Interesting article in todays NJ star ledger.

Football, basketball imbalance a future Big East issue
by Tom Luicci/Star-Ledger Staff
Sunday March 16, 2008, 3:00 AM

Three years after seeing three schools defect to the ACC, Big East officials will tell you their league hasn't simply survived and recovered from that near-death experience. In their view, it has gotten stronger.

Football is coming off a third straight BCS bowl victory, basketball is hoping to snag seven bids to the NCAA Tournament and send a team to the Final Four for the second straight year, and ESPN was impressed enough to sign new deals with both sports that run until 2013.

"The last two years have been as successful as any two-year period in Big East history when you take everything into account," said Big East associate commissioner Nick Carparelli, who oversees football for the league.

But the on-field success still hasn't helped the Big East shake one nagging off-field question: Can the league continue to flourish in its unorthodox setup as almost two separate conferences?

In football, the Big East is the BCS' smallest conference with just eight teams. In basketball, it's the nation's largest league with 16.

No other major conference in the country has that kind of separation.

"My sense is, with the new contracts in place, is that it's going very well the way it
is," said St. John's athletic director Chris Monasch. "The vision is very much long-term now."

To hear the football coaches, they'd like a ninth team to balance out scheduling (four home league games, four away and four non-conference opponents). The league's basketball coaches have grudgingly come to accept their unwieldy size as part of the price for the conference's survival.

"Is there an answer?" said Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun. "Right now I haven't heard one. So we have to accept things the way they are."

That would be fine if the college landscape didn't pose an ongoing threat to the Big East because of the vulnerability of an eight-team football league. The memory of the ACC luring Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College is fresh enough that Big East officials have to be aware of what's out there.

The Big Ten, steadfastly opposed to a conference playoff at the moment, has 11 schools. That's one shy of the requirement for a league championship game.

But the league recently launched its own network and a change in leadership some day could mean a change in thinking about a league championship game.

One of the most logical expansion candidates would be Rutgers because of the market it opens up for the Big Ten -- something no other Big East school can offer.

And what if the SEC decides one day to expand to reduce the crossover games in football, maybe setting up two seven or eight-team divisions? West Virginia and Louisville would certainly be good fits.

"I always worry about that," said Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese. "Our people are aware of everything that is being written and said out there."

Chuck Gerber, ESPN's executive vice president for college sports, said his network pushed for the new TV deal (details were not released beyond the length of the contract) because "we believe in the presidents of the Big East and what they're trying to do."

"It's arguably the best basketball conference in the country top to bottom," he said. "We also believe in the football side even after the restructuring. We wanted to show the Big East we have confidence in them."

Though the league was founded on basketball in 1979 (the football league wasn't established until 1991), it is now football-driven. Rutgers athletic director Bob Mulcahy said everyone in the league understands the economics of why it's that way.

"The basketball schools understand how important football is and how important it is to the future," he said.

Pittsburgh athletic director Steve Pederson said the cooperation between the football and basketball-only schools has been a key to the Big East regaining its national prominence.

"In this league or any league, what you need is to be strong together, to find a commonality that makes you strong," he said. "I think this league has tremendous commonality in the way it approaches its business."

Tranghese said the cooperation throughout the league "is unprecedented in my 29 years here."

"I spoke to our executive committee last week on the state of the league," he said. "I have six presidents -- three on the football side, three on the basketball side -- and they're ecstatic with what's happening."

But three years ago, the cooperation was made legally binding, just in case, after Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida were added for football and DePaul and Marquette for basketball only after the ACC's raid. All 16 schools agreed to a five-year contract to remain together. That deal runs for two more years and Big East officials say they see no need to formally extend it.

"Everyone seems pleased with the direction of the league," said Mulcahy. "I think the biggest indication of the future was the new TV contracts."

Carparelli said the football side's "ultimate level of security" is the automatic BCS berth that it was able to retain.

"We need to keep a constant study and take a constant measure of the landscape," said Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano. "Anything can happen, as we found out. You always have to be aware of the surrounding environment and be ready to act."

Conference configurations

Big East officials and administrators say all is well with their conference, which has the distinction of being the biggest in the country in football (16) but the smallest in basketball (8). But in the world of college conferences, you can never be sure who will be where. Here are four future scenarios for the Big East:

1. Navy joins for football

This make sense on all sides. Adding Navy adds the D.C. market plus it creates a nine-team football conference, giving each school four home and four road games. Having four guaranteed home games helps scheduling of non-conference games (each school could add three home, one away). Navy's other teams would stay where they are now, in the Patriot League.

2. Rutgers leaves for the Big Ten

It doesn't make sense now. But in five years, when the program -- and the stadium -- have grown, Rutgers (with the NYC television market and NJ recruits) becomes the perfect fit for the Big Ten, which can now split into two divisions. The Big East, if it wanted to stay at 16, might look to add Memphis from Conference USA. The Tigers are a respectable football program and would make Big East basketball even better.

Big Ten
Division A
Indiana
Iowa
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Rutgers

Division BI
llinois
Michigan
Michigan St.
Minnesota
Northwestern
Wisconsin

3. West Virginia and Louisville go to SEC

The SEC, tired of having so many crossover games in football, may look to go to two seven- or eight-team divisions. West Virginia and Louisville, strong in football and basketball, both make sense (as does Memphis) in such a scenario. The Big East now has to make a choice. If it wants to stay at 16, adding two from a group of Memphis, Central Florida and even Temple makes sense.

4. The conference splits in two

Mass defections in football end the conference. The remaining football schools go after Memphis, Central Florida and Temple to fill out their league and hope to retain their BCS bid (a tough sell). The basketball schools, all Catholic, start to look like the original Big East. They look to add two more (Cincinnati-based Xavier and Pittsburgh-based Duquesne) to connect the conference geographically and pick up two more regional TV markets.

Football

Central Florida
Cincinnati
Connecticut
Memphis
Pittsburgh
South Florida
Syracuse
Temple

Basketball
Georgetown
Providence
Seton Hall
St. John's
Villanova

DePaul
Duquesne
Marquette
Notre Dame
Xavier


Big East history
Year;Teams

1979-80;7
Boston College, Connecticut, Georgetown, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's, Syracuse are charter members

1980-81;8
Villanova is added

1982-83;9
Pittsburgh is added

1991-92;10
Miami is added in all sports; Temple and Virginia Tech join for football.

1995-96;13
Notre Dame, Rutgers, West Virginia are added

2000-01;14
Virginia Tech is added in all sports

2005-06
Boston College, Miami, Virginia Tech leave; Temple is dropped for football; Cincy, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, South Florida are added

This is why Mike T has to add Memphis as the 17th team or the football schools will split.

Only guarantee in college athletics is CHANGE.

From new TV Contracts to new Conference TV Conference Stations to new Conference Commissioners to new School Presidents and AD's...only thing that is constant is change.

Conferences have 2 choices: Be proactive or reactive.

One could be successful with either...but a conference has more control if they are PROACTIVE vs reactive.

Navy is the best option for football only. If not the next best is to add Memphis or UCF as a full member along with a full member who does not play D1a football. I would add Umass. This gives you the schedule for Football and the balance for B-Ball. Play everyone once in basketball for the same number of games now played and it is much more fair. The third best idea is to do nothing. It is more lucrative to split the revenue with less teams. Take a chance nothing happens in other conferences. The other thing is Rutgers is no guarantee to be the next Big Ten Team anyway. Geographically it is not desirable at all. UK would never let UL in the SEC etc.

What happens if Rutgers goes to the Big 10 at the same time Louisville and West Virginia went to the SEC. And what if the SEC did go to 16 teams and added USF, also?

Senerio #1 - Not happening - Navy has already rejected Trained Goose several times. They don't want to be the whipping boy of the BE.

Senerio #2 - I like Rutgers going to the B-10. Stablity and big bucks income along with all sports growth. Rose Bowl and better overall post season bowl line up and pay outs too.

Senerio #3 - Great for the FB schools long term if the other 5 BCS conferences expand to 14 team super conferences. Each conference picks off 2 BE FB teams giving them stability they don't have now and the big bucks too.

Senerio #4 - Cuse, Conn, Pitt, USF, and Cinn pray that this doesn't happen. They certainly will be out of a BCS bid. They would be better off staying in the BE for the BB revenue.

Personally I think the BE should just take care of business now by adding one allsports team. It gives them the stablity they need now. The BE can watch what the BCS landscape does in the future and and the FB schools can wait to see if the larger confernces decide to go to super conferences down the road. The BE would be unique at 17 teams but the BCS bid would not be questioned with the strength they have shown the last 3 years in BCS competion and a nine team FB configuration. The FB scheduling hardship would be taken care of and the BB side could play each other in a 16 game season. If the new league becomes to burdensome continue, use the get out of jail free card for each faction (FB/ BB) if they choose to leave as a group and the five million dollar penalty for any school who chooses to leave as an individual. Overall, for the BCS bid and for the TV contract, I believe it is better for the schools to stick together in the forseeable future with their current markets east of the Mississippi in tact.

This proves the talk is out there. I have to believe that our conference leadership, everyone but Tranghese, knows what is going on and will work to make sure the Big East survives in some form.

I'm sorry no way in hell UK ever votes for Louisville in the SEC, ain't gonna ever happen.

CJ

Jim, does one "blackball vote" override eleven (11) for votes in the SEC?

"Is there an answer?" said Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun. "Right now I haven't heard one. So we have to accept things the way they are."

Jim Calhoun made it very clear what we have is not the answer. Unfortunately nobody offer any better solution at this time.

Chuck Gerber, ESPN's executive vice president for college sports, said his network pushed for the new TV deal (details were not released beyond the length of the contract) because "we believe in the presidents of the Big East and what they're trying to do."

"It's arguably the best basketball conference in the country top to bottom," he said. "We also believe in the football side even after the restructuring. We wanted to show the Big East we have confidence in them."

I don’t understand why the details for one of the greatest TV deal for largest and best basketball conference were not make public. Remember this deal was made after we lost three football schools and all of their talking heads telling the whole world we don’t deserve BCS auto bid. And manage to reduce the value of football contract to halve and basketball to about a million per school. After all the PR damage they did to us to devalue us back then so anything new would appear a lot relative to what we been reducing to. Per school we are still the lowest pay Super conference base on the market reach of our members.

MT
"I spoke to our executive committee last week on the state of the league," he said. "I have six presidents -- three on the football side, three on the basketball side -- and they're ecstatic with what's happening."

What does that means? Why would you group them to football side or basketball side when this is one happy conference? You repeated again, and again. Just for the fun of it guess which of the presidents for “basketball side”. Guess what, to break up the majority of football schools from defection is 3 football schools to votes "no". That is why he don’t have to interview all 8 Football schools presidents, all he need to hear is 3 for “basketball side” I wonder who is the puppet’s master that pull the string.

But three years ago, the cooperation was made legally binding, just in case, after Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida were added for football and DePaul and Marquette for basketball only after the ACC's raid. All 16 schools agreed to a five-year contract to remain together. That deal runs for two more years and Big East officials say they see no need to formally extend it.


"Everyone seems pleased with the direction of the league," said Mulcahy. "I think the biggest indication of the future was the new TV contracts."

Carparelli said the football side's "ultimate level of security" is the automatic BCS berth that it was able to retain.

"We need to keep a constant study and take a constant measure of the landscape," said Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano. "Anything can happen, as we found out. You always have to be aware of the surrounding environment and be ready to act."

The main objective for Football League is retaining automatic BCS berth. The next is to make as much money you can, by secure largest contract. Does the next move need to be force upon us?

I like to hear, this summer, how they word our qualification of our BCS auto bid. Will it attach to any particular conference name?

I thought TopKook said that nobody was talking about changes in the Big East except for a few delusional message board fans?

A)What makes our postion so difficult is that if any one of those scenarios is even possible, let alone likely, then we have no choice but to split. We oue it to the schools who may be left behind.

B) Interesting that the article says how important football and football money is important to the BE

C) I wouldn't be too worried about the comments by Tranghese and the presidents the last few days. What are the going to say, the league is going to fall apart in two yrs

Jackson

panite Wrote:Senerio #1 - Not happening - Navy has already rejected Trained Goose several times. They don't want to be the whipping boy of the BE.

Senerio #2 - I like Rutgers going to the B-10. Stablity and big bucks income along with all sports growth. Rose Bowl and better overall post season bowl line up and pay outs too.

Senerio #3 - Great for the FB schools long term if the other 5 BCS conferences expand to 14 team super conferences. Each conference picks off 2 BE FB teams giving them stability they don't have now and the big bucks too.

Senerio #4 - Cuse, Conn, Pitt, USF, and Cinn pray that this doesn't happen. They certainly will be out of a BCS bid. They would be better off staying in the BE for the BB revenue.

Personally I think the BE should just take care of business now by adding one allsports team. It gives them the stablity they need now. The BE can watch what the BCS landscape does in the future and and the FB schools can wait to see if the larger confernces decide to go to super conferences down the road. The BE would be unique at 17 teams but the BCS bid would not be questioned with the strength they have shown the last 3 years in BCS competion and a nine team FB configuration. The FB scheduling hardship would be taken care of and the BB side could play each other in a 16 game season. If the new league becomes to burdensome continue, use the get out of jail free card for each faction (FB/ BB) if they choose to leave as a group and the five million dollar penalty for any school who chooses to leave as an individual. Overall, for the BCS bid and for the TV contract, I believe it is better for the schools to stick together in the forseeable future with their current markets east of the Mississippi in tact.

#1 Navy will never come for fb only.. no way it can compete on a bcs level. they likely never see another bowl game.

#2. Rutgers would have to jump on that deal.. its way too good to pass up on.

#3. Exactly what BE school is the Pac 10 going to take..Byu, Fresno, maybe Utah make sense.. Same for big 12.

#4. I agree adding a 9/17 makes sense.. and Memphis, or temple would be the only logical choices.. but I just can't see the BB schools going along.. without an 18th bb school. the lose their parity at the voting table.

I tend to agree the BE needs to stand pat for now.. or add a fb only.. that would likely be temple, Ecu, or maybe memphis. the biggest thing the Fb schools need to do is arange to get the get out of jail free card extended to 2013. Thus keeping their options open.

Senerio #4 - Cuse, Conn, Pitt, USF, and Cinn pray that this doesn't happen. They certainly will be out of a BCS bid. They would be better off staying in the BE for the BB revenue.

Don't worry, there's about as much chance of any of that happening as there is of me sprouting wings and flying away. I know some of you guys are wishing for scenerio #4 but it isn't happening. Besides, you guys are still ignoring what Barry Alvarez said last year, that the Big Ten was looking to add a 12th team that would make a "splash". I've said this over and over again, the SEC has nothing to gain and everything to lose going to 14 or 16. In theory, if the SEC expanded chances are they would take a program like Cincinnati since they don't have the Ohio market and I have actually heard over the years that Ohio is a interesting market for them. Ohio is connected to the SEC markets and is a huge market and it would allow the SEC break into Big Ten territory. But I don't want to go to the SEC, and the SEC ain't expanding. If they did expand to 14 they would take Texas and Texas A&M anyway.

CatsClaw Wrote:Senerio #4 - Cuse, Conn, Pitt, USF, and Cinn pray that this doesn't happen. They certainly will be out of a BCS bid. They would be better off staying in the BE for the BB revenue.

In theory, if the SEC expanded chances are they would take a program like Cincinnati since they don't have the Ohio market and I have actually heard over the years that Ohio is a interesting market for them.

Cincinnati to the SEC? thats great comedy

Texas and Texas A&M aren't far off though...would Texas go though? Texas is snooty about academics

And if they don't go, would A&M jump? I could also see Houston and possibly Memphis start to enter the conversation for westward expansion if the Longhorns declined...

As for the East? FSU, Miami, Clemson, Georgia Tech would all be targets IMO...especially FSU

Georgia Tech would probably be snooty about academics as well (isn't that why they left?)...I don't think Miami would be too keen on joining either

Virginia Tech and West Virginia could enter the discussion pretty fast

On another board, the idea of the SEC becoming a much larger conference and creating their own (football) playoff was mentioned...is it that unconceivable? If the SEC created their own television network with their own playoff, they could really rake in some $$$ IMO

The fact that every coach complaining even at the height of their greatest accomplishment of forming this 16 heads monsters of a conference suggest the number is the maximum they can put together without falling on their own weight. Just watch next year, how the BE office run 16 team participating in the BET for 5 days. Do you really think they want to have 17 or 18 but 1 or 2 teams must stay behind. If you have 16 teams already why not just have 1 or 2 more, what is the different? You will not find any 17th or 18th team that will made economical sense anyway. It more likely that we have all-sport before the Big East expands to 17 or 18 teams.

The revenue can’t fall any lower without chasing the football schools away. Remember it cost a lot of money to run a football program especial when they have to compete with other major BCS conferences with larger stadium seating capacity and much higher TV revenue.

So our solution is to have fewest mouths to feed as possible and still consider as a football league. This is the only way we maximize our revenue per school. The fact they used that “the new member must bring something of value to the table” argument to prevent any changes tell you that this is very delicate and very complex 16 team conference. So this 16 is very unstable no matter what the BE official said because it has the “football side” and the “basketball side” of the components.

Once it’s official about our BCS auto bid is completely secure. There will be a move to secure as much revenue as you can to run a top rate athletic department. USF pay their football coach more than UConn and we have the largest budget without sending our team to BCS game. Three of our programs made profit. This is not the same case with all other BEFB schools. The question is how soon the need to pay higher expense force us to look outside this 16 comfort zone.

Miami would jump in a heartbeat to the SEC. If you want to boost your recruiting value for effort, what better way than to be able to tell your kids you'll be playing some of the best teams in the nation every year in front of huge crowds on national TV every week of football season?

That's the reality of SEC football. How could you not want that?

It the SEC were to expand to 14 teams, they would add North Carolina State and Virginia Tech. If they went to Texas and Oklahoma.

Duquesne? (Insert laugh track here)

bitcruncher Wrote:Miami would jump in a heartbeat to the SEC. If you want to boost your recruiting value for effort, what better way than to be able to tell your kids you'll be playing some of the best teams in the nation every year in front of huge crowds on national TV every week of football season?

That's the reality of SEC football. How could you not want that?

Maybe...Miami is a unique situation, and they're not exactly lacking in the recruiting department...

The SEC isn't the answer for everyone...what Big 10 team would join? Would Notre Dame? not a chance

If the SEC wanted another Florida school they would go after FSU before UM or anyonelse. If FSU thought that passing on that would allow Miami to move there they would take it in a heartbeat.
I dont think the SEC has any plans on expanding anytime soon but if it did and it wanted another Florida school USF could be in the running if our program continues its growth.
With that said I dont believe there will be any moves. The Big10 will keep dangling that carrot for Notre Dame. The only possible move in next five years is the Big East splitting.