Now rumors are swirling that the MWC is talking to Boise State. Coincidence????

I'm sorry people. But if the Big East doesn't split or atleast add some members its time for Pitt to consider moving on. Its obvious that this conference doesn't care about football and there is a reason why VT, Miami and B.C. left. I know Pitt doesn't really add a market to the Big 10, but I think Pitt should at least apply to the Big 10. I just wished the admin of the Big East cared about football. Or how bout trading a Duke to the Big East for Pitt. The Big East is a basketball conference anyways.

^^^^^^PSU not gonna likey.

I know I know... Animus is just frustrated... eff PSU anyways...

We dont really know what will happen in FB so we should hold off and see. Just because the commish has BB school roots doesnt necesarily mean he wont keep the FB needs in mind. Since the choice was unanimous it seems this choice was more of a statement about how united all the conference members are with keeping the league together. Lets be honest the rumors (by everybody other than the BE) since 2003 was the new BE was going to split. The BE wasnt even together yet and there was talk of it. If an outsider was named the rumors would just have gained strength and gone on for another 5 years. I think the league was formed as it was in case a split was needed, but it seems like the schools are pleased with the 16 mem conf. (at least publically)

gosports1 Wrote:We dont really know what will happen in FB so we should hold off and see. Just because the commish has BB school roots doesnt necesarily mean he wont keep the FB needs in mind. Since the choice was unanimous it seems this choice was more of a statement about how united all the conference members are with keeping the league together. Lets be honest the rumors (by everybody other than the BE) since 2003 was the new BE was going to split. The BE wasnt even together yet and there was talk of it. If an outsider was named the rumors would just have gained strength and gone on for another 5 years. I think the league was formed as it was in case a split was needed, but it seems like the schools are pleased with the 16 mem conf. (at least publically)

Well I've pretty much given up on UCF ever joining the BE now.

If the rumors are true about Boise State joining the MWC, there's bound to be some movement in the BCS. If the Big East stays asleep at the wheel, you guys might end up being the CUSA of the east.

animus Wrote:I know I know... Animus is just frustrated... eff PSU anyways...

It's OK homie. We ECU fans be frustrated too.

As far as PSU, the effed things up by themselves, last weekend.

Such is life.....

LastMinuteman Wrote:The Big East isn't splitting. Those of us on the outside looking in need to start working together and stop waiting on these guys. They're just going to leave you hanging.

UMass, Temple, Buffalo, and Charlotte to C-USA!

-- Wow...Jurich has a glowing report about Marinatto...that should make us all feel a little better

Jackson


Successor to Tranghese Is His Right-Hand Man

By PETE THAMEL
Published: November 11, 2008
The Big East will announce on Wednesday that John Marinatto will take over as the commissioner when Mike Tranghese steps down after the 2008-9 academic year.

Marinatto, the league’s senior associate commissioner, has been considered Tranghese’s right-hand man and has been with the league since 2002. He came to the Big East after working as the athletic director at Providence.

He will take over for Tranghese, who announced in June that he would leave after serving as the commissioner since 1990. Marinatto was considered the favorite at the outset of the search for a replacement and remained that way throughout the process.

“John was pretty much the runaway,” said Louisville’s athletic director, Tom Jurich. “I think it’s terrific. I think he’s going to do a fantastic job. He knows the league well inside and out.”

Marinatto was chosen after a meeting this week of league presidents and athletic directors in Philadelphia. The Pittsburgh chancellor, Mark Nordenberg, and Georgetown’s president, John DeGioia, led the search. Nordenberg declined to comment when reached at home Tuesday.

Marinatto’s name may not resonate outside Big East circles, but Jurich said he felt that Marinatto’s role had been underestimated.

“I think he’s done much of the nuts and bolts and operations of the league, and knows how everything in the league works,” Jurich said. “He’s not a numbers person, he’s a visionary.”

Marinatto graduated in 1979 from Providence, where he worked as a student manager for Dave Gavitt, who became the first commissioner of the Big East. He later worked for Tranghese at Providence, where he performed myriad jobs in the athletic department, including sports information director, ticket manager, and as the athletic director for 14 years.

He takes over a league that has moved to a 16-team basketball and an 8-team football league after the defections of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“I think that we’re in a good position right now,” said Jim Boeheim, the Syracuse basketball coach and the longest-tenured coach in the league. “I don’t think there’s anyone talking about splitting the league at all. I think there’s always going to be some challenges on the horizon, but the league is in a great position.”

Already posted the NY Times article (Pete Thamel).



But it's good to see it twice with the comments by Jurich and JB.

I just hope he doesn't need glasses for his vision...

Are you really ever satisfied with a conference? Were you old school Big East schools happy when VT, Miami and BC were still around? Or were you still unsettled, wanting an all sports conference back then? I know I was happy in C-USA as an all sport conference with great historical rivals. However, I was not happy with no access to the BCS. Thus I wished for greener pastures. So now, here we are, in a BCS conference, still wishing for greener pastures. Are we ever really satisfied? I tend to think I won't be until I get to a nice 12 team all sports conference. I just wish I were commissioner for a week. I'd get the presidents to add ECU and Memphis straight away. I'd tell ND to join for all sports or leave all together. I'd try to talk BC and Va. Tech back into the BEast. But if I couldn't I'd encourage UMass to move up and take UCF (but only if they went back to the name Florida Tech).

army56mike Wrote:Are you really ever satisfied with a conference? Were you old school Big East schools happy when VT, Miami and BC were still around? Or were you still unsettled, wanting an all sports conference back then? I know I was happy in C-USA as an all sport conference with great historical rivals. However, I was not happy with no access to the BCS. Thus I wished for greener pastures. So now, here we are, in a BCS conference, still wishing for greener pastures. Are we ever really satisfied? I tend to think I won't be until I get to a nice 12 team all sports conference.

+1 though I disagree with you about who we should take.

Brick City Pirate Wrote:The Big East's best chance for a split is to add a football only school. If that school becomes successful, then there will be all kinds of pressure for it to become a full member. If a football only school became a full member, it would upset the 8-8 balance, which would lead to a split.

Or the best chance might come from the basketball side if multiple teams get snubbed for multiple years come March Madness time.

UofL07 Wrote:

army56mike Wrote:Are you really ever satisfied with a conference? Were you old school Big East schools happy when VT, Miami and BC were still around? Or were you still unsettled, wanting an all sports conference back then? I know I was happy in C-USA as an all sport conference with great historical rivals. However, I was not happy with no access to the BCS. Thus I wished for greener pastures. So now, here we are, in a BCS conference, still wishing for greener pastures. Are we ever really satisfied? I tend to think I won't be until I get to a nice 12 team all sports conference.

+1 though I disagree with you about who we should take.

Did I miss read this? CUSA wasnt an all sport conference whn L'ville was a member

gosports1 Wrote:

UofL07 Wrote:

army56mike Wrote:Are you really ever satisfied with a conference? Were you old school Big East schools happy when VT, Miami and BC were still around? Or were you still unsettled, wanting an all sports conference back then? I know I was happy in C-USA as an all sport conference with great historical rivals. However, I was not happy with no access to the BCS. Thus I wished for greener pastures. So now, here we are, in a BCS conference, still wishing for greener pastures. Are we ever really satisfied? I tend to think I won't be until I get to a nice 12 team all sports conference.

+1 though I disagree with you about who we should take.

Did I miss read this? CUSA wasnt an all sport conference whn L'ville was a member

Agreed. C-USA was a hybrid, but football had a larger number of members. The Big East was a 50-50 split with UConn being a "basketball" school until the end of the previous configuration (seven full FB members + Temple).

"Basketball" schools
Marquette
Depaul
Charlotte
St. Louis

Football schools (not counting affiliate member Army)
Houston
Tulane
UAB
USF
ECU
Memphis
Southern Miss
Cincy
Louisville
TCU

CardHouse Wrote:

Brick City Pirate Wrote:If a football only school became a full member, it would upset the 8-8 balance, which would lead to a split.

Or the best chance might come from the basketball side if multiple teams get snubbed for multiple years come March Madness time.

Sounds like some of you really don't like it around here.

You don't need a ninth team to leave. The school presidents aren't buying the need . And unless Penn State or BC comes calling, the Big East isn't holding a "Help Wanted" sign out there.

I think we should give John Marinatto a chance. Tom Jurich and Jim Boeheim are singing his praises and I deeply respect their opinions. In addition, unlike most of y'all, I have a lot of respect for Mike Tranghese as well. None of us really know what the new commissioner is going to do yet but we should not hold his past work history against him.

My personal favorite choice was former Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg and I communicated this to a number of Big East administrators that I know. Perhaps what it came down to, though, is that this league needs someone who knows exactly how to handle the delicate balance of our conflicting agendas and maybe no outside guy can do so.

Marinatto did state that he will look at what the Big East can do in regards to football as well as ways to improve our bowl situation. I am starting to think that maybe we should sign Temple to a temporary football-only contract from 2010 to 2013 to fix the scheduling problem. Then we can see if 16 members still works or if we need a split instead.

I think we should all just accept the reality that we are stuck with this oversized hybrid monstrosity until, at a minimum, the television contracts expire in 2013. Taking a CUSA school for football-only, forcing them to move their other sports to a sucky league, would be totally unfair on our part. We can always get UCF, Memphis, or ECU after a split.

If ECU went to the Big East for football and CAA for other sports it may be better than where they are at now. Only problem is, if they end up being the next VaTech, they're gonna elbow their way in this league for all-sports.

*Edit- may hurt baseball, only in that they won't be aligned with an elite school like Rice. Travel wise, it's gonna save cha-ching.