Every other conference can choose and invite teams in record time. Noooo, not the BE. The take a month of teleconferences just to discuss having a discussion about expansion. Meanwhile, everything is crashing around them and yet they continue to move at a snails pace. WHY??? We know UCF, SMU, and Houston will be invited and will accept in 5 seconds. What is the hold up. You have alread leaked it to the world that these teams will be invited. What's the problem. Did the B12 sit around on their hands waiting to invite TCU? Do you think they will sit around if Mizzou leaves. Why do you think the BE can't pull the trigger.

You're right. The Big East seems to have a track record for being slow and reactionary...

Physics...

My understanding is that Houston does in fact have an "invite" in hand. The invite is not "official" until we decide to accept. In other words, they don't issue an official invitation until we tell them we will accept. But they have given us the terms and asked us to accept. The news reports were not false. I believe UCF and SMU probably do too, but they were better at keeping a secret. I have heard from some insiders that Houston is currently evaluating whether or not we will accept. Although I'm in favor of accepting as soon as possible, our administration apparently has decided to wait a few days. There is a board of regents meeting scheduled for Friday, but there is presently not an item on the agenda for conference realignment, so you may not get an answer. They want to wait and see how the Big 12 plays out. Despite the media coverage, our administration still believes we are in play for a possible Big 12 invite if they go to 12. Although it is a long shot, there are schools in the B12 that support us to keep the Houston recruiting exposure. The other reason is they prefer to wait and make sure the BE will survive. If just one team leaves, we will most certainly join. If 3 BE teams leave, it gets dicey. My guess is that we will accept within the next week...two at most.

(10-19-2011 11:08 PM)chrisharper80 Wrote:  My understanding is that Houston does in fact have an "invite" in hand. The invite is not "official" until we decide to accept. In other words, they don't issue an official invitation until we tell them we will accept. But they have given us the terms and asked us to accept. The news reports were not false. I believe UCF and SMU probably do too, but they were better at keeping a secret. I have heard from some insiders that Houston is currently evaluating whether or not we will accept. Although I'm in favor of accepting as soon as possible, our administration apparently has decided to wait a few days. There is a board of regents meeting scheduled for Friday, but there is presently not an item on the agenda for conference realignment, so you may not get an answer. They want to wait and see how the Big 12 plays out. Despite the media coverage, our administration still believes we are in play for a possible Big 12 invite if they go to 12. Although it is a long shot, there are schools in the B12 that support us to keep the Houston recruiting exposure. The other reason is they prefer to wait and make sure the BE will survive. If just one team leaves, we will most certainly join. If 3 BE teams leave, it gets dicey. My guess is that we will accept within the next week...two at most.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ That contradicts what most insiders are saying, which is that UH, UCF, SMU, and BSU, are committed regardless..

My guess is that it's somewhere in the middle. I highly doubt Houston is waiting on the Big 12. The reason being is simply that the others haven't announced yet and they aren't Big 12 considerations.

There is a greater Big East agenda at work here that will tie it all together at a certain time.. I think the support that we're hearing from Notre Dame lately is part of the mechanism that's been part of that process, and once everything else is lined up (with the academies, etc) then it'll start to hit the fan.

If Houston, SMU or UCF had an actual invitation it would be accepted in a New York Minute.

I read awhile back that nothing expansion related would happen untill after bball media day because the league didn't want to take the spotlight away from the kids.

Jackson

Actually it is likely UH is waiting to see what happens in the B12. There is a groundswell of political support in Texas for UH's inclusion in the B12...even more since TCU was offered.

I loathe the possibility of going to the B12. It will leave us in the same state as before in the next five years. But it is a reality.

(10-19-2011 09:40 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  Every other conference can choose and invite teams in record time. Noooo, not the BE. The take a month of teleconferences just to discuss having a discussion about expansion. Meanwhile, everything is crashing around them and yet they continue to move at a snails pace. WHY??? We know UCF, SMU, and Houston will be invited and will accept in 5 seconds. What is the hold up. You have alread leaked it to the world that these teams will be invited. What's the problem. Did the B12 sit around on their hands waiting to invite TCU? Do you think they will sit around if Mizzou leaves. Why do you think the BE can't pull the trigger.

Because at their lunch meetings, they splurge on good ketchup.

(10-19-2011 09:40 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  Every other conference can choose and invite teams in record time. Noooo, not the BE. The take a month of teleconferences just to discuss having a discussion about expansion. Meanwhile, everything is crashing around them and yet they continue to move at a snails pace. WHY??? We know UCF, SMU, and Houston will be invited and will accept in 5 seconds. What is the hold up. You have alread leaked it to the world that these teams will be invited. What's the problem. Did the B12 sit around on their hands waiting to invite TCU? Do you think they will sit around if Mizzou leaves. Why do you think the BE can't pull the trigger.

Because of the hybrid structure and two very different directions of the basketball schools and Notre Dame versus the football schools. Its that simple.

(10-20-2011 05:50 AM)Jackson1011 Wrote:  I read awhile back that nothing expansion related would happen untill after bball media day because the league didn't want to take the spotlight away from the kids.

Jackson, I think that was a face saving measure, because there's little The BEast can do until all the other conferences act. As low man on the totem pole, we get the last pickings for everything...

To quote Mike Leach using his spin on The Chicken and the Pig fable:

"It's a little like breakfast; you eat ham and eggs. As coaches and players, we're like the ham. You see, the chicken's involved but the pig's committed. We're like the pig, [the officials are] like the chicken. They're involved, but everything we have rides on this."

In the case of the Big East, the football schools, believe or not, are the chicken. Maybe they'll stay. Maybe they won't. Obviously, they need to make moves, but those moves might not necessarily be for the Big East.

The Catholic schools, though, are the pig. They are truly committed to any all-sports invites because if any current football members leave, they're the ones that are stuck behind with the newbies.

So, if you put yourself in the reasonable position of the president of a Catholic school, why would you allow for all-sports invites of schools that you wouldn't really associate with but for the current football members, and some of those current football members might be out the door? Until they have 110% knowledge of where Louisville and West Virginia are going to do, as they'd leave for the Big 12 if invited regardless of what the Big East does, the Catholic schools reasonably aren't going to make moves that they'd only agree to if they knew Louisville and West Virginia were staying.

This is why you're seeing a mix of potential invites for football-onlies and the all-sports invitees are ones located in major markets which the Catholic schools would theoretically be fine with if further current football members leave. Regardless, no one should expect much of anything official until Missouri makes its own intentions official. It should be clear to anyone with half of a brain that they're heading to the SEC, so any plan(s) should be assuming all of the potential fallout from that.

I've been advocating letting the pigs wallow in their own slop - without the football schools - since 1991, for all the good that's done me...

(10-20-2011 12:48 AM)BigEastHomer Wrote:  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ That contradicts what most insiders are saying, which is that UH, UCF, SMU, and BSU, are committed regardless..

My guess is that it's somewhere in the middle. I highly doubt Houston is waiting on the Big 12. The reason being is simply that the others haven't announced yet and they aren't Big 12 considerations.

There is a greater Big East agenda at work here that will tie it all together at a certain time.. I think the support that we're hearing from Notre Dame lately is part of the mechanism that's been part of that process, and once everything else is lined up (with the academies, etc) then it'll start to hit the fan.

I think you have a good handle on things. But Houston is making a big political push right now. It's fairly under the radar, but it's there. The Houston Alumni association started a coordinated campaign for the BCS last week with the help of UH Alum Jim Nantz.

The Big East invite was leaked to Mark Berman and Sam Khan. Berman is the most respected sports journalist in Houston. All stories from UH seem to break with Berman because he has a very good relationship with the ADs office. Khan is the UH beat writer for the Houston Chronicle. Since Berman and Khan broke the story, my belief is that it was an intentional leak on the part of Houston.

It is an effort to put political pressure on Texas. There are 2 reasons for this...first, to let the Big 12 schools know that they will have even more recruiting competition from an AQ school in Houston. This attempt to get added to the Big 12 is a long shot.

Second, but more importantly, they are trying to put political pressure on Texas NOT to raid the BE. It's one thing for Texas not to invite Houston and claim we don't add anything. It's a completely different thing for them to destroy the AQ conference we just got an invite to. Out of every Texas university, Houston has the second highest number of state legislators as alumni presently...second only to UT. If we get an invite to the Big East and Texas immediately destroys the conference, it will get ugly. Our people may not have the power to actually do anything, but it will draw a lot of negative attention. The Aggies are already up in arms at Texas right now for their refusal to continue the rivalry game...so Texas can hardly afford to make bad political decisions at this time. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if this was a coordinated effort from some factions of the Big East to thwart a raid. But maybe I'm giving the BE too much credit here.

As long as Houston has some assurance of BE stability, it's a no brainer to join. They have scheduled a special Board of Regents meeting tomorrow. There will most certainly be some discussion in the executive session. I don't know if they can take action or not, since they didn't list conference realignment on the agenda. We'll see what happens.

Interesting discussion here... I want Houston to join the Big East, but if it meant Houston to the Big 12 stopped any teams of the original 6 from leaving it may be a good deal for all now. We have Temple as first back up I guess???? I think the Basketball media day slowed things down too.. maybe we can expect something Friday when we have two national TV games that ratings would rise if there were Big East news breaking etc..

The only thing slow is release of information, I'm sure they are moving like their hair is on fire trying to keep teams in and get the other teams to agree before saying anything. On the UH site someone said UH is supposed to have announcement next Wed about the new stadium and conference, I have no idea if his source is correct but would seem to fit the time line of meetings.

Things are going slow because they are inviting the wrong teams which means everything has to fall in place perfectly for expansion to work.

Temple, ECU, and UCF are teams that would join and fit the footprint regardless of whether or not WVU, Louisville, and Cincy leave the conference for parts unknown. But the conference is instead waiting for the Service Academies as they have for the last decade and will not let Boise St, SMU, Houston join unless they come in together with Air Force who, like Navy, is waiting to see whether or not WVU, Louisville, and Cincy leave. Big East is a dog chasing its own tale and that is because they are expanding for the BCS as opposed to expanding to strenghten the conference for decades to come.

I agree that it is a tremendous shame that ECU is not included at this point. I am still holding out hope that they are included. I think there is a very good chance with all the moving pieces.

I think everyone's rage right now should be directed at Mizzou. Texas is Satan. We all know that. But Mizzou, who has handled everything miserably, still doesn't know what the hell they are doing. I personally don't think they have an invitation to the SEC...why would they wait? They aren't blackmailing anyone? They've already intimated they hate Texas and don't feel comfortable in the conference. I think they're negotiating for the invite. Maybe the SEC has decided that because Mizzou sucks they might want to re-think this. Mizzou, for their part, can't bring themsleves to admit they might have to stay as UT's fifth battered mistress.