You have the same hierarchy in the "group of 5". The Big East believes they are the best of the five. CUSA, MAC and MWC think they are all too good to do a rational regional conference each. Only the logical people give any credance to doing what you suggest, and there are far too many other people that think their conference is too good to do that.

(12-20-2012 10:14 AM)Fanof49ASU Wrote:  Be careful what you wish for.

I agree with you on this... The best thing for the Sun Belt and for C-USA is for the Big East to expand out west, giving both our leagues stability. If C-USA gets poached, the Sun Belt feels the impact as well.

(12-20-2012 10:49 AM)Usajags Wrote:  

(12-20-2012 10:41 AM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  

(12-20-2012 10:10 AM)Usajags Wrote:  

And you think the BE will make more money UNLV and Fresno in their conference???

For the sake of argument, let's say that Aresco pulls off the salesjob of the history of the world and the Big East gets around 4 million a team. The additional money they would recieve from that gets eaten up in travel, and doesn't really improve their exposure all that much.
I'm not a fan of this national conference idea at all, college athletics was built on tradition and rivalries. I don't see many folks from Greeneville, NC headed to Idaho for a football game in November and vice versa.
I'm all for a regionalized group of conferences that works to build rivalries. The issue is having schools suck it up and realize that while traditionally there is separation from programs like Tulsa, Southern Miss and ECU from a ULM, Western Kentucky and UAB, it's not all that much.
Same goes for the Louisiana schools. La. Tech has a bad case of Ivory Tower Syndrome, if they'd come down from it and realize that they're missing out on a HUGE opportunity for rivalries with the Cajuns and Hawks. From a fans' perspective, it'll draw a crowd, probably sell outs at all venues. Throw Tulane into that mix and its' the same principle. Turn into a trophy series. Same with the three Alabama schools, the Florida schools, and the Texas schools. Full stadiums with TV games get people interested. The average person when channel surfing will see a game on TV, if the stands are full, they'll stop and watch to see what the fuss is about. If they're empty, then it looks stupid and they move on.

I think the MWC is going to lose teams rather than gain them. I see people talking about CUSA West teams leaving but why would they go to the MWC minus 2-4 teams taken by the BE? CUSA West is a nice compact division and the MWC isn't going to be anything special when the BE raids them.

I do agree that if CUSA loses anybody, the Sun Belt is just going to lose more teams to them.

(12-20-2012 10:14 AM)Fanof49ASU Wrote:  Be careful what you wish for.

Yep, it's actually better for both the Sun-Belt and C-USA if the Big East can raid the MWC. If they can't and Boise and SDSU go back then C-USA will get raided again and the Sun-Belt will get raided again. It won't be so much about C-USA teams getting significantly more money in the Big East as it will be getting back with rivals. USM would join in a heartbeat to be back with Memphis, Tulane, and ECU. Marshall would join in an instant to be with ECU and Temple (although no rivalry there a game that could become 1 easily). Charlotte and ODU would join to be with ECU. Even if the money is almost equal those schools would still join, and then the same set of circumstances would go on with C-USA and the Sun-Belt.

(12-20-2012 12:00 PM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  

(12-20-2012 10:49 AM)Usajags Wrote:  

(12-20-2012 10:41 AM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  

(12-20-2012 10:10 AM)Usajags Wrote:  

And you think the BE will make more money UNLV and Fresno in their conference???

For the sake of argument, let's say that Aresco pulls off the salesjob of the history of the world and the Big East gets around 4 million a team. The additional money they would recieve from that gets eaten up in travel, and doesn't really improve their exposure all that much.
I'm not a fan of this national conference idea at all, college athletics was built on tradition and rivalries. I don't see many folks from Greeneville, NC headed to Idaho for a football game in November and vice versa.
I'm all for a regionalized group of conferences that works to build rivalries. The issue is having schools suck it up and realize that while traditionally there is separation from programs like Tulsa, Southern Miss and ECU from a ULM, Western Kentucky and UAB, it's not all that much.
Same goes for the Louisiana schools. La. Tech has a bad case of Ivory Tower Syndrome, if they'd come down from it and realize that they're missing out on a HUGE opportunity for rivalries with the Cajuns and Hawks. From a fans' perspective, it'll draw a crowd, probably sell outs at all venues. Throw Tulane into that mix and its' the same principle. Turn into a trophy series. Same with the three Alabama schools, the Florida schools, and the Texas schools. Full stadiums with TV games get people interested. The average person when channel surfing will see a game on TV, if the stands are full, they'll stop and watch to see what the fuss is about. If they're empty, then it looks stupid and they move on.

Lets say the NBE Gets Fresno as their 14 school...

East / West Division with a 6 / 2 / 4 Break down has the West playing in the East once a year same with the Eastern teams..

West - Boise / SDSU / Fresno / SMU / Houston / Tulane / Memphis
East - UConn / Cincy / ECU / Navy / Temple / USF / USF

Boise plays their Division 3 home 3 away then they get 2 from the East 1 home 1 away.. their 4 OOC Games

@SDSU
Fresno
@ SMU
Houston
@ Memphis
Tulane
@ UConn
Cincy
4 OOC 2/2

that is not bad travel at all compare to Hawaii and Wyoming...

(12-20-2012 01:31 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(12-20-2012 10:14 AM)Fanof49ASU Wrote:  Be careful what you wish for.

Yep, it's actually better for both the Sun-Belt and C-USA if the Big East can raid the MWC. If they can't and Boise and SDSU go back then C-USA will get raided again and the Sun-Belt will get raided again. It won't be so much about C-USA teams getting significantly more money in the Big East as it will be getting back with rivals. USM would join in a heartbeat to be back with Memphis, Tulane, and ECU. Marshall would join in an instant to be with ECU and Temple (although no rivalry there a game that could become 1 easily). Charlotte and ODU would join to be with ECU. Even if the money is almost equal those schools would still join, and then the same set of circumstances would go on with C-USA and the Sun-Belt.

But the MWC Will back fill with TXST Before they take Idaho / NMSU

I think conference USA will lose teams because Marshall may be thrilled to play FIU, FAU, MTSU, and La Tech but I don't think Tulsa, UTEP, Rice, and Southern Miss share the thought. Even if the MWC losses Fresno they still have a better conference all the way around.

Then your talking about Southern Miss in conference with four teams who haven't even had a football team for 20 years (UTSA, F_U2, UNCC), and the leftover teams have not exactly been very good. That's has got to be a nightmare for Southern Miss and Tulsa fans.

A new statement by the Big East commissioner saying East Carolina basketball will probably play in the Big East also. Reaffirms committments of schools of Big East Football side and some future information.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/col...story.html