The Big East isn't likely to make drastic change right now to four teams if you think about it. If four BCS programs were available yes. None right now? No.

Since the realignment hasn't shut down completely elsewhere, the Big East doesn't (or might not) know if they are losing members and how many, and/or who might be available from other leagues.

If they are really going to add teams in the next couple of days/weeks then it is either to:

Replace teams that are leaving or add markets for the BEN or make scheduling less of a challenge for the Big East football schools as other leagues get bigger.

Another thing to remember is Marinatto's comments. He stated they would look at twenty basketball teams NOT 12 football teams. If two teams are added on the football side and two on the basketball side, that will make a twenty team Big East for basketball and maintain the balance. They talked about a different type of scheduling arrangement for bb also, so it is possible that arrangement is what would transpire rather than an all out split or even minor one.

The safe bet is that two football and two basketball schools would be added.

He stated they would look at twenty basketball teams NOT 12 football teams.

Again, people are twisting his words. He never said that they would look at 20 basketball teams but not 12 football teams. He said that the league could evolve into 20 teams, meaning we could expand football. He also specifically said that we had a provision put into place that would allow us to expand to 12 football teams (The Big 12 schools) and, thus, have a 20 team league. We would just happen to have 20 basketball teams, but we would also have 12 football teams.

Here are his exact words:

http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2010/...leftovers/

To expand, the Big East already has in place a contingency in league by-laws to add other teams, Marinatto said last month.

"When we reconstituted [in 2005] we had the foresight to provide a provision in our constitution to allow for that [expansion]," Marinatto told FanHouse last month. "So if that school [or schools] became available we would do it tomorrow. It would take five minutes."

In April, Marinatto also told FanHouse the Big East's 16-team basketball league could evolve into a 20-team league. They could split into four pods of five teams or two 10-team divisions.

"You look under every rock," Marinatto told FanHouse in April. "There have been no formal [expansion] discussions with anyone. But, I've thought a lot about it."

The league source said making what's already the nation's largest basketball conference even bigger would not be an obstacle to adding Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State.

"We'd have to look at them if they fell in our lap," the source said. "You can have 50 teams in basketball [in the conference]. It doesn't matter. That's why they have the NCAA tournament.

"I don't see any real downside [to adding the four Big 12 schools]."

He NEVER said he would look at 20 basketball teams. His point was, if it took going to 20 basketball teams to get to 12 football teams we would be willing to, and have the ability, to do it without having to go through all of the hassle of votes. It's also obvious from his comments that we don't need to add basketball schools to balance out the football schools.

This gets really old.

He DID in fact state 20 basketball teams

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/i...de-the-box

QUOTE:

Marinatto, speaking from the BCS meetings in Arizona where Big Ten expansion has been a red-hot topic, said it's even possible the Big East could grow past its 16-team alignment in basketball.

“Who is to say we couldn’t go to 20 teams in basketball, but not have one 20-team league, but a league with pods of four or five teams?’’ said Marinatto. “You have to think strategic alliances -- what strategic alliances could we create?

you are referencing a rehash of his comments, not what he actually said as quoted above.

The other comments came much later in regards to the possibility that 4 former Big XII teams --BCS teams that would have made the league stronger at 12-- were availabe. They aren't any longer.

Marinatto referenced having 20 bb schools, never said anything about having 12 football schools at that time as I stated. This likely means he was thinking a couple of football and matching number of bb schools at the time. The Big XII possibility came and went later on.

(06-17-2010 09:11 AM)buckaineer Wrote:  This gets really old.

He DID in fact state 20 basketball teams

Buckaineer, he did say 20 basketball teams. But further while you keep saying he didn't say 12 football teams at the time (not true btw, nowhere did he say anything about 10 basketball only schools. So if you are going to say that by not specifically saying 12 football schools (in that exact quote), you can't count it, since no has has EVER said anything about ten basketball schools. You can;t have it both ways, Junior.

Wow...this whole arguement boils down to interpreting a 6-word phrase. When I read "go to 20 teams in basketball" that does not give any clue as to the make up of the 20 teams. It could be 12 that play Big East Football and 8 that don't...or, it could be a 10/10 blend, similar to what's being used now. The quote itself doesn't give enough detail for anyone to definitively say one way or the other what he meant. It seems people are trying to read between the lines and coming up with different answers.

You're clearly missing the point and twisting his words he said that we would go to 20 basketball teans to accomodate football, he was clearly referring to possibly adding the four Big 12 schools. He NEVER said anything about 10 basket-only schools you said that. He clearly talked about provisions that would allow us to expand football without with adding basketball-only. You need to read the article carefully.

(06-17-2010 10:31 AM)99Tiger Wrote:  Wow...this whole arguement boils down to interpreting a 6-word phrase. When I read "go to 20 teams in basketball" that does not give any clue as to the make up of the 20 teams. It could be 12 that play Big East Football and 8 that don't...or, it could be a 10/10 blend, similar to what's being used now. The quote itself doesn't give enough detail for anyone to definitively say one way or the other what he meant. It seems people are trying to read between the lines and coming up with different answers.

Why is it so hard for people to READ THE ARTICLE! He not so subtly refers to adding the four Big 12 schools. Why would he need special expansion provisions to add football and basketball schools? You don't have to read between the lines the facts are right there in front of you.

There's really no point in debating an already vague statement. Jeez, how bored are you people?

Mr. "Evil Monkey" Adcorbett, would you mind altering your sig as to not slam Buckaineer every time you post? That goes for everyone else doing so.

(06-17-2010 11:00 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  Mr. "Evil Monkey" Adcorbett, would you mind altering your sig as to not slam Buckaineer every time you post?

Well, where is the fun in that? It is just a simple question that if answered would stop him from posting half of the threads he does?

(06-17-2010 10:51 AM)CatsClaw Wrote:  You're clearly missing the point and twisting his words he said that we would go to 20 basketball teans to accomodate football, he was clearly referring to possibly adding the four Big 12 schools. He NEVER said anything about 10 basket-only schools you said that. He clearly talked about provisions that would allow us to expand football without with adding basketball-only. You need to read the article carefully.

No, it is you who is clearly missing the point. When Marinatto said the words about basketball it was long before there was any thought about the Big XII breaking up or those schools being available. He spoke about this quite awhile back when Tagliabue was introduced and they began discussing what ideas they might have for the league.

(06-17-2010 10:54 AM)CatsClaw Wrote:  

(06-17-2010 10:31 AM)99Tiger Wrote:  Wow...this whole arguement boils down to interpreting a 6-word phrase. When I read "go to 20 teams in basketball" that does not give any clue as to the make up of the 20 teams. It could be 12 that play Big East Football and 8 that don't...or, it could be a 10/10 blend, similar to what's being used now. The quote itself doesn't give enough detail for anyone to definitively say one way or the other what he meant. It seems people are trying to read between the lines and coming up with different answers.

Why is it so hard for people to READ THE ARTICLE! He not so subtly refers to adding the four Big 12 schools. Why would he need special expansion provisions to add football and basketball schools? You don't have to read between the lines the facts are right there in front of you.

Again, the article you refer to is a more recent article combining several different things with their statements on the recent Big XII. What I referred to was the conference comissioners comments when he brought Tagliabue on board--long before any Big XII teams were even in play.

(06-17-2010 11:48 AM)buckaineer Wrote:  No, it is you who is clearly missing the point. When Marinatto said the words about basketball it was long before there was any thought about the Big XII breaking up or those schools being available. He spoke about this quite awhile back when Tagliabue was introduced and they began discussing what ideas they might have for the league.

As I mentione dbefore, even you claim he wasn;t talking about 12 football teams because he had not mentioned it, then that would also mean he was not talking about 10 basketball-only teams because he never mentioned it. You are clearly missing the point.