Quote: So, you are saying there will be a split in 2010, right? When there is a split, how many, if any, schools do you think will be added? If you think the Big East plans to add schools, then why in the world wouldn't they add a football only member as soon as possible? If the ncaa mandates a 12 game regular season schedule, Big East schools will be playing about half of their games against out of conference schools.

-- This is just my opinion...but I am convinced there will be a split in 2010...all the signs are pointing to that...after that all the deatils are pure specuatlation

-- I can see the BE football schools adding two and going to 10...but only if the two schools have very good football programs and at least one of the schools is a big time money maker...12 is out of the question

-- The 12 game season will present a challenge...but an intesting stat was posted on this board a few months ago before the bowl season started...basically every cnference strenght was measured by quality wins....w/L records etc... what it showed was what many of us already knew...that the NBE is a BCS tweener...certainly a step below the ACC and SEC etc...but just as assurdly...a step above CUSA and the MWC...I think there is a danger of exapnding to quickly and really watering down the league...It is strue that that next year's BE will not have a superpower..but it won't have a bottome feeder either and it may be wise to give USF, UConn and UC 5 yrs to recruit as BCS schools before exanding again....I guess the analogy to this is if you were building a house...you want to make sure the foundation/1st floor are solid before moving on the second floor

--As for who it is going to be...I have no idea...Personally I think ND is going to be torn about which side to join and that's going to have an effect on things....I'm sure the new league will offer the moon to Penn St...guranteed %s of BCS money/TV money....the three CUSA schools that will be considered (Memphis, ECU and UCF) are possibilities....and that's not even counting if a school like Umass or Delaware decides to finally move up...that could shake things up as well...basically the best thing ECU can do is win in football....a few CUSA titles between now and 2010 would help a lot


Jackson

Exactly Jackson. UC will be fine, already they're outrecruiting many Big Ten, Pac-10, ACC and some Big East schools for recruits and are shutting out the MAC schools for recruits that got through before. We'll have a strong, though young squad next year and will have a solid, experienced and talented squad going into the 2006 season. UC will be fine next year, but 2006 will be the year UC will really blossom, I believe, into a Top 25-caliber program if Coach Dantonio continues to get the recruits he is getting or improves recruiting even more. What's coming in now is considered UC's best recruiting class ever. It may not be ranked high nationally, I'm not sure, hopefully it gets a Top 40 ranking, but on the field it should pay immediate dividends for UC and the Big East/

Quote:I do agree that ECU is in a good location to join the A10 with Richmond

If Temple joins the MAC as a full-fledge member, East Carolina would be best served to join the A-10 as a full-fledged member.

I think ECU would certainly work as a football only member for the short term.

I frankly think they would work as an all sports member as well. Mind you, I think they would struggle in bb, but they have shown steady improvement, and membership in the BE would only help their recruitment of quality players (fb and bb). Their other sports show they are not a one-dimensional athletic program (baseball and track are top programs). ECU has a good fan base, and a good location. Admittedly, not a huge town, but a lot of people in the tidewater region. Syracuse, for example, is not a big city, but there are a lot of folks in upstate NY.

So, I think we bring in ECU for fb as soon as possible. 2006 presumably. If we could, I would also say all sports, but otherwise they would surely get a seat in the A10.

I am on record as not being convinced that we need 12 schools. When you get too many schools then you suddenly find that you cannot play everyone. Part of being in a conference is.... playing the other teams. But 9 schools are really needed for balance.

9 schools for fb gives us the breathing room to build the fb side of the conference. Internally. Not with adds, but with hard work.

No powers next year? Who said that? I think Louisville starts in the top 10. Certainly top 15. An initial guess of the order of schools next year:

Louisville
West Virginia
Pitt
Syracuse
Connecticut
Cincinnati
Rutgers
South Florida

but... that's just initially. I think there's ample room to change that order on the ground.

Back to the topic....

A 10th team. I understand the idea to provide a sandbox partner for USF. UCF would do that, but I'm not sure it makes more sense to put two of our eggs down in the swamp, than one. UCF is certainly LESS ready to move up than UConn was. LESS ready than ECU is.

Considering that 10th, 11th, and even 12th schools are essentially gravy, I don't see the need to jump prematurely for UCF.

Assuming the Big Split comes in 2010-2011, then we will probably want those extra schools. UMass, given five extra years to prepare, seems attractive.
Delaware? hmmm. I'd doubt it.
Villanova? possible. just like Umass there are money issues i think.
Penn State.
Notre Dame.
Those last two have been endlessly discussed. I think we leave the door open, but they come inside if they want to. Not likely I'm afraid.

And really that's about it. Buffalo? New Hampshire? Re-energized Temple?

Otherwise, we go fishing down south. ECU is as far south as I think we should be fishing.

Memphis, Southern Miss, etc. etc. etc. etc. Just say no.

So, I guess my point here is that ECU seems sensible and logical. And any other move at this time is either STUPID (see Memphis, Southern Miss, etc. etc.) or premature (Umass, UCF) or just a pipedream (ND, PSU).

Quote:A 10th team. I understand the idea to provide a sandbox partner for USF. UCF would do that, but I'm not sure it makes more sense to put two of our eggs down in the swamp, than one. UCF is certainly LESS ready to move up than UConn was. LESS ready than ECU is.

-- I found this on one of the Uconn boards....while its debatable whether the poster as "inside info"....I think he does provide a logical argument for UCF under the right conditions


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Jackson