templefootballfan Wrote:you left Sarasota for Rochester?

My parents moved up here when I was younger. Back in the 70's, Sarasota did not offer a whole lot. It was nothing like it is today. Rochester is not really like it was then either. I will probably be moving back down in about 5 years.

I honestly believe it's a one and done situation. I can't see them adding two.
CJ

CJ, I thought the folks that setup the Big East in it's current form were most concerned about balancing the football & basketball schools at 8/8. If Memphis is invited as a full member, it will certainly upset that arrangement, unless, as someone else mentioned, a basketball only member is added as well. The only way I see that happening is if there will be a split. It's going to certainly be interesting the next few days!

I also want to congratulate Memphis if all this is true! The Tigers are a worthy addition to any conference!

I also cannot believe they would add two football schools. UC would vote for Memphis no doubt. UC, UL and Memphis must be together. ECu would be fine with a split but I don't thin there will be a split at least for a very long time. Things are working too well! I would think you would see a Basketball only school either UMass or St. Louis added if any at all. I don't think The Baskeball schools would let ECU in as the 2nd school. I think Memphis/FEd ex and the Liberty Bowl vs SEC will happen eventually. Obviously if we split ECu and UCF follow Memphis for sure. I think by adding only Memphis you avoid the Raid tag for the conference. It will seen as a logical step.

BearcatT, Since Temple's football is in the MAC, why not add their basketball program? That way if/when there is a split, the BE could add Memphis basketball & Temple football.

BCP,
I don't believe the basketball schools are in a position to worry about balance anymore. When the 16 league formed a few years ago, the football schools needed the basketball schools for two reasons: The Big East identity and The Big East Automatic Tournament Bid

The football schools have done a great good job of building back their national identity after the loss of Miami and they have been together long enough to get an automatic basketball bid.

Bottomline is ,if the football schools say add Memphis or we split, the basketball schools will welcome the Tigers.
CJ

This would be a positive move for the BE, in my opinion. Really, is 17 much different than 16?

9 is surely much different than 8.

I hope it happens.

Ideally, we'd drop Marquette & DePaul, add Memphis and one other - 16 all sports, 10 Football. Marquette and DePaul don't really belong in the BE anyway. They could form a very nice new version of the Great Midwest with teams like St. Louis, Xavier, Dayton, Butler, Detroit, Bradley, Creighton and Drake. Add Marquette and DePaul to that mix, you've got a high-major conference in most of the mid-west's major media markets, with 10 like-minded institutions with a history of success.

CardinalJim Wrote:BCP,
I don't believe the basketball schools are in a position to worry about balance anymore. When the 16 league formed a few years ago, the football schools needed the basketball schools for two reasons: The Big East identity and The Big East Automatic Tournament Bid

The football schools have done a great good job of building back their national identity after the loss of Miami and they have been together long enough to get an automatic basketball bid.

Bottomline is ,if the football schools say add Memphis or we split, the basketball schools will welcome the Tigers.
CJ

I agree, all the leverage is with the football schools now.

BTW, the BE has categorically denied the report.

MU88 Wrote:BTW, the BE has categorically denied the report.

Why would they confirm it?

fsquid Wrote:

MU88 Wrote:BTW, the BE has categorically denied the report.

Why would they confirm it?

If it was true, the language would not have been this strong.

http://njmg.typepad.com/zagsblog/2008/05...ot-ex.html

Big East Not Expanding

I called Big East spokesman John Paquette to track down these rumors that Memphis might join the Big East and he categorically denied them.

"No truth," Paquette said by phone from Rhode Island. "I saw the clip. It's a TV report with no named sources. No one from the University of Memphis. No on-the-record sources. We've been down this road. We are not talking about expansion with any institution."

fsquid Wrote:

MU88 Wrote:BTW, the BE has categorically denied the report.

Why would they confirm it?

The BE won't confirm it until it is ready to announce, but I have to believe that Memphis is very much in play to be invited to join the Big East.

MU88 Wrote:

fsquid Wrote:

MU88 Wrote:BTW, the BE has categorically denied the report.

Why would they confirm it?

If it was true, the language would not have been this strong.

http://njmg.typepad.com/zagsblog/2008/05...ot-ex.html

Big East Not Expanding

I called Big East spokesman John Paquette to track down these rumors that Memphis might join the Big East and he categorically denied them.

"No truth," Paquette said by phone from Rhode Island. "I saw the clip. It's a TV report with no named sources. No one from the University of Memphis. No on-the-record sources. We've been down this road. We are not talking about expansion with any institution."

That is the equal to MT saying "I was blindsided by the ACC raid". How was he blindsided when it was discuss on all the media from ESPN and other media sources. Same as he tried to give the fb to the ACC. There was an article about this on this board. Most changes are made before the commissioner even knows.

gdayre Wrote:

MU88 Wrote:

fsquid Wrote:

MU88 Wrote:BTW, the BE has categorically denied the report.

Why would they confirm it?

If it was true, the language would not have been this strong.

http://njmg.typepad.com/zagsblog/2008/05...ot-ex.html

Big East Not Expanding

I called Big East spokesman John Paquette to track down these rumors that Memphis might join the Big East and he categorically denied them.

"No truth," Paquette said by phone from Rhode Island. "I saw the clip. It's a TV report with no named sources. No one from the University of Memphis. No on-the-record sources. We've been down this road. We are not talking about expansion with any institution."

That is the equal to MT saying "I was blindsided by the ACC raid". How was he blindsided when it was discuss on all the media from ESPN and other media sources. Same as he tried to give the fb to the ACC. There was an article about this on this board. Most changes are made before the commissioner even knows.

No, that would be like the ACC commish denying expansion was under consideration before adding the BE teams. I don't think he did that. He just refused to name the schools under consideration. In this situation, if the quote came from BB at CUSA, I would agree with you. But, it did not. It came from the conference supposedly expanding.

Could a sub-set of schools be talking with Memphis? You bet. But, given the quote, its probably not through the conference.

MU88 Wrote:BTW, the BE has categorically denied the report.

Is that surprising?

The recent reports out ECU & Memphis reminds me of Spring 2003 when ECU's AD Mike Hamrick and Memphis's RC Johnson were playing a very public game of one-upmanship in trying to position themselves for that third BE invite. Meanwhile, USF kept quiet, work the quietest of backrooms and emerged as the consensus third Big East choice by late Summer.

Interesting…..either UCiF is really happy and wants to stay in CDOA or they have learned from USF on how to conduct themselves as prospective expansion candidates b/c we have yet to hear a peep from east Orlando. BTW…I have no inside information…but I just think its interesting how things are developing.

IMO, I think its all for nothing b/c I don’t see the BE expanding anytime soon. Other than some scheduling pressures the league is doing better than ever so why it would want to dilute its revenues by adding another mouth to feed?

my question is why would memphis pay an exit fee to cusa then another exit fee a few years down the raod if there is a split.

if there is serious talks then it almost has to be with the football schools and memphis would be the 9th member of a new all sports conference. i would be happy with that lineup and simply leave it at 9 unless the unthinkable would happen ala psu, maryland nd comes along. but thats just hoping

Hey here is a solution:

Delete Seton Hall add Memphis or ECU or UCF

The head sports guy for the station that broke this story, who also has a sports talk radio show in Memphis as well, just said that if this is going to happen the BE will probably not kick anyone out but will not renew the contracts with certain teams. So it appears that it all comes do to contracts and how they will work it out. But these guys seem very confident about their sources and it looks like this has been going on for some time. It also appears that FedEx and the UofM athletic director are telling big time boosters and others close to the situation to keep things on the quiet. It is how they have always done business.

Well if this happens I have to think the "Split" is imminent. I just can't see the Big East offering or Memphis accepting a FB only invitation. I can't see them being added for all sports making this bloated BE Conference into a 17 team mess. I can't imagine that the BE would then offer another invite to a university (that doesn't have D1A FB) just to even it up to 18 programs.

And I don't believe Fox News.

this rumor has been great fun while I recover from fridays surgery.. but dang it I dont need lots of laughs after hernia slicing n dicing. ouch..