Quote:All of this uncertainty, which has been dominated by arguments between the basketball and football factions of the Big East, has slowed the talk of expansion, if not stopped it.
At yesterday's meeting, potential candidates such as Boise State, Central Florida and Temple were discussed, but no consensus could be agreed upon which teams to invite first, or at all.
The basketball factions were adamant about not adding anyone, while the football faction argued that if the Big East is going to survive as a BCS conference, whose champion gained automatic entry to a BCS bowl it is imperative for Boise State, with its high national ranking was a necessity for survival.
I give up. The basketball schools are intentionally trying to get their conference disolved... it makes no sense. What motivation would they have for helping the conference to fall apart and implode?
http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/ex..._fate.html
SPLIT!!!
The Big East six split
Add Temple, UCF, ECU for all sports.
Add Boise, Navy and Airforce for football only.
9 teams all sports, 12 teams football.
If Louisville and WVU leave, add SMU/Houston all sports.
This would destroy CUSA and the MWC and would assure the this new conference retains the 6th BCS spot.
The Big East basketball schools would become a glorified A10, a mid-major hoops league largely ignored by the football first media and college fans. The ACC would supplant them as the premeir BB conference that gets the spotlight.
The roller coaster ride continues. The Big East has more drama than a daytime soap.
I think the basketball schools want a split, but they also want the football schools to be the ones to leave so the BB schools can keep the Big East name brand/history. I could see them intentionally trying to agitate the FB schools into leaving and forming the new, all sports Metro Conference.
Metro East
UConn
Rutgers
Temple/Navy
West Virginia
UCF
USF
Metro West
Louisville
Memphis
Cincinnati
Houston
SMU
Rice/Tulane
(10-12-2011 04:50 PM)UCF-ENG Wrote: [ -> ]This would destroy CUSA and the MWC and would assure the this new conference retains the 6th BCS spot.
Just how would a newly formed conference retain something it does not have?
It is the Big East conference that has the AQ BCS slot... and if the conference splits, which faction gets the Big East name... and the AQ slot that goes with it?
If the football schools split, do they get to take the AQ tag with them? Or would the AQ stay with the Big East conference even though they wouldn't have any football teams at that point?
How does the AQ tag work regarding a split?
Cat,
I would assume in my above scenario that the Basketball schools get to keep the name Big East because it's the football schools leaving, but since the BE would then be a basketball league with no sponsored football, its easy to see the BE's old AQ bid going to the new Metro Conference.
Obviously it really doesn't even matter anymore. This Trans-Appalachian freakshow needs to be euthanized yesterday. I think there are some very serious forces that would go to great lengths to save it, but it's time to forget it.
The least we can hope for is a totally new conference. The basketball schools could be a respectable league on their own, but they can't be a great league without several of the football schools. If they want to be relegated to mere respectability, then let the rest of us pursue greatness without them - whether in our own conference, or dispersed to other conferences.
(10-12-2011 05:01 PM)KnightNasty Wrote: [ -> ]If the football schools split, do they get to take the AQ tag with them? Or would the AQ stay with the Big East conference even though they wouldn't have any football teams at that point?
How does the AQ tag work regarding a split?[/align]
This question came up last year, I recall reading someone involved with the BCS saying the bid could go with the football schools if that happened. What I wonder about in that situation is basketball...what are the guidelines for a "new" conference to get an automatic tournament bid?
Big East listening to the Basketball schools about expansion is like a guy being bossed around by an ugly wife....dump her
I call shenanigans. BE basketball schools should have no input on whether or not Boise St. is invited for football only. I'd find it very difficult to believe that any of our schools would want them for all sports, and that is the only situation in which the basketball schools have any say.
If the basis is quality, then they could deny neither conference an automatic bid. But even if they did, both conferences would be good enough to get multiple bids on merit alone. I wouldn't lose a moment's peace over an automatic bid to the basketball tourney.
The sad thing is that the conference that got 11 (ELEVEN!) teams in the NCAA tournament a few short months ago has allowed itself to be asking this question today.
If this report is right, it probably means this:
Maybe, if there are no further defections, Marinatto could persuade the no-football schools to permit the addition of two more schools for all sports, to bring the number up to eight. But if the number of current all-sports schools drops further, the no-football schools will just say no. For example, if the B12 poaches Louisville, Cincinnati, and WVU, the no-football schools won't permit the addition of five new schools for all sports. They'll force the holdover FB schools to either play football as an indy or find another conference.
The basketball school Presidents maybe dysfunctional, but they probably realize that if you have to bring in teams from Idaho and Texas to keep a BCS bid; then it is pretty obvious that the conference is dead.
(10-12-2011 05:09 PM)Tampa Bearcat Wrote: [ -> ]I call shenanigans. BE basketball schools should have no input on whether or not Boise St. is invited for football only. I'd find it very difficult to believe that any of our schools would want them for all sports, and that is the only situation in which the basketball schools have any say.
from a UConn beat writer on twitter...
Desmond Conner
desmondconner Hearing #UConn,#Rutgers and #WestVirginia want to aggressively pursue #BoiseState; #USF, #Louisville and #Cincinnati not so much...
a few minutes later he says he would actually include UConn in the "not interested" group also.
(10-12-2011 04:59 PM)FastCat Wrote: [ -> ] (10-12-2011 04:50 PM)UCF-ENG Wrote: [ -> ]This would destroy CUSA and the MWC and would assure the this new conference retains the 6th BCS spot.
Just how would a newly formed conference retain something it does not have?
It is the Big East conference that has the AQ BCS slot... and if the conference splits, which faction gets the Big East name... and the AQ slot that goes with it?
It doesn't matter the new conference would be the 6th best conference and would qualify under the existing BCS rules.
Interesting that the teams most likely to WANT to leave are those that most want Boise State. The schools that most likely WANT to stay are those that don't. Louisville may have the best options in front of us, but I also maintain that Louisville is the school that finds leaving the most distasteful.
If the football schools withdraw from the legal entity called the "Big East" they'll be starting their new conference from scratch. They won't have a BCS AQ bid or contracts with any BCS bowls. In fact they'll have to go apply to join the BCS. They'll also have to seek recognition from the NCAA as a new Division 1 multisports conference. To meet the continuity rule, they'll have to sponsor basketball and other sports for eight years before receiving an NCAA tournament auto bid.
I think it's marginally possible that schools like UCF, ECU, Houston and SMU would be willing to join the Big East football schools in such an endeavor, IF they were assured the Big East football schools were fully committed to the new conference. But then that's the problem, right? They all want to be somewhere else and will leave at the drop of a hat and everyone knows it.
I don't know what's going to happen but I'd put pretty low odds on the football schools breaking away and forming a new conference.
(10-12-2011 04:39 PM)KnightNasty Wrote: [ -> ]Quote:All of this uncertainty, which has been dominated by arguments between the basketball and football factions of the Big East, has slowed the talk of expansion, if not stopped it.
At yesterday's meeting, potential candidates such as Boise State, Central Florida and Temple were discussed, but no consensus could be agreed upon which teams to invite first, or at all.
The basketball factions were adamant about not adding anyone, while the football faction argued that if the Big East is going to survive as a BCS conference, whose champion gained automatic entry to a BCS bowl it is imperative for Boise State, with its high national ranking was a necessity for survival.
I give up. The basketball schools are intentionally trying to get their conference disolved... it makes no sense. What motivation would they have for helping the conference to fall apart and implode?
http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/ex..._fate.html
That is why the Big East will have 2 commishs, 1 for the football schools and 1 for the bball schools. They join for bball and TV negotiations.
(10-12-2011 05:13 PM)SmallVoice Wrote: [ -> ]Interesting that the teams most likely to WANT to leave are those that most want Boise State. The schools that most likely WANT to stay are those that don't. Louisville may have the best options in front of us, but I also maintain that Louisville is the school that finds leaving the most distasteful.
I don't really understand why schools like USF or Cincinnati, which probably stand the lose the most if the BE dies, wouldn't want Boise. It would be football only, they'd only have to make the trip every other year....if Boise is willing to do that crazy travel schedule 4-5 times a season you have to take them.