The Big East might be dead in the next few years

[Incognegro]

Sorry if Germans, but I didn't see this posted anywhere. Since Rutgers is leaving to go to the B1G, pretty much everyone just assumes the ACC will take either UConn or Louisville (or eventually end up with both).

But apparently, San Diego State and Boise State are thinking about opting out of their contract to go back to the MWC. If the end up leaving, the Big East might honestly be just a step above C-USA and that's it...

If this is true, this will be the first time I've seen a conference on the brink of dissolving since I didn't care too much about football in 96 when the Southwestern Conference dissolved.

LINK

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Memphis will stay in the Big East for basketball's sake.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

It's funny that when Memphis was announced as a member of the Big East their fans were so excited. Now they might have just joined a dying conference. Poor poor tigers.

 

[patdog]

A step above CUSA? They'll be a step below CUSA. I thought Central Florida and SMU made a huge mistake from the beginning. Not Memphis so much since they get what they want, which is a legitimate basketball league. SDSU & Boise would be idiots not to go back to the MWC. It's going to be the best non-Big5 league out there. As far as football goes, the Big East is going to be right there with CUSA, the Sunbelt & the MAC.

 

[Incognegro]

Yeah. You might be right. The only way I can see the Big East "saving" themselves is if they raid C-USA again. I got interested and started counting the teams that they should have if Boise and San Diego jump ship... and...well... you'll see.

The teams that they should be left with are:

UConn/Louisville(?)
Houston
Memphis
SMU
Central Florida
South Florida
Cincinnati
Temple
Navy (football only)

If they do choose to raid C-USA again, legitimately... the only teams they honestly have left to get are USM, ECU, LA Tech (when they join C-USA) and maybe Tulsa... If they pull the trigger on that... then with the exception of basketball... the Big East would look like a revised C-USA when they were starting to get good. That's honestly the only way I could see the Big East remaining relevant, because their basketball is going to take a massive hit.

 

[FlabLoser]

USM guy told me they were bailing from C-USA and joining Big East. That's not already a done deal? Or was it some other conference?

 

[Incognegro]

Unless he has some inside information about a contract under the works, then naw... USM got snubbed when the Big East was first trying to expand. This is their only chance of making it in now.

 

[QuaoarsKing]

Agreed. If the Big 12, SEC, and Big 10 carve up the ACC, the few remaining ACC teams will merge with some of the Big East teams to form a basketball-oriented conference. Imagine Duke, Syracuse, Georgetown, Connecticut, Villanova, etc.

If anyone is left in the Big East (SMU? Memphis?), they'll probably end up back in CUSA.

Of course I could be completely wrong on this, since conference expansion scenarios change on a dime. But looks pretty likely right now:

SEC - Adds Virginia Tech and NC State
Big 10 - Adds Virginia and UNC
Big 12 - Adds Florida State, Clemson, Georgia Tech, and possibly Pittsburgh, Louisville, Miami, or all 3. Duke a possibility.

 

[patdog]

I think you can go ahead and put UConn in the ACC. And probably Louisville too if Florida St. goes to the Big 12, which I think they'll probably do in the next couple of years. Actually, I think Louisville may wind up in the Big 12 themselves, but either way they won't be staying in the Big East.

 

[patdog]

By the time it gets to the point the Big East would take USM, USM will turn them down because CUSA is a better deal for them.

 

[patdog]

NC State is WAY below the SEC's radar. The only teams in the ACC that the SEC would be interested in are VA Tech and UNC. And the SEC just might get them at some point. If push came to shove, UNC would choose the SEC over the Big 10 and it wouldn't even be a debate for them. And the SEC wouldn't let UNC get away without offering. The Big 12 will probably get FSU in the next couple of years. If the Big 10 could get Virginia, they would have taken them now instead of Maryland. That was a desperation move by the Big 10 and shows what we already knew, that it is on the decline. They would have also taken UConn over Rutgers if they could have. But UConn knows that its future is the ACC.

 

[Incognegro]

You know, I really don't see FSU going to the Big XII. I actually think they'll stick it out in the ACC for the long haul. If they're wanting to leave because they feel the conference is being ran by UNC and Duke, then why would they go to the Big XII with Texas sitting in the bosses chair?

Now UConn and Louisville... I think at some point both will end up in the ACC. I'd be willing to wager that UConn will be the next addition. Louisville will stay there for a bit longer, but will more than likely end up in the ACC unless the Big XII gets to them first.

 

[DAWG61]

I don't see the ACC dissolving.

[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]They just added Syracuse and Pittsburgh for all sports and Notre Dame for all except FB. With Maryland leaving that puts the ACC at 13 FB schools and 14 BB schools. Add L'Ville, UConn and it's 15/16. Who becomes the 16th member for football? Maybe Notre Dame after they get stomped in the NC game but probably not so maybe they stay at an uneven 15 for awhile or maybe Cincinnati? Btw that is one nasty basketball conference. They should just add Kansas and be the most ridiculous basketball conference ever. [/FONT]

 

[patdog]

I know I wouldn't leave the ACC for the Big 12 if I was FSU, but they were 1 of the 2 schools that voted against the $50M buyout. So it does look like they're at least considerin jumping to the Big 12 if/when they get the chance. Maybe they're just trying to get an invite to the SEC, but I think they should realize that's never going to come.

 

[Railin Jemmye]

Disagree. SEC should get Florida State and Clemson and call it a day. If you balance your money grabs with actual substance, you get rich. The SEC would take ANOTHER giant leap forward if it collected those 2 teams.

 

[patdog]

Clemson and FSU are even further below the SEC's radar than NC State would be. VA Tech and UNC would bring both more quality and more to the SEC's footprint than FSU and Clemson would. And those are the only 2 ACC teams I see the SEC being interested in. I could see the SEC using NC State as a bargaining chip to get UNC if it came down to it. If the SEC decided it wants UNC and they waver a little, I could see the SEC telling them they can either join the SEC or we're going to ask NC State to join. It would take UNC about 5 seconds to accept if the SEC ever gave them that ultimatum.

 

[Railin Jemmye]

I'm not pretending to know what the SEC is thinking.....

Obviously they are looking for a money grab. And North Carolina would be a good get honestly. But you're missing my point. IN MY OPINION Clemson and FSU add the most substance. I don't think that grabbing new states for temporary TV deals and such is best for the long term. Short term money grab, yes. Which is what Missouri was, and will turn out to be a bad move in the end I'm afraid. Texas A&M added both. FSU and Clemson would add both. Expanding a TV footprint is bad....BAD....for the quality of the conference.

Basically, look at what the B1G is doing and do the opposite. They are failing. Look at how their divisions are set up....to manufacture a champion, while the SEC just simply used East vs. West....and it's the most successful championship game out there.

The SEC and PAC-12 are the only two conferences who have their **** together, period.

 

[Incognegro]

Why do you think it's bad to worry about tv markets? There's way more money to be had with tv markets for a whole state than versus adding a marquee program in the same state. I'm also not buying that it will dilute the conference either, especially when all of the major conferences will eventually end up with 16 teams.

It won't hurt us at all with football and it will only make us better in basketball (pretty much all of the teams we're considering adding have extremely good basketball). The B1G is doing what they're doing out of desperation. The SEC is doing what they're doing because they can. That's main difference there.

 

[jakldawg]

Worst-case scenario being thrown out there: Boisie and TCU (or is it SMU?) back out, UConn heads to ACC.
Cincy, Louisville & Memphis go back to the Metro C-USA.
What's left of the Big East is basically the basketball-only schools that have been been holding the conference back for a while.
And here's an interesting article saying how the B1G is diluting its' brand (of New Years Day bowl game whipping boys and plodding, nearly unwatchable hoops, but still a brand, I suppose) by adding schools with small fanbases (and another reminder that NYC natives don't care about college football).

 

[Incognegro]

TCU already backed out and is in the Big XII right now. SMU, Houston, UCF and Memphis are all headed to the Big East from C-USA along with Boise, San Diego and Navy going only as football only members, but Boise and San Diego look like they're backing out too.

 

[Incognegro]

Was reading Eaglepost and came across this article.

Basically, it's saying that if the Big East isn't able to honor certain TV revenue numbers, then Houston can opt out of their contract without penalty. I hear Memphis has the same clause in their contract. Don't know about SMU or UCF.

If this is true...there's a chance that even the C-USA editions might back out of the Big East.

 

[patdog]

They've got to at least be thinking about it. I thought Houston, SMU & Central Florida were making a big mistake when the left CUSA for the Big East. As a football league, the Big East is dead. The only question is who wants to be the last one left holding the bag.