The conference realignment situation is so volatile that no one knows how things will be 5 years from now.

Let's suppose that the following happens in 5 years or so. I think the odds are against it, but it is not at all out of the question.

1-The Big East basketball teams split off and form their own conference. As we all know, a lot of observers feel this is probable.

2-The Big East football teams get off to a rocky start in the next few years. Maybe one or two do well, but as a whole the performance is disappointing and some bowl contracts are not fulfilled. The conference loses its automatic qualification for BCS Bowls.

If these two things happen, what would Cincinnati and Louisville fans want to do?

Let's say these schools do well in Big East basketball and develop good rivalries. Would they want to follow the Big East basketball teams who split off and seek other football possibilities? Would they hang in there with West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, South Florida, etc.? Would you seek to add other schools that strengthen football?

I'm not looking for responses that deny this could ever happen. You may be right. But what if it did happen?

It's a no-brainer to stay with the football schools because you need a home for your football programs. You can't just drop the programs.

assuming that the main core of wvu and pitt just had a bad stretch and were improving, i say we continue on as we were. as cat's claw said, we can't just drop the football programs and join the non-football schools.

should that split happen, i would think that at least two schools would join in, two schools that would help the bcs situation. what those two schools would be, i really don't know.

I'm not saying you drop football. One possibility would be to play football and basketball in different conferences. Another possibility would be to move entirely to another conference. And of course there's the possibility you've already mentioned, to stay where you are with the other Big East schools who are in for both football and basketball.

It is not up to us, but I would want to stay with the core Big East Schools and maybe add a few more Upper South, Mid West or Florida as well as atleast one more Northeastern Football schools to strengthen it. Maybe add 4 out of a pool of Memphis, Army, Navy,( Villanova, UMass, if they can get to D1A by then) Marshall, Miami of Ohio, Toledo, ECU, and UCF to Louisville, West Virginia, Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers,South Florida, Cincy,UConn. Actually that would weaken the overall produce but it would be hard to ignore that many eastern schools it would be better than the CUSA league considering we probably would be drawing 2 of their top four team. And same with the MAC, so there is no one that would beable to take away the BCS bid other than another conference that already has a bid. In that case the majority of colleges would be left outside looking in and we could take a case to Congress and destroy the BCS.

I think we would stay in the all-sports Big East. Even in the doomsday scenario you offered, I still like the competitive look of that conference for the long term.

Where would we go? I beleive we are commit to the Big East unless we were offered Big 10, ACC or SEC membership, and the we might still stay in the Big East.

Santa Fe Falcon Wrote:I'm not saying you drop football. One possibility would be to play football and basketball in different conferences. Another possibility would be to move entirely to another conference. And of course there's the possibility you've already mentioned, to stay where you are with the other Big East schools who are in for both football and basketball.

What other conference could you put the football programs in? I doubt the remaining Big East football schools would accept our football schools only. Besides, if the Big East loses their BCS bid then the BCS is on the way to dying anyway so it would be a moot point. As someone mentioned, it would give the non-BCS the majority along with the support of a power conference like the Big East conference.

I really wish this expansion/split talk would just stop!!!we have not even played a sport in the big east yet!! Cant we all just enjoy it while we can? This is going to be a great inagural season for the new big east. Football is gonna be very interesting, Can Louisville domonate the BEAST like they did CUSA last year? In basketball can we send 9 Teams to the NCAA tourney? Lets forget about a possible split in 4 years, or adding Navy, Villanova, army, or memphis, or joining other conferences. Look forward to what we have now!!!!! please!

What would you do if in five years welose half the global ice cap and Texas is under water? What state will you live in then? Since Santa Fe can only be reached by scuba gear, what school will you pull for?

This scenario is at least as likely as the one you described and probably far more likely.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Yuleofell Wrote:What would you do if in five years welose half the global ice cap and Texas is under water? What state will you live in then? Since Santa Fe can only be reached by scuba gear, what school will you pull for?

This scenario is at least as likely as the one you described and probably far more likely.

One thing is for sure, with your scenerio half of C-USA would be gone.

Cat's_Claw Wrote:

Yuleofell Wrote:What would you do if in five years welose half the global ice cap and Texas is under water? What state will you live in then? Since Santa Fe can only be reached by scuba gear, what school will you pull for?

This scenario is at least as likely as the one you described and probably far more likely.

One thing is for sure, with your scenerio half of C-USA would be gone.

Yeah, the bad half. :laugh:

No doubt you stay with the football schools, as far as the basketball the other schools can go. With Cinci, UL, Pitt, Uconn that is enough power. If we added Memphis that is more than enough.

I have a superb idea.

Just forget about expansion talk or dissolution talk and concentrate on putting competitive teams on the field. If we do that, the rest will take care of itself.

This talk about expansion and/or dissolution has become obsessive. Please stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh! I forgot! You cannot stop because it's become an obsession. Oh, well.
:bang:

Bambu Wrote:

Cat's_Claw Wrote:

Yuleofell Wrote:What would you do if in five years welose half the global ice cap and Texas is under water? What state will you live in then? Since Santa Fe can only be reached by scuba gear, what school will you pull for?

This scenario is at least as likely as the one you described and probably far more likely.

One thing is for sure, with your scenerio half of C-USA would be gone.

Yeah, the bad half. :laugh:

LOL!

Bearcatattack! Wrote:No doubt you stay with the football schools, as far as the basketball the other schools can go. With Cinci, UL, Pitt, Uconn that is enough power. If we added Memphis that is more than enough.

It seems like you missed someone.

Now who could that be?

Bearcatattack! Wrote:No doubt you stay with the football schools, as far as the basketball the other schools can go. With Cinci, UL, Pitt, Uconn that is enough power. If we added Memphis that is more than enough.

Exactly. The most powerful basketball schools in the BE are the ones who also play football.

Yeah, as fun, or annoying, as these expansion talks are ... both the BE and C-USA need to make the best of the situations right now. Everything else will work itself out down the road.

As far as the bad half comment goes ... you aren't kidding!!!! Not a down has been played in the new C-USA yet and I can already tell you that the East teams have very little in common with the West teams. It should be interesting to say the least.

I look forward to this year in the Big East too, to see how things shake out, and see how Louisville's first trip up here to Morgantown goes too! Should be a fun game. People up here are already talking about that one!

Now the REAL question is ...
............... what would you do if a bottle of beer was really never ending?

Probably a lot of this ....