If the SEC took A&M and WVU to get to 14, what do you think would happen to the Big East?

Without WVU, would Pitt bolt?

Would Pitt stay in the Big East and the conference would just add 1-3 teams to make up for the loss?

What happens depends on:

A- How does the loss of WVU affect the contract value of the upcoming deal?

B- Does the SEC move cause the ACC or B1G to move?

C- What schools are being offered where?

(08-30-2011 10:48 AM)Sammy11 Wrote:  What happens depends on:

A- How does the loss of WVU affect the contract value of the upcoming deal?

B- Does the SEC move cause the ACC or B1G to move?

C- What schools are being offered where?

Yes, the circumstances matter. Pitt or anyone else can't just bolt on its own - it has to be invited somewhere that it actually wants to be.

Personally, I don't see any other conferences reacting unless they actually lose a member to the SEC and it will likely be the bare minimum. If the Big 12 loses 2 members, it will get 2 replacements. If the Big 12/ACC/BE lose only 1 member, then they'll only get 1 replacement.

Sammy, it considerably diminishes The BEast. The main eastern rivalry left will be SU-Pitt, which doesn't have nearly the vitriol of the Backyard Brawl...

(08-30-2011 10:53 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Yes, the circumstances matter. Pitt or anyone else can't just bolt on its own - it has to be invited somewhere that it actually wants to be.

We're heard rumblings that Pitt has turned down the Big 12, although there's been no real proof about that. Without WVU as a conference mate, Pitt might feel like they have to take the Big 12 up on that offer, even if they aren't crazy about it.

But yet Frank you got a ton of posters thinking all hell will break if the above happens. I agree with your premise.

Add 1-3 teams

Where would Pitt go? They would have to have a conference that wants them in first place. Maybe the Big 12? Or ACC?

Big East loses anybody and its chaos.

Big East doesn't want to add a CUSA team, its painfully obvious. Without WVU's strong objection to Nova, that might be brought back to the table. Basketball East will remain strong and eventually have their way.

(08-30-2011 10:55 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  Sammy, it considerably diminishes The BEast. The main eastern rivalry left will be SU-Pitt, which doesn't have nearly the vitriol of the Backyard Brawl...

(08-30-2011 10:56 AM)moron Wrote:  

(08-30-2011 10:53 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Yes, the circumstances matter. Pitt or anyone else can't just bolt on its own - it has to be invited somewhere that it actually wants to be.

We're heard rumblings that Pitt has turned down the Big 12, although there's been no real proof about that. Without WVU as a conference mate, Pitt might feel like they have to take the Big 12 up on that offer, even if they aren't crazy about it.

(08-30-2011 11:05 AM)superdeluxe Wrote:  Add 1-3 teams

Where would Pitt go? They would have to have a conference that wants them in first place. Maybe the Big 12? Or ACC?

If all this is the case, I think the Big 12 would probably grab Pitt with at least 1 and maybe 2 or 4 other eastern schools if they thought the money worked. If the BE loses 1 and the B12 offered Pitt, UL, and BYU I think it would be hard to dismiss. BYU joins the south and Pitt/UL to the north or completely new divisions.

Who would Pitt's traveling partner be (for basketball games etc)...in Big 12..Louisville?

Pitt has no where to go, so they stay. BE then adds nova to get back to 9 and are done.

My thought on this....is the BE just added TCU.

I am not saying that losing WVU would not be bad....but it wouldn't be as bad as we would be if we didn't have TCU in the mix.

From a football standpoint....both teams are similar. Sure WVU has more tradition and a bigger fanbase but if you put the last 5 seasons worth of TCU versus WVU on the field together......I doubt the outcome would be one sided either way. National perception wise TCU probably has an edge due to the Bill Stewart era at WVU.

Now if Gary Patterson left....then all bets are off.

I think the Big East would survive without WVU by adding teams. It survived well before we were ever accepted as a member.



Would the loss of WVU significantly effect the size of the television contract for the remaining teams? It depends who you ask....if television markets are as important as some people say, then the Big East will still get the huge deal without WVU. The lack of a strong television market for WVU has been well documented by the board experts. Therefore, it should have a minimal effect on the final numbers. Perhaps the addition of Villanova, with its strong Philadelphia market, would make the numbers even better.



Forgive me of course if I have my doubts.

chaos including pitt departure.

The only single loss that would dramatically alter the Big East would be losing Syracuse. Not because of what Cuse is on the field/court but because they are the bond that holds the football and basketball schools together.

A WVU loss would not impact the TV deal all that much or set the conference back years. They can be replaced by East Carolina in a much more appealing state for television and recruits.

Would the Big East be better without WVU? Absolutely not but the conference has survived much worse.

I would think they add 1-3 teams while other members secretly pimp themselves to the ACC and Big 12. Three years from now the Big East would just be a C-USA graduate conference.

If you're worried about losing Syracuse, then root for WVU to go to the SEC and not VT or FSU or whoever. Syracuse woulda been invited to the ACC last time if not for UVa. Still either way if you lose one or the other, it's simple, add Houston or UCF or both or settle for Nova. Maybe if Cuse is the one that goes then the BE might split. If it's WVU, they'd surely say w/ bball schools.

(08-30-2011 11:12 AM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  Big East loses anybody and its chaos.

Big East doesn't want to add a CUSA team, its painfully obvious. Without WVU's strong objection to Nova, that might be brought back to the table. Basketball East will remain strong and eventually have their way.

not necessarily-I think the BE could lose UConn, Louisville, and Cincinnati, at least on the football side. Rutgers would hurt much more due to the fact that a lot of BE schools get students from New Jersey and have alumni in that area.

I think USF is the real up and coming football program in the BE and would hurt the conference if they left. They're in one of the top two states for football; Miami is going to take a serious hit sooner or later and recruits that would have gone to Miami are going to be in play and some of those could easily end up at USF They could really start contending with UF and FSU.

ECU could be a strong replacement. They're a WVU type blue collar school with strong fan support. They're attempting to improve their program and if they started winning constantly, they could become the next TCU. If they started winning, they could certainly get some bandwagon fans since good college football is pretty much nonexistent in North Carolina.

UCF could be equally as successful if they're able to get some decent recruits and keep on winning.

I think that SMU would be a good addition to the BE as well. They could be a travel partner for TCU and are a natural rival for them as well.

Memphis would be a decent addition on the basketball side but currently offer little if anything on the football side.

(08-30-2011 02:02 PM)snowycuse Wrote:  The only single loss that would dramatically alter the Big East would be losing Syracuse. Not because of what Cuse is on the field/court but because they are the bond that holds the football and basketball schools together.

A WVU loss would not impact the TV deal all that much or set the conference back years. They can be replaced by East Carolina in a much more appealing state for television and recruits.

Would the Big East be better without WVU? Absolutely not but the conference has survived much worse.

If ECU is such a great choice to replace WVU (the only BEast school that's nationally respected in football at present), why isn't ECU already a conference member? Answer me that...

Don't bother. I was being facetious. You like to make stupid statements with no basis in fact...

My vote: Stick together.

Reality: OMFG