Great move on Memphis's part...its been long overdue to cut some of the slack in the BE (Depaul, St. Johns, or Seton Hall) and add a football playing school. Don't know when/if it will happen but this probably puts Memphis in the drivers seat if the opportunity presents itself. Then again adding a team will probably be purely based on money rather then relationships...certainly doesn't hurt though.

More news out of Memphis. Looks like Memphis is seeking a football only.

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/sports/t...o_Big_East

(09-15-2009 10:59 PM)animus Wrote:  More news out of Memphis. Looks like Memphis is seeking a football only.

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/sports/t...o_Big_East

I read that as the Big East may be looking for a football only member.

If that's what it takes, where do we sign?

Sounds like Memphis is getting close to sticking one foot in the door...only a matter of time before they're all the way in and ND, SH, Depaul, or St. Johns are out if they join as a football only.

(09-15-2009 10:59 PM)animus Wrote:  More news out of Memphis. Looks like Memphis is seeking a football only.

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/sports/t...o_Big_East

(09-15-2009 10:59 PM)animus Wrote:  More news out of Memphis. Looks like Memphis is seeking a football only.

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/sports/t...o_Big_East

this is good stuff, great find Animus :ncaabbs::ncaabbs:

we all know where this is going, the ole 1 foot in the door........
it looks real good for memphis boyz, coming into the beast.
i would have worked for half that to tell them that they need a great fb coach lol
this is real bad for acc bball, this would put the bb beast in a world by itself loll
the trained goose gets pay back, oh how sweet revenge is lollllll

if memphis can use those fedex dollars and get a big name coach like fulmer or tuberville, secure the liberty bowl, and are willing to be football only, it might happen. however their football program is terrible right now (and that's being generous), the past couple of years they wouldn't even win a game in the conference.

This also explains the MWC rumors for a back up plan especially if they go to 12 teams at some point. The MWC will add Boise first if they are needed for the BCS bid qualifying step on the next go around though.

Memphis would give the MWC a good BB program for the NCAA tournament and its credit money along with Utah's success, the Liberty Bowl again, and a new market to exploit in a 12 team conference with a play off game further down the road too.

As for the BE, there are better FB markets with better teams than Memphis for FB only for the BE. I would think that their would be a time table for all sports further down the road and that the Liberty Bowl would have to become an immediate part of the BE bowl package minus ND access for the year ND takes the Champ Bowl for our number 2 and 3 teams. I also don't think that a 17 team BB conference with a single round robin schedule or divisions with cross over games is unfeasible with immediate all sports inclusion at this time either. With Trained Goose in the picture something is definately up though.

Time will tell.

I don't see what Memphis adds as a football only, unless a split is announced shortly after Memphis starts playing Big East football.

(09-16-2009 12:14 AM)USFMike Wrote:  if memphis can use those fedex dollars and get a big name coach like fulmer or tuberville, secure the liberty bowl, and are willing to be football only, it might happen. however their football program is terrible right now (and that's being generous), the past couple of years they wouldn't even win a game in the conference.

Memphis has been to 5 bowl games in the last 6 seasons...not saying we are great but a decent team overall.

With BCS money to recruit with we could be as good and UL or UC. UC was a very average football school prior to the Big East invite.

Memphis would follow the same footprint for success.

Money in the program makes a difference when recruiting against the SEC

(09-15-2009 10:29 PM)BinghamptonNed Wrote:  

(09-15-2009 10:22 PM)Stookey57 Wrote:  so y'all agree they need a new coach? they also need a bb coach.
could they do fb only cause a 17 team bb league is to big?

the new coach, Josh Pastner has the #5 rated recruiting class already in place with more to come, I would say we are pretty happy with him ...

thanx, i missed that some how, good 4 memphis bb then, i take it..

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/200...-for-hire/

interesting take on it

i agree that there are better teams than memphis, but i thing the goose wants to go out in style and adding memphis would scare the hell out of shalala and her lover swofford .

(09-15-2009 10:02 PM)wvucrazed Wrote:  Whatever Memphis does or Mike T. tells them - it isn't going to change the fact that the league considers 17 an impossible number. There is going to have to be some breaking point somehow on that issue for expansion to happen. And even if expansion does happen, there is no guarantee it will be Memphis, although I guess they'd be the favorite.

17 is a bad number for BB, but as some others have pointed out, 18 BB members actually is more logical in some ways than 16. Adding Memphis as an all-sports member and then another large market Catholic school (i.e. St. Louis U) would provide the balance. I'm not sure if a FB-only membership makes that much sense for the BE - Memphis BB, while at risk in the wake of Cal's departure, is it's most nationally-recognized program.

(09-15-2009 10:59 PM)animus Wrote:  More news out of Memphis. Looks like Memphis is seeking a football only.

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/sports/t...o_Big_East

If that is the case, why not just add ECU? They bring a much better football program and add a larger fanbase (since we are talking about football, not basketball).

Also, not sure if anyone else here is aware of it but:

ECU's involvement with Gene Corrigan

East Carolina chancellor William Muse anticipated the possible change in landscape in college athletics that is currently generating the avalanche of speculation about potential conference realignment. That was one reason why he retained former NCAA president and ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan to study the ECU athletics department last year.

One area Corrigan was asked to explore from the Pirates’ standpoint was positioning for a move to what is currently a power conference in terms of the football bowl championship series. That aspect of Corrigan’s study didn’t receive much attention for the obvious reason that ECU didn’t want to jeopardize its standing in Conference USA.

Note: This was back in 2003.


ECU's involvement with Roy Kramer

ECU chancellor William Muse has known Roy Kramer, the original power broker of the Bowl Championship Series, from when Muse was president at Auburn and Kramer was commissioner of the SEC. Muse was president of the SEC his last two years at Auburn before he came to ECU and worked closely with Kramer.

With the Pirates preparing to present themselves in the best possible light to conferences with an automatic berth in the BCS, Muse has enlisted Kramer as a consultant and proactive representative on ECU's behalf.

"He's agreed to work with us to put East Carolina in the best possible situation in terms of conference affiliation," Muse said on Wednesday. "He seems to be very enthusiastic about that and we certainly value his advice and assistance."

Note: This was also back in 2003

I think under NCAA rules Memphis couldn't play Big East Football while a member of the Mountain West for other sports, since the Mountain West sponsors FBS Football. The rules would allow Memphis to be a member of the Missouri Valley for all sports but football and play Big East Football, since the Missouri Valley does not play FBS football. If the MVC does go that route, St. Louis will likely be joining Memphis.

(09-15-2009 10:10 PM)brista21 Wrote:  

(09-15-2009 10:02 PM)wvucrazed Wrote:  Whatever Memphis does or Mike T. tells them - it isn't going to change the fact that the league considers 17 an impossible number. There is going to have to be some breaking point somehow on that issue for expansion to happen. And even if expansion does happen, there is no guarantee it will be Memphis, although I guess they'd be the favorite.

Increasingly I think ECU ends up being the program to get in. They have a football program that is already good, they have a fairly large fanbase built in, they're upgrading and expanding their facilities. They have a built in rivalry with what is arguably our flagship program. They have several good non-rev sports especially baseball. Only their basketball is sub-par but I think they have the type of administration that would use Big East membership to their advantage fairly quickly to rectify that. (Off-topic Side Note: I also think if Hill doesn't do something dramatic this year Pernetti will do something dramatic to rectify the ails of the once proud Rutgers Basketball program.)

Memphis does bring in built in rivalries with UL and Cincy but with so much up in the air there right now I think they're less of a slam dunk than they were say a year ago. UCF is also interesting, but I don't think that they're the Florida program we need to look at just yet. Basically ECU offers the most while providing a midway point between the rest of the Big East and USF. And I think of those schools ECU is the most highly regarded by the schools we'd most want in if the opportunity was ever possible. (Miami, State Penn, Florida State, Va Tech, BC, and Maryland)

Last season ECU had a good football team, but over a larger time period of a decade they haven't been much different than Memphis. They also don't have major financial backing(such as FED EX who can sponsor facilities, bowls, and higher level of tv coverage for BE football games. If the BE were to go to twelve teams for football they might be considered. They don't seem too concerned with improving basketball though which might dilute the likelihood of being included.

(09-16-2009 04:36 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(09-15-2009 10:02 PM)wvucrazed Wrote:  Whatever Memphis does or Mike T. tells them - it isn't going to change the fact that the league considers 17 an impossible number. There is going to have to be some breaking point somehow on that issue for expansion to happen. And even if expansion does happen, there is no guarantee it will be Memphis, although I guess they'd be the favorite.

17 is a bad number for BB, but as some others have pointed out, 18 BB members actually is more logical in some ways than 16. Adding Memphis as an all-sports member and then another large market Catholic school (i.e. St. Louis U) would provide the balance. I'm not sure if a FB-only membership makes that much sense for the BE - Memphis BB, while at risk in the wake of Cal's departure, is it's most nationally-recognized program.

If you go back to comments the new BE commish made when coming in, he stated that convincing members that maintaining a balance wasn't necessary was something he would have to work on--this could mean that they are looking at NOT having an equal number of football vs. basketball teams.