If you were to rewind the clocks back one year, even I would've thought that it was crazy to think that we could land Kansas and co. in the Big East. However now, it just makes too much sense for it to not happen...which is probably why it won't.

1) Keep or ditch the non-football schools, and the addition of Kansas et all will solidify the Big East's dominance in basketball. While we can all agree that football is driving the bus, how much money do you think the networks would be willing to pay in order to show the Jayhawks playing Louisville? Pitt? Syracuse? UConn? I bet the rights wouldn't come cheap. Add to that the money we'd make from a BEN...and suddenly, or financial situation isn't looking as dire as others here would like to think. For the Big XII refugees, they're able to KEEP their share of the money instead of striking sweetheart deals with King Texas.

2) If I were Texas A&M, I'd be working the backdoor avenues to make this happen. The Texas Lawmakers are concerned currently with keeping the Texas schools together. So long as King Texas is calling the shots, the lawmakers are able to call the shots over them. However, if Kansas and co were to lead the way in breaking up the Big XII...suddenly the concern is preservation of Texas. Sure, Texas can go to independent. Sure, they can go to the Pac. Either way, breaking the ties with Baylor and Tech becomes substantially easier...same with A&M who's skipping off to the SEC with Oklahoma State to appease their boosters and get out of the Longhorn Shadow.

3) The additions adds substantial stability to the Big East, as well as strengthening our attractiveness as a basketball conference. Schools we all feel have one foot out the door would surely be more willing to pull their packed bags back away from the door. Even if we do lose one here and one there, we could still reload with UCF, ECU, or whoever that's still available regardless. The addition of the Big XII cast-offs + BEN could even make us more attractive to woo back a VT, Miami, or BC to reload. with. It's just not that crazy of an idea anymore.

4) If Tech and Baylor were to get left out in the cold, the MWC would be there to scoop 'em up. Add Houston and you're not looking at a bad conference where, suddenly Tech...instead of being an "also played" can go to being kings of their roost. While they may sneer initially, when they're breaking into BCS games I'm sure they'll shut right up.

It just makes sense for everyone involved...which is probably why it won't happen.

Considering the fact that Marinatto sent Beebe a dozen roses to thank him for bringing to a screeching halt the mega-conference express, I highly doubt the Big East is going to turn around and try to steal any teams from that league.

Now, if the Big IIX should crumble, that's a different story.

Cheers,
Neil

Why not? Instead of having our backs on the ropes like last time, the Big East is now in the driver's seat of this whole thing. We'd have solidly good football, and our basketball would be 2nd to none (which it arguably already is, but imagine it with the addition of those schools and it's SCARY awesome. King Maker awesome...) and it's a sellable product.

(12-06-2010 05:06 PM)3rdandBlunder Wrote:  Why not? Instead of having our backs on the ropes like last time, the Big East is now in the driver's seat of this whole thing. We'd have solidly good football, and our basketball would be 2nd to none (which it arguably already is, but imagine it with the addition of those schools and it's SCARY awesome. King Maker awesome...) and it's a sellable product.

Why not?

Perhaps the fear would be that this would send UT to either the Big Ten or the Pac-12 and A&M off to the SEC which would then have possible ripple effects on the Big East that Marinatto and the majority of the BE presidents will not want to risk?

Doesn't mean that they aren't interested in Kansas, K-State, and Mizzou. But think of them as prospective football teams #11, #12, and #13 if the Big East doesn't expand beyond 10 or as #13, #14, and #15 if the league does expand to 12 prior to the inevitable Big IIX implosion.

Cheers,
Neil

(12-06-2010 05:14 PM)omnicarrier Wrote:  

(12-06-2010 05:06 PM)3rdandBlunder Wrote:  Why not? Instead of having our backs on the ropes like last time, the Big East is now in the driver's seat of this whole thing. We'd have solidly good football, and our basketball would be 2nd to none (which it arguably already is, but imagine it with the addition of those schools and it's SCARY awesome. King Maker awesome...) and it's a sellable product.

Why not?

Perhaps the fear would be that this would send UT to either the Big Ten or the Pac-12 and A&M off to the SEC which would then have possible ripple effects on the Big East that Marinatto and the majority of the BE presidents will not want to risk?

Doesn't mean that they aren't interested in Kansas, K-State, and Mizzou. But think of them as prospective football teams #11, #12, and #13 if the Big East doesn't expand beyond 10 or as #13, #14, and #15 if the league does expand to 12 prior to the inevitable Big IIX implosion.

Cheers,
Neil

Agreed. Superconferences are a very bad thing for the BE - they are more likely to be picked off than to do the picking if that happens. Stability, on the other hand, is the BE's friend. As long as the Big 12 is stable and Texas is not spurred to move, then the Big Ten, SEC, Pac-10 and ACC aren't inclined to further expand, and that keeps the BE safe. It's if Texas makes a move to create a superconference and the other conferences need to shift to keep up with the new financial landscape and all hell breaks loose.

Of course the BE would love Kansas et. al if there aren't any repurcussions, but there are very real possible negative repurcussions to the BE if Texas starts sniffing around again.

Yes, but with the added stability and the ungodly basketball recognition on top of the money being brought in from the BEN...suddenly leaving isn't on everyone's mind.

And who's going to ripple anyhow? Big10+2? ACC? SEC? Not likely. SEC's going to have A&M and Oklahoma State. Big10 was doing good to agree to Nebraska and has been contented to be behind the game in terms of numbers anyhow. If everyone's at 14, they won't necessarily rush to match suit if there's nobody out there that adds true value...which for the Big10, there's really not...unless you're Notre Dame, who would likely be in our corner just to stay independent in football. ACC? Eh...maybe, but the last round of expansion didn't exactly work out as well as they had hoped. They're just now getting close to what they were wanting from it. Even if they pick off a school or even two, we could reload with the usual suspects that're available now in UCF, ECU, or whoever. Mountain West dang sure ain't going to steal anyone away so....who's going to trickle and to where? 16 may not be the magic number...14 may be more realistic, at which point there's little threat to a greatly solidified Big East.

(12-06-2010 05:50 PM)3rdandBlunder Wrote:  Yes, but with the added stability and the ungodly basketball recognition on top of the money being brought in from the BEN...suddenly leaving isn't on everyone's mind.

A BEN is much less likely under your scenario of a split. The BE is only primed for a network because of the ungodly population base it sits on. If you split you break up that population base, and with no marquee teams, even adding a basketball super power like Kansas could still result in lower rights fees than with the old configuration.

I'm not advocating a split at all. I'm saying with our without the basketball schools, with the inclusion of those members the Big East will be the Gods of basketball. Notre Dame would most likely broker a deal to keep the rest on board, if only to stay independent in football. They'd benefit, like the rest of us, from the BEN...which agreed, would be most likely if we DON'T split. Now imagine the Jayhawks playing Georgetown and Villanova and the value of that to networks...As I said, football is driving the bus right now but basketball is what we have to sell and it's not as though anyone's hurting for money in March Madness. Basketball has a high value.

You know that we all have our opinons and thats all this whole board is. If any of us are true insiders, we would not be talking about it on here. Now, with that said, you can not run a business by being afraid of what the competation might or might not due. My scottish family motto is "Fortune favors the brave"! Its time for the Big East to be brave and go for the full monty!

Just the fact that the Big East is dropping a pair and acting alone would probably aid in keeping schools from leaving, considering they're not wanting to go after more C-USA schools here.

(12-06-2010 05:55 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  If any of us are true insiders, we would not be talking about it on here.

Actually I would.. to the extent that if I could pass on information (or misinformation) that would help my team's conference's position.

That said, I'm not sure even insiders don't really know what is going on the way things change. That said, there is information you can pay attention to. Frank has a lot of it, and you get even more if you read the comments section of his blog. It may or may not be inside information, but it gives you information that is relevant and can allow you to deduce certain truths and certain impossibilities (or at least unliklies) and certain probabilities. Really,t he million dollar question is going to be the TV rights negotiations that will take place in a year and a half or so. That and preliminary research and data heading up to this, will decide most of this.

(12-06-2010 06:05 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(12-06-2010 05:55 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  If any of us are true insiders, we would not be talking about it on here.

Actually I would.. to the extent that if I could pass on information (or misinformation) that would help my team's conference's position.

That said, I'm not sure even insiders don't really know what is going on the way things change. That said, there is information you can pay attention to. Frank has a lot of it, and you get even more if you read the comments section of his blog. It may or may not be inside information, but it gives you information that is relevant and can allow you to deduce certain truths and certain impossibilities (or at least unliklies) and certain probabilities. Really,t he million dollar question is going to be the TV rights negotiations that will take place in a year and a half or so. That and preliminary research and data heading up to this, will decide most of this.

Corbett, I hear some insider stuff, also. I knew Louisville had hired Rick Pitino three days before the public announcement. I also tell you Charlie Strong was Louisville's second choice. I had to keep Pitino secert. I do not normally know what Jurich is up to, because he is an excellent poker player. I do know that false insider information is often leaked to distract the media from what is really going on. I do know Jurich likes the west, which has Boise, Colorado State and BYU availabe to add to a football conference! However, I do get some good leaks on ocassion. One is Louisville is pushing for Central Florida for number 10. Take that for what it is worth.