(08-31-2011 10:34 PM)OrangeCrush22 Wrote:  He is doing his job just fine protecting the interests of ALL the schools in the conference. Even if we don't like it he is doing his job. Though I really wish the football schools would just split already. The best basketball schools in the conference play football, Syracuse, Louisville, UConn, etc..

The basketball schools would be able to poach some A-10 teams and be a pretty darn good conference. Seems like a win-win to me.

The problem with the BE is the biggest markets are represented by schools that focus on the wrong sport. Because of this, many schools are hesitant to split the conference because the sum may actually be greater than if you split the FB part from the BB only part. If the FB schools were located in the biggest markets, then we would not have a hybrid conference and most likely the BE beats the ACC to the punch in the race to 12. Most likely, the BE FB conference of 2011 would look like: Pitt, WVU, Syracuse, Rutgers, BC, VT, Miami, FSU, Clemson, GT, UCONN and Louisville. If I reconnect the dots correctly, back in 2003 the plan was to kick Temple out of the BE and replace them with Louisville. UCONN was making the jump to FBS regardless.

(08-31-2011 10:00 AM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  

What am I suppose to say, again?

Quote:John Marinatto says the Big East Conference is upside down.

What does that mean?
Link This guy is clueless.

OU is rumbling things like, "we are not just going to sit around waiting".

I never brought the markets argument.

Nova is in Philly but their BB attendance is below the BE average. St. Johns is rising in NYC.But there's a good chance SYR UCONN and Rutgers can reach just as deeply into NYC for television. But I must admit. St. Johns could be a prince in NYC more than any other for BB. Gtown gets you DC and then you have the Chicago market. And whether we have those markets, I understand the importance of just saying we are represented in them for television. But you also have Providence and Seton Hall, markets we don't need. Providence is getting rich off the BE BTW. Adding TCU and Dallas or UCF and Orlando and I think we're still fine. We can even consider Temple for a much bigger reach in Philly- public school three times the size of Nova.

Outside of FSU in the ACC, I think only Maryland and BC would be of interest to the BE. Most of those schools are failing in their own markets. If the ACC disbanded tomorrow, I don't think too many of their schools would be on anybodys pick up list for markets- out side of FSU and Duke and UNC for BB only. Ga. Tecn is good in Atlanta and AAU so I don't think the looking at the BE.

This is the way I'd like to see the "Catdaddy plan" shake out:

BB/FB balanced

Connecticut
Rutgers
Syracuse
Boston Coll.
Maryland
Wake Forest
Duke
North Carolina
Virginia
+ ND/non-FB

Mainly FB

Cincinnati
Louisville
Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Virginia Tech
N.C. State

Clemson
Miami (FL)
South Florida
Georgia Tech
Florida St.
TCU

I actually think, with a 35K FB stadium, we'd probably fit the other league better, but all our biggest rivals (UL, Pitt, WVU, USF,...) are in the FB-centered league. Maybe they'd let us use PBS more often...

But, keeping the BE together is my top wish.

I could live with that, beej. Although I'm not sure Rutgers fits where you have them placed. I'd swap Rutgers and Miami, since Miami is an anathema to themselves, and everyone around them...

I am not sure the Big East isnt in a better position than the ACC. The Big East is a basketball first conference. Yes, we have football playing members, but collectively they do not have the power to change the conference alignment. The deal with Notre Dame was a poor fix and I would boot them out if they refused to be an all sports member. With the college landscape changing it would be harder for them as an Independent. The ACC is very similar to the Big East only worse. They are driven by NC and Duke...both are terrible to average in football. They alone will never support a change unless it directly adds benefit to them. The Big East should be proactive and expand. They should eliminate the dead weight from the conference in Depaul, give ND the ultimatum, add Duke and North Carolina to the most powerful basketball conference in America. Then expand adding Maryland, BC, VT.

Yes there would be shuffling with the basketball scheduling but suddenly the football schools would have more of a "bite"

(08-31-2011 11:29 PM)purple pain Wrote:  

(08-31-2011 10:00 AM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  

What am I suppose to say, again?

Quote:John Marinatto says the Big East Conference is upside down.

What does that mean?
Link This guy is clueless.

OU is rumbling things like, "we are not just going to sit around waiting".

I would expect them to move. Especially if the SEC expands to 16. Texas A&M, Oklahoma in the West and West Virginia and VT in the East.

(08-31-2011 02:40 PM)Lonestar Lizard Wrote:  I am not sure that I understand completely how the Big East works. Since my school is just recently invited to join and, in fact, not even a member yet, it would be foolish and even ungrateful for me to say anything negative about our commisssioner. I will say though, that it appears that now is the time for some very strong, smart and aggressive leadership from someone. If the conference doesn't get that kind of leadership then the BE could be poached into the NCAA history books.

The only problem for Marinatto is that it is too early to act. The Big East will probably have to go to 12 football teams by November 2012 for the next TV negotiations. Its still too far off to start poaching teams plus a lot of things could go against the Big East if a lot of dominos start falling. On the other hand the Big East may be opportunistic if things fall apart in the Big XII or ACC.

(08-31-2011 09:14 PM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  

(08-31-2011 06:29 PM)catdaddy_2402 Wrote:  

(08-31-2011 01:25 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  

(08-31-2011 12:02 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  The BEast's focus on basketball, at the expense of football, is why the conference is so unstable. It's also the reason for the dissatisfaction among the 2 main football schools in the conference - Pitt and WVU...

There are some who would make the same complaint about the ACC...

They would be correct too.

In a perfect world the two conferences would get together and let the football first programs from both join together and let the basketball firsts from the other join together and both go on their merry way.

The problem with that is the ACC schools are apparently much more happy in their spot than some of the BE schools. So they're not the ones that are going to go with that change.

I mean, they're making far less TV money than anyone (but us), yet none of them seem to want to leave.

We'll see how happy some of the ACC schools are if the dominos fall against them such as the SEC poaching 1 or 3 teams from them to balance out the addition of Texas A&M.

(08-31-2011 08:35 PM)Ottoman Wrote:  

(08-31-2011 06:29 PM)catdaddy_2402 Wrote:  

(08-31-2011 01:25 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  

(08-31-2011 12:02 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  The BEast's focus on basketball, at the expense of football, is why the conference is so unstable. It's also the reason for the dissatisfaction among the 2 main football schools in the conference - Pitt and WVU...

There are some who would make the same complaint about the ACC...

They would be correct too.

In a perfect world the two conferences would get together and let the football first programs from both join together and let the basketball firsts from the other join together and both go on their merry way.

This is where the BE wil fail on the doorstep of success. Yea we have the best basketball but you have to ask if it would still be the best without the BB schools and the answer is yes.

Who is he kidding. Marinatto is protecting Providence, Gtown, Nova, Seton Hall. Four FB schools are ranked in the top 25. So without the the BB schools, half the FB schools would be ranked. Louisvelle and SYracuse are two of the top three in BB attendance. UCONN hunting for a fourth title since 1999 and UCOnn women- well you know.

This is where the BB interests hurt us. Without SYr, Uconn, Louisville, etc, Providence would be dead- nobody. But we are addressing those concerns as well as NOVA in football. Why? Just plain dumb.

But ths is no longer something you can blame on Marinatto. If the Fb AD's and Presidents don't take control of their own futures-- they are at fault. If the whole world can figure this out, there's no reason the FB schools can't plan to rectify the situation. BE BB is great even without the BB schools.

Marinatto earlier said FB drives the train. But now the BB schools have been in his ear and he's confused again.

In some ways having the Big East basketball schools around are helpful for the next TV deal as well as the BEN (Big East Network).
With the BEN it is going to be important to get on the cable TV packages. If it takes having St. John's around in addition to Syracuse, Rutgers and UConn to get on the cable package in New York City then so be it. Its going to add more revenue to the conference as a cable channel such as the BEN will get money from people whether they watch the channel or not. The cable companies will just force it on the subscribers. Say the BEN gets $0.25 /per month per subscriber, in New York City say there are 3 million subscribers, that works out to $0.25 X 12 months X 3,000,000 = $9 million for a year. The numbers will start to get big if you are on enough cable packages in the cities in the Big East region.

(08-31-2011 08:51 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  But Syracuse isn't a football first school. Their main sport is basketball. Syracuse values its rivalry with Georgetown more than any other rivalry...

Syracuse, as well as UConn, have already made it clear that football drives the bus and that has helped to keep the basketball schools at bay. ND also knows they need a strong conference affiliation and they are working behind the scenes to keep the Big East together. As to Georgetown being Syracuse only rival, screw them, we just hate them, and that is more due to John Thomson of old, not the new one. (Ironically, JB and JT are friends)

No split is necessary. TV wants the whole package (maybe a school or two may be bought off to leave - Seton Hall).

Have we heard from Marinatto at all since his meeting with Beebe and Swofford? I'm sure he's just busy diligently working to save the conference...

John Marinatto has his head in the sand!

I swear this expansion stuff is like playing the lottery. It is fun to dream, even though you kinda know in the back of your head that most everyone is really losing.... Honestly are we really not going to have a Texas centered MidWestern Conference in a couple years? Could we get picked apart and there not be an AQ conference situated in the Northeastern Quarter? Say the Big1G picks up KU, KSU, are they taking SU and Rutgers next? Or can we hold ourselves together on the hopes of the tv cash cow we could get from NBC and ESPN cat fights. The permutations are endless. It is additive...
Same thing with the commish. Is he really standing around ready to get dismantled or is he behind the scenes ready to pull a rope a dope leaving us victors in the fight....

Well, if this expansion thing is a lottery, Jackie Sherrill is the winner...

Texas A&M could be latest domino to fall in conference shuffles

Quote:Jackie Sherrill finally has his 'I told you so' moment with college football fans.

In a strange twist, one of Sherrill's former programs is sending shockwaves through the sport with news he has been convinced for a long time would happen.

The news came Wednesday, when Texas A&M announced it would leave the Big 12 Conference by July 2012 if it can find another home, preferably in the Southeastern Conference.

"I'm 100 percent sure it's going to happen, and I've felt this way for going on two decades," Sherrill said in a phone interview Aug. 16.

More than 20 years ago at a television studio in Houston, the former Mississippi State and Texas A&M coach, stood in front of a map and looked into the future landscape of college football.

"I took every major program that are nowadays referred to as the Bowl Championship Series schools and put them all in four leagues," Sherrill said. "As I'm presenting this and moving teams around, I could see people's eyes widening, and some I'm sure thought I was crazy."