For anyone that is interested, it was interesting to see three guys in suits wearing East Carolina pins sitting near press row. Well, I asked someone connected with the higher ups about future Big East expansion, and I can tell everyone right now, don't expect expansion to happen this year, but we may, and I say may see something by the 2006 football season, and it will be for football only while all other sports may come in at a later date. The earliest word about a potential team would be sometime this summer during the summer meetings. When we asked about the possible teams that may be considered, the guys were pretty hush hush, but he did mention that some teams are NOT and will NOT be considered. One of those teams is the University of Memphis. It seems as if Memphis has burned a lot of bridges with the University of Louisville and Memphis is not willing to take a football only membership, mainly because their athletic department believes strongly that they will be the big fish in the new C-USA. They will get the bowl invites and possible BCS invite with the addition of a 5th game and they will have an easier time making the NCAAs in basketball and they could not do that if they would move to the Big East. Army and Navy have already expressed that they are not looking to join a conference for football. They don't need the BCS and they gain more exposure by playing all over the country even if they have to play the New Mexico State's of the world. That only leaves a few teams which seems to be hush hush for football only including, ECU who had people at tonights game, Central Florida, UAB, Nova (I can't see them getting football ready by 2006), UMass (I can't see it happening), Delaware (I can't see it happening), PSU (but they won't take a football only).

That is the same rumor being heard in Louisville!

Just say no to ECU. A disaster for CUSA is a disaster for the Big East.

L-Yes,
If no on ECU, then who else?

I do not want Memphis! So who else is available?

I say yes to ECU, they give us a 9th football only member = scheduling problem solved. I don't see what the problem is with ECU. Just a few years ago, they were one of the saviors along with Southern Miss and TCU of the C-USA. C-USA got a lot of props after ECU beat Miami, Cuse, WVU, Texas Tech, and etc... that got me a little excited when the Bulls moved to C-USA football, but then ECU had their coaching change and things went downhill. That is one of our well traveled away games and it would be a good trip for us Bulls. I think adding ECU would be good for the Big East, but as everyone else says, who else is out there?

I'm with ECU for the 9th member.
I don't want Memphis until there is a change in attitude. Memphis took a few clear shots at USF this weekend, in addition to the whole Louisville debacle, and them doing everything in their power to stop us from moving. And as another poster reminded me, Memphis opposed USF's football team joining CUSA. As far as I'm concerned, they've burned the bridges, unless they want to rebuild them, forget it. I don't think they would get the votes to begin with.
ECU fits the profile across the board, and has many historical ties to the BE football schools. I think they are the clear choice right now. However, there are a few other schools who have a shot.

Quote:I don't want Memphis until there is a change in attitude. Memphis took a few clear shots at USF this weekend

Booooooooo hooooooooooo. We don't respect mighty West Central Florida! Burn us!

Psicosis Wrote:

Quote:I don't want Memphis until there is a change in attitude. Memphis took a few clear shots at USF this weekend

Booooooooo hooooooooooo. We don't respect mighty West Central Florida! Burn us!

In re: attitude. Exhibit one.

Quote: When we asked about the possible teams that may be considered, the guys were pretty hush hush, but he did mention that some teams are NOT and will NOT be considered. One of those teams is the University of Memphis. It seems as if Memphis has burned a lot of bridges with the University of Louisville and Memphis is not willing to take a football only membership, mainly because their athletic department believes strongly that they will be the big fish in the new C-USA. They will get the bowl invites and possible BCS invite with the addition of a 5th game and they will have an easier time making the NCAAs in basketball and they could not do that if they would move to the Big East. Army and Navy have already expressed that they are not looking to join a conference for football. They don't need the BCS and they gain more exposure by playing all over the country even if they have to play the New Mexico State's of the world. That only leaves a few teams which seems to be hush hush for football only including, ECU who had people at tonights game, Central Florida, UAB, Nova (I can't see them getting football ready by 2006), UMass (I can't see it happening), Delaware (I can't see it happening), PSU (but they won't take a football only).

-- Thanks for the knowledge NYCOrange....It seems we don't have much choice in adding ECU...We are going to need another football only member when the 12 game season passes...If Army/Navy say no and Memphis doesn't want a football only bid then ECU is certinaly next in line...I have no problem with the Pirates...they have had a very successful football program in the recent past and they address the two major needs of the BE football schools: #1 they have a great fan base #2 they shorten the distance between the rest of the league and USF

-- Just a quick thought here...but what is going on in Memphis? They offend UC/UL and refuse to accept football only membership....it looks like they have really shot themselves in the foot these past few weeks....If I were a Memphis fan i would have some serious concerns about the competency of the schools atheletic administrators


Jackson

The Memphis AD killed Memphis membership in the BE!

It must kill Memphis fans to get passed over by a school who has been Division I-A less than 5 years.

Enjoy your little garbage bus league.

:wave: :wave:

Wilkie01 are you Tom Jurich? if not you are another petty card fan.Get over it

hbengal Wrote:Wilkie01 are you Tom Jurich? if not you are another petty card fan.Get over it

Wilke has nothing to be petty about, his team isn't stuck in as the Tampa Tribune called it C-DOA.

I am by no means a Louisville mover and shaker. However, I am a Louisville alum, 29 years season ticket holder, CAF member and donor, and have some reliable contacts.

Coach Holland has connections few other AD's can claim. It's appears that Coach Holland might be friends with Coach Boeheim. Does he have any clout with Syracuse? Who knows which school will get the call from the Big East, if any? I just think from a leadership standpoint, ECU is in the best position for consideration.



USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee

The USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee is chaired by former University of Virginia Director of Athletics, Terry Holland, and consists of: NCAA appointees Jim Boeheim (head coach, Syracuse University, N.Y.), Evans Jim O'Brien (head coach, Ohio State University) and Tubby Smith (head coach, University of Kentucky); NABC appointee Oliver Purnell (head coach, Clemson University); NAIA appointee Ralph Turner (head coach, Union University, Tenn.); NJCAA appointee Dan Sparks (head coach, Vincennes University, Ind.), and athlete representatives Steve Wojciechowski (1995 USA Junior World Championship Team and assistant coach at Duke University, N.C.) and A.J. Wynder (1995 USA Pan American Games Team and head coach at Nassau Community College, N.Y.).

2003 USA Men’s Junior World Championship TeaM
NAME POS HGT WGT DOB YOG COLLEGE or HIGH SCHOOL/HOMETOWN
Maurice Ager G 6-4 187 2/09/84 2006 Michigan State / Detroit, MI
De’Angelo Alexander F 6-5 215 1/21/84 2006 Oklahoma / Midwest City, OK
Daniel Brown G 6-1 175 8/17/84 2006 Illinois / Maywood, IL
Graham Brown C 6-9 250 8/19/84 2006 Michigan / Mio, MI
David Burgess F 6-10 255 2/14/86 2004 Woodbridge High School / Irvine, CA
Paul Davis F 6-11 245 7/21/84 2006 Michigan State / Rochester, MI
Ryan Hollins C 6-11 215 10/10/84 2006 UCLA / Pasadena, CA
Kevin Pittsnogle F/C 6-10 225 7/30/84 2006 West Virginia / Martinsburg, WV
J.J. Redick G 6-4 200 6/24/84 2006 Duke / Roanoke, VA
Mustafa Shakur G 6-3 175 8/18/84 2003 Friends Central / #Arizona / Wynnewood, PA
C.J. Watson G 6-2 160 4/17/84 2006 Tennessee / Las Vegas, NV
Deron Williams G 6-3 205 6/26/84 2006 Illinois / The Colony, TX

Head Coach: Ernie Kent, University of Oregon
Assistant Coach: Dennis Felton, University of Georgia
Assistant Coach: Ray Harper, Kentucky Wesleyan College
Team Physician: Herb Parris, Lakewood, Colorado
Athletic Trainer: Clay Jamieson, University of Oregon

Memphis may or may not ever be in the Big East, but Wilkie certainly won't have anything to do with it either way.

NYCOrangeGrad Wrote:...Memphis is not willing to take a football only membership, mainly because their athletic department believes strongly that they will be the big fish in the new C-USA.

That just doesn't make sense. Memphis basketball doesn't need a strong conference to continue winning IMO. Players out of Memphis alone are enough to supply the team with top D1 talent. The SEC doesn't take quality D1 basketball players from Memphis like they do football players. It's our football program that would gain the most from inclusion in the Big Eastr or any BCS conference. Inclusion in the Big East would help our recruiting - and especially our recruiting against the surrounding SEC schools in football immensely. So to say that Memphis would decline a football only invite just doesn't make sense to me. IF this is true and IF that's actually RC's position ---- may god help him -- because most of the fan base won't --

Brick City Pirate Wrote:Coach Holland has connections few other AD's can claim. It's appears that Coach Holland might be friends with Coach Boeheim. Does he have any clout with Syracuse? Who knows which school will get the call from the Big East, if any? I just think from a leadership standpoint, ECU is in the best position for consideration.

ECU makes more sense geographically than Memphis. ECU has a Big East caliber FB stadium and fans who travel. ECU's bigest problem is timing---having their worst streak in football at this time.

TexanMark Wrote:

Brick City Pirate Wrote:Coach Holland has connections few other AD's can claim. It's appears that Coach Holland might be friends with Coach Boeheim. Does he have any clout with Syracuse? Who knows which school will get the call from the Big East, if any?  I just think from a leadership standpoint, ECU is in the best position for consideration.

ECU makes more sense geographically than Memphis. ECU has a Big East caliber FB stadium and fans who travel. ECU's bigest problem is timing---having their worst streak in football at this time.

If you're talking location alone than of course East Carolina is closer. I think that South Florida was included for reasons outside of location however. This reasoning might also apply to a program like Memphis. Big East expansion to Memphis would give Big East school access to a recruiting market yet untapped by them. There are loads of D1 players coming out of Memphis and Mississippi each year. Now, most of that talent heads directly to one of the SEC schools. With the presence of Big East schools in the area - inroads in that SEC monopoly of area talent would more than likely be made. Talent that Big East schools would never have a chance to recruit otherwise. I suspect that was one of the reasons the Big East went into south Florida. If so - the same reason exists for the Memphis / Mississippi recruiting market -