I'll say one thing, the weed is really stong over here. Neither ECU or Memphis are being considewred for anything by anybody at this time EXCEPT in Jackson's fantasy land.

WacoBearcat Wrote:Why would you possibly want to add UAB?

Thanks for bringing that up--I think the Big East already has their quota filled with high school programs...why would anyone want to add UAB for Football? My mind was made up when I saw that game on TV with hmmm 2,000 fans or so masquerading as announced attendance of 11,000 or so.

My Opinion is the ninth BE program should come from: Memphis, ECU, UCF, Army or Navy. None are "slam dunks" as each have "plusses and minuses".

TexanMark, I appreciate your reasonable post. I would like to add that not only do the schools that might be considered for future BE membership have plus/minus's, the schools already in the Big East have plus/minus's. There are no perfect schools, period! It's all a roll of the dice. There will be schools that you wouldn't expect to do so, become successful, and there will be others that will disappoint. The only thing I can say with confidence about ECU, is that we have the best leadership in place than we've had in years. We have proven that we can be successful and we have a dedicated, loyal, growing fanbase.

Brick city, Give us one good reason why the Big east should split its money with ECU, thus lowering the amount recieved by each school now in the league????

Brick City Pirate Wrote:TexanMark, I appreciate your reasonable post. I would like to add that not only do the schools that might be considered for future BE membership have plus/minus's, the schools already in the Big East have plus/minus's. There are no perfect schools, period! It's all a roll of the dice. There will be schools that you wouldn't expect to do so, become successful, and there will be others that will disappoint. The only thing I can say with confidence about ECU, is that we have the best leadership in place than we've had in years. We have proven that we can be successful and we have a dedicated, loyal, growing fanbase.

Agreed. I actually saw Syracuse play ECU in a tropical storm around 2000. The stadium improvements were under construction but I liked what I saw. Now, if you just do something about all the traffic lights in Greenville.

Syracuse Admin is still mad about ECU pulling out of a game recently on short notice. It really screwed over our schedule. Fortunately for ECU we have a new AD and FB Coach.

ECU has great TV draw and traveling fans. The inclusion of ECU would keep the BE active in the recruit rich Tidewater. It is also, a driveable game for most programs. It actually very Geocentric. If ECU was added it isn't next door to any program but it isn't as remote as some people feel.
Here are the Distances to the most remote places from ECU:

ECU-->USF 723 miles
ECU-->UConn 656 miles
ECU-->UL 647 miles
ECU-->Cuse 645 miles

Certainly not easy drives but all could be done.

TopCoog Wrote:Brick city, Give us one good reason why the Big east should split its money with ECU, thus lowering the amount recieved by each school now in the league????

Top Coog,

Whether you like it or not ECU has televison appeal. Thats why the Big East could benefit from the addition of ECU.

The addition of ECU would make the big East TV contract more appealing thus creating more revenue for the members of the Big East.

TopCoog Wrote:Brick city, Give us one good reason why the Big east should split its money with ECU, thus lowering the amount recieved by each school now in the league????

Twelve Game Schedule will make finding Five OOC opponents tougher. ECU would make 9 teams--thus a balanced 4/4 schedule. Plus their TV market includes East NC and the Tidewater and they would help with The Gator and Tire Bowls for Fan Support. Also, when they say they have 37,000 fans in the stands it is real unlike some CUSA teams.

I know they aren't on the status of Cougar High so we have to go with our second choice :laugh:

None of those reasons are worth the millions they would give to ECU. penn State, yes. Notre Dame, yes. ECU, nope, not a chance.
This is not even an issue in the Big East office. Evidence? A single quote from a BE official saying ECU is even being discussed?

TopCoog Wrote:None of those reasons are worth the millions they would give to ECU. penn State, yes. Notre Dame, yes. ECU, nope, not a chance.
This is not even an issue in the Big East office. Evidence? A single quote from a BE official saying ECU is even being discussed?

I agree with you this is speculation. However, if the 12 game proposal goes through--ECU is a top contender.

Quote:This is not even an issue in the Big East office.

I'm surprised to see you back here dictating the Big East's future after you were so very wrong about the split.

USFBullSpit Wrote:Nothing against Memphis, but if I am not mistaken, just a few seasons ago they were at the bottom of C-USA in football and almost everything else accept soccer and basketball. Just a few years ago, according to their website, they were only getting about 28,000 or so to the Liberty bowl, in recent years, they have played games in which schools such as Ole Miss, Miss State, UofL, and Southern Miss brought anywhere between 10 to 20,000 more fans. Like I said, nothing against Memphis but we are on an island here at USF. Adding either ECU or UAB would be better for us. Actually if you look at the complete sports picture, ECU and UAB have done more for C-USA than Memphis. UAB has had nationally ranked teams in men's basketball, softball, soccer, tennis, while ECU has had nationally ranked teams in baseball, softball, men's and women's swimming, cross country, track and field, football, women's soccer, and men's and women's golf since joining C-USA.


Highest Rated College Football games for C-USA
<a href='http://www.bigeast.org/fanforums/message.asp?ID=2078944' target='_blank'>http://www.bigeast.org/fanforums/message.a....asp?ID=2078944</a>
<a href='http://www.espn.com' target='_blank'>http://www.espn.com</a>

OOC School vs. C-USA School
1) Marshall vs. East Carolina (Mobile Bowl)
2) Boise State vs. UofL (Liberty Bowl)
3) Army vs. Navy
4) Miami vs. East Carolina
5) VT vs. East Carolina (Thursday Night)
6) Florida State vs. UofL (Thursday Night)
7) Alabama vs. Southern Miss (Thursday Night)
8) Tenn vs. Memphis
9) Ohio State vs. Cincy (matchup at Paul Brown Stadium)
10) South Carolina vs. East Carolina (tie)
10) Miami OH vs. UofL (Mobile Bowl) (tie)
10) Purde vs. Cincy (Labor Day game) (tie)

C-USA Team vs. C-USA Team
1) UofL at East Carolina (Thursday Night)
2) East Carolina at UofL (Thursday Night)
3) East Carolina at Southern Miss
4) UofL at Memphis
5) Army at East Carolina
6) Southern Miss at UAB
7) Southern Miss at East Carolina
8) Memphis at UofL
9) East Carolina at UAB
10) Army at Tulane

Basketball

C-USA school vs. C-USA school
1) UofL at Cincy
2) Cincy at UofL
3) UofL at East Carolina
4) Cincy at Charlotte
5) UofL at Marquette
6) Memphis at UofL
7) UofL at Charlotte
8) UAB at UofL
9) Charlotte at Cincy
10) UAB at Memphis

Just looking out for what is best for the Bulls.

Hilarious! A USF fan talking down to a Memphis fan about tradition and attendance.

You're an idiot.

NFL, I wasn't wrong about the split. I never said a split was not considered. I simply said it is not an issue now and I'm right, there is no evidence anywhere.
Mark, Where is the evidence the big East will expand if the 12 game schedule goes through? Why should they give ECU millions and get nothing in return?

TopCoog, Why do you care? I would think you would think you would want to get ECU out of CUSA since we bring nothing but another mouth to feed. The BE Commissioner hasn't discussed ECU, but that doesn't mean that ECU isn't being discussed among the BE AD's & Presidents. ECU may never become a member of the Big East or any other BCS conference. I just know it would be foolish for ECU to shut the door on the possiblity of BE membership, just because the current BE Commissioner doesn't have us on his radar.

Brick City, I don't care. ECU is free to do as they wish. My point is that ECU is not being considered for any spot in the Big East and that the subject is not on the table. Most of the time a league will say they are looking at expansion and THEN speculation will begin about who that might be. None of that is happening here.
I can say that cincinnati is a candidate for a big ten spot but that doesn't make it so. At SOME POINT a little evidence would be nice.

TopCoog Wrote:NFL, I wasn't wrong about the split. I never said a split was not considered. I simply said it is not an issue now and I'm right, there is no evidence anywhere.
Mark, Where is the evidence the big East will expand if the 12 game schedule goes through? Why should they give ECU millions and get nothing in return?

I have not linkable evidence other than speculation from a few insiders I know with Syracuse. The 12 game proposal will push the BE to look for at a 9th member--will they add one? Who knows.

Quote:I never said a split was not considered.

Oh really? To quote you...

"Anyone who tells you they are going to dump Villanova, Marquette and the others is insane"

So no, you didn't say a split was not considered (pardon the double negative), you just said that anyone who thinks it was considered is "insane."

Newsflash: Boston College, Connecticut, Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers, and West Virginia voted SIX to ZERO to dump the basketball schools. The ONLY reason they are still together is because the basketball schools would have lost their auto NCAA bid, and I don't think the football schools wanted to severely hinder 5 athletic programs willingly when they were looking for sympathy from the BCS after the raid.

Quote:I simply said it is not an issue now and I'm right, there is no evidence anywhere.

Common sense would show that a 9th member, while not a necessity, would be a nice luxury for the Big East. It would allow a 4/4 road/home split for football and a 16 game home and home schedule for basketball.

P.S. The Big East minutes proposed three directions for the league to go, a 16 team model (which we obviously went for in the short term), a 12 team model (which was not surprisingly shot down quickly), and a 8/9 team model.

Is the little dash followed by a 9 not evidence enough that they considered going to 9?

Also, remember ECU from what I read would be willing to come in initially for FB only. They could park their other programs in the A-10 or CAA for a few years.

Utah could come to CUSA as well Mark, my question is....where is your evidence that any of this is being considered?

TopCoog Wrote:NFL, I wasn't wrong about the split. I never said a split was not considered. I simply said it is not an issue now and I'm right, there is no evidence anywhere.
Mark, Where is the evidence the big East will expand if the 12 game schedule goes through? Why should they give ECU millions and get nothing in return?

Wow, you're a straight up liar.

TopCoog Wrote:Utah could come to CUSA as well Mark, my question is....where is your evidence that any of this is being considered?

No Utah wouldn't come to CUSA that would be ridculous ECU to the BE as a FB only isn't.

Back to your query--two things: ECU's desire and the Big East Meetings from 2003 gives clues.

Also, ECU's AD Holland met Jake Crouthamel (then SU's AD) during a Sept 2004 Football game in C-ville.