others dont want to admit it, thats whats happening thats why you see MT scrambling to come up with all these half membership crap trying to keep current status and satisfy the football schools.
We will see what happens in the next couple of years but is obvious from his trying the Army/Navy thing that all is not perfect and happines with the current situation.
bitcruncher Wrote:This thread should be in the CUSA forum. There's nothing in here of significance to the BEast.
No smack intended toward the C-USA but you are right BitC. This started out being about the Big East, but like so many threads in here it ended up being about C-USA.
What started it? One C-USA fan talking smack at another C-USA school. Someone from Central Florida saying "that sounded like a smack to ECU". Of course at that point it ceased to be about the Big East.
July 17, 2007
Big East to expand?
It appears that Big East Commissioner commissioner Mike Tranghese has changed his tune on conference expansion. While Tranghese was very upset at the ACC expansion just four years ago, it appears that the Big East is now looking to add a ninth football school to the conference, potentially as a football-only member.
Tranghese said his league has had recent discussions with Army and Navy, but 'there just isn't any interest on the other side.'
'We've talked about a ninth member,' Tranghese said. 'I think our league members would strongly consider it if there was a ninth team that would make us better. But we don't see it out there right now.'
In other words... the door is wide-open if Notre Dame wants to join the Big East. In the meantime, Tranghese will be looking around but there isn't anyone out there that sets his hair on fire.
Navy would potentially be a good add, but I think the Midshipmen are enjoying the scheduling flexibility and bowl revenues that their independent status has brought.
As for Notre Dame.... yeah, I wouldn't hold your breath.
The Big East added Southwestcentral Florida and Cincinnati, who are worth less in football and have no tradition.....it is hilarious to see a fan of either team to state that "there are no worthwhile teams out there"......
C-USA paid out ~$1.2 million per team. I think the Big East payout was ~$6.5 million for the football teams. I think I read here that the basketball payout was ~$3 million. Maybe a little less.
So it looks like football paid about $3.5 million per team.(My numbers may be off slightly but I think I am close) So that is a difference of about $2.3 million MORE per year. Conferences like the CAA and SOCON pay out a few hundred thousand dollars. Basically nothing.
ECU is a football first school but that does not mean the fans would want all other sports to stink. Being in the CAA or SOCON, assuming they have space which they don't, is a drastic and massive step down and would impact our donations. Not to mention our local advertisers.
Again...this is not a slam on the Big East. It would be a step up, but I think most on here realize that ECU (or some other school) would not be a voting member in the conference, would most likely NEVER be a full member of the conference. If there was some guarantee that in 2-3 years we would be a full member, ECU (or someone else) would jump at the chance. But that would mean a split or uneven votes in the league, 9 football/8basketball. We all know that will not happen as long as Mike T. is around.
bitcruncher Wrote:This thread should be in the CUSA forum. There's nothing in here of significance to the BEast.
No smack intended toward the C-USA but you are right BitC. This started out being about the Big East, but like so many threads in here it ended up being about C-USA.
What started it? One C-USA fan talking smack at another C-USA school. Someone from Central Florida saying "that sounded like a smack to ECU". Of course at that point it ceased to be about the Big East.
It ceased being about the BEast long before that comment, cardtopper. It was never about the BEast. It was always about what CUSA team would be the new BEast member.
Why should anyone in the BEast care - until it becomes a conference voting matter?
Cuban,this is 2007 not 2003.The reason usfla is in the BE is that bc left.The circumstances of 2007 are vastly different than 2003.MT does not make decisions on football in the BE that are not supported by the BE football schools.Why marquette and depaul were added in 2003 really has nothing to do with this highly successful conference and its future.Saying I said something,or MT said something on the BE structure as though he was a lone individual is totally incorrect.What he says and does is what the vast majority of the BE schools want him to do.He is not a maverick he is merely working for the wishes of the BE schools.
tigersharktwo Wrote:Saying I said something,or MT said something on the BE structure as though he was a lone individual is totally incorrect.What he says and does is what the vast majority of the BE schools want him to do.He is not a maverick he is merely working for the wishes of the BE schools.
Interesting. So you agree that the 8 football playing members are not fully happy with the current league setup.
You are RIGHT this is 2007 NOT 2003 and the reasons that the schools decided to stick together in 2003 are no longer the same.
By the way we ALL know full well that USF is in the Big East because BC left,that has nothing to do with it. As you say this 2007 NOT 2003 and USF is a full member of the Big East NOT BC.
By the way is USF not usfla, IF you are really a Big East fan you better get used to it
tigersharktwo Wrote:Saying I said something,or MT said something on the BE structure as though he was a lone individual is totally incorrect.What he says and does is what the vast majority of the BE schools want him to do.He is not a maverick he is merely working for the wishes of the BE schools.
Interesting. So you agree that the 8 football playing members are not fully happy with the current league setup.
Actually, to give the devil (in this case, TS2) his due - he knows that the football members are not happy in the current league set-up. He was the first, as I recall it anyway, to put forth the partial hybrid concept with ND, Nova, and Georgetown. An idea I really hated at first, but have come to believe has a slim chance of happening if those three bb schools want it to happen.
Of course, what he doesn't believe will happen is that any current C-USA school will be football #9, in this 12-team hybrid. Not sure who he thought was going to be #9. Probably Navy.
tigersharktwo Wrote:Saying I said something,or MT said something on the BE structure as though he was a lone individual is totally incorrect.What he says and does is what the vast majority of the BE schools want him to do.He is not a maverick he is merely working for the wishes of the BE schools.
Interesting. So you agree that the 8 football playing members are not fully happy with the current league setup.
Actually, to give the devil (in this case, TS2) his due - he knows that the football members are not happy in the current league set-up. He was the first, as I recall it anyway, to put forth the partial hybrid concept with ND, Nova, and Georgetown. An idea I really hated at first, but have come to believe has a slim chance of happening if those three bb schools want it to happen.
Of course, what he doesn't believe will happen is that any current C-USA school will be football #9, in this 12-team hybrid. Not sure who he thought was going to be #9. Probably Navy.
Cheers,
Neil
I remember him floating the 12 team hybrid idea. If he will acknowledge that the football need an 8th league game, than here's the question Tiger....who's the 9th going to be now that the academies are out of the picture?
Hummell Wrote:I can tell everyone right now, no matter what any ECU fan says, if a football only membership was offered, the Pirates would take it in a heartbeat.
You have no idea that is true and if you just did the math and saw the damage it would do to our other programs I do not see how you would be for it.
There would no MEMBERSHIP!! Membership means equal. It means the ability to vote in the direction of the conference. ECU or any 9th team would not get that. We would be used to fill out a 8 game conference schedule. The basketball schools will always have a equal say in the conference. We would never get a full membership.
Our other programs would be smothered in the abyss if the SOCON or CAA if we are lucky. As our other programs deteriorate and become less and less attractive, we would ruin any chance of moving to the BE for full membership if it every came up.
I do not understand how anyone can think it is a good idea to not have any say in your future!
ECU could explore the CAA for hoops. That is a decent mid-major conference with VCU, Old Dominion, Hofstra, George Mason being the top 5 programs right now. Other CAA members are Delaware, William & Mary, Northeastern, Georgia Stare, James Madison, NC Wilmington and Towson State.
(This post was last modified: 07-17-2007 05:51 PM by OUBOBCATJOHN.)
Hummell Wrote:I can tell everyone right now, no matter what any ECU fan says, if a football only membership was offered, the Pirates would take it in a heartbeat.
You have no idea that is true and if you just did the math and saw the damage it would do to our other programs I do not see how you would be for it.
There would no MEMBERSHIP!! Membership means equal. It means the ability to vote in the direction of the conference. ECU or any 9th team would not get that. We would be used to fill out a 8 game conference schedule. The basketball schools will always have a equal say in the conference. We would never get a full membership.
Our other programs would be smothered in the abyss if the SOCON or CAA if we are lucky. As our other programs deteriorate and become less and less attractive, we would ruin any chance of moving to the BE for full membership if it every came up.
I do not understand how anyone can think it is a good idea to not have any say in your future!
I don't understand why you think ECU putting its other sports into the Southern Con, or CAA is a bad short term move to accomadate a football only off if it is tendered.
Over the last 2 years the CAA has been more highly rated than CUSA.......and really given the sorid condition of ECU in men's basketball a move to the Southern would be more than adequate competitively.
Cubanbull Wrote:My take on this:
There is a push to add a 9th football member, so obviously the current 8 membership is NOT happy with the unbalanced schjedule as some have stated.
There is no one outthere that will take football only membership that is worthwhile. Well that really doesnt exclude anyone because the candidates spoken on this board will NOT accept a football only deal.
I am not reading that out of the article at all.
Maybe, just maybe UCF would turn down a football only invite from the Big East because they don't really have any suitable alternatives for their other sport programs and they dont really need to be in the Big East to recruit being in Florida.
Memphis could go football only and put their basketball in the A-10 who would be more than willing to accept a program like Memphis......that would be an upgrade for them over CUSA hoops.
ECU bb sucks and would be just fine in the Southern.
Miami-Oh has a deal cut to put its basketball in the A-10 if they move to the Big East.
Temple is already in the A-10 basketball only conference.
The sticking point for #9 in my opinion is none of the left over schools are any good at this time so its better to wait.
Notre Dame would really be a fantastic add if something could be worked out.......
(This post was last modified: 07-17-2007 06:02 PM by Kit-Cat.)
