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Having survived the most recent wave of expansion intact, the Big East Conference is studying ways to bolster its position and has targeted TCU as very attractive candidate to help strengthen its football league, The Post has learned.

“We are in a situation that requires us to evaluate and analyze all our options including expansion and television," said a source close to the league who requested anonymity. “There are a dozen or so schools that we’re looking at."

Two sources said the TCU discussion developed recently. The school’s tradition, academics and recent success have lifted the university’s profile. TCU (4-0) is ranked fifth in the polls and many believe it is currently the best team in Texas.

One source stressed that there have been no meetings among Big East presidents or ADs to discuss membership. But that source also said expansion has altered the way conferences think. The fact that TCU hardly matches the Big East footprint is a tertiary concern.

“It’s a good program in a good market,’’ said the source. “That’s what you look for.’’

TCU is a member of the Mountain West Conference, which recently lost Utah to the Pac 10. There was intense speculation that TCU would move to the Big XII when that conference lost Nebraska to the Big Ten and Colorado to the Pac 10, which also almost lured Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State..

TCU officials, attending to their weekly football media obligations, did not immediately return calls.

It’s almost a foregone conclusion that the Big Ten and Pac 10 are not done expanding, which puts the Western Athletic Conference and the Mountain West in a precipitous position. Many thought TCU would jump to the Big XII when Colorado left but that league also is vulnerable.

So as far-fetched as a Big East-TCU union might have seemed just three years ago, the landscape is changing at warp speed. The eight football playing members in the Big East strongly desire a ninth program for scheduling purposes.

Villanova, already in the league for basketball, previously was mentioned as a possible addition for football.

“It’s always been our policy never to comment on individual schools when talking about membership,’’ John Paquette, the Big East’s associate commissioner for communications, told The Post.

Geesh... if that happens then it sure appears that the WAC is morphing into the MWC...Wata bummer

I'll believe it when I see it. But nothing would surprise me at this point. The Big East could probably get away with one more team being that far away. USF isn't in the back yard. TCU and USF would be about twice the flight time of going to Syracuse for WVU. The disadvantage is for those 2 schools. But for me flying for 4 hrs isn't much more notable than flying 2hrs and 20 minutes. (And I hate flying.)

But let me note, if the Big East offered to TCU, I do have some doubt that they would go. Secondly, if they do offer to them, then it is very obvious to me it is a move to retain the BCS AQ. With BYU bouncing out on their own, if TCU left then MTW would have less strength than they do in the current formation.

WoVeU wrote:But let me note, if the Big East offered to TCU, I do have some doubt that they would go. Secondly, if they do offer to them, then it is very obvious to me it is a move to retain the BCS AQ. With BYU bouncing out on their own, if TCU left then MTW would have less strength than they do in the current formation.

I think it would make more sense for TCU to stick around and wait to get into the "Big 12", or whatever they plan on calling themselves in the future . If the other conferences are going to morph into the mega-conferences, then the new Big 12 isn't going to stop at 10 teams. They would probably look at Tulsa, Houston, TCU, Boise State, or Colorado State, or some combination of that.

Ii think it might now be easier for the MTW to out flank the Big-12. First I'd get 2 of Houston, SMU and Tulsa then I'd get any one of Texas Tech, Texas A&M, or Oklahoma St. Given they had 12 teams including (Houston, Tulsa, SMU) and one of those Big 12 teams...I think you could readily get the other 2. The MTW should then have enough tout to be a BCS Conference. And they'd leave the Big 7 in loads of trouble. I think it would then turn into the Big East and the Big 7 raiding the remains of Conference USA to cement a quality conference.

I like the fact the Big East is getting serious about expansion (I am sure it is a much greater effort than we see), They need to get enough talk going to help them recruit. They should pay a visit to, ECU, Marshall, Memphis, Middle Tenn, Navy, Army, Temple, Troy, UAB, N. Illinois, Bowling Green, Toledo, and CMU. Once I was confident I'd have at least 4 of these committed...I'd announce the Big East was going to at least 14 teams. Then I'd visit Maryland, Va Tech, BC, and Missouri. Those bigger teams would be easier to woo if you had a conference championship game already in the bag.

But in all of this a pretty easy fix is available, the Big East-West Conference. The Big (now 10) could cut Iowa St. and Baylor going to 8 teams and join with the Big East. Then you'd have some irony...the 2 raided conference now being 1. (In basketball the Big East would likely have to drop ND, St. Johns, Depaul, Providence, and Seton Hall to bring the basketball members down to 19 members, so they could play every team.)

Hmm, that's an interesting scenario. I think the Big East wouldn't mind expanding westward a little bit, but I'm afraid the MAC has about zero football programs worth offering, outside of Temple. If I were the Big East and I wanted to grow to 12 teams overnight, I think my four picks would be TCU (which is a geographical stretch, but the Dallas Cowboys are in the NFC East ), Temple, Villanova, and I would approach Maryland. If Maryland is off the board, then I'd choose between ECU and Memphis.

The Big East-West is more attractive to me at this point. If you figure you only have 3 out-of-division games. It is enough to weigh the conference sides and round out a really good schedule with 10 conference games and leaving room for 2 warm-ups.

And as a kicker, the basketball would be in league with the Big 10 and the ACC combined! That ain't no joke, the conference tourney would get huge ratings!

WoVeU wrote:The Big East-West is more attractive to me at this point. If you figure you only have 3 out-of-division games. It is enough to weigh the conference sides and round out a really good schedule with 10 conference games and leaving room for 2 warm-ups.

And as a kicker, the basketball would be in league with the Big 10 and the ACC combined! That ain't no joke, the conference tourney would get huge ratings!

Right, that's the appeal of Memphis. But if they're expanding westward far enough to nab TCU, they may as well go for Kansas if they're thinking basketball.

Before you know it we will see the end of the BE as we know it now BB and FB schools will split and then, the new conf. will be named and the MEGA Conf. will begin.

WVU wrote:Before you know it we will see the end of the BE as we know it now BB and FB schools will split and then, the new conf. will be named and the MEGA Conf. will begin.

The mega conferences are going to happen because the it is the only way a playoff can happen.

Spence wrote:

WVU wrote:Before you know it we will see the end of the BE as we know it now BB and FB schools will split and then, the new conf. will be named and the MEGA Conf. will begin.

The mega conferences are going to happen because the it is the only way a playoff can happen.

Do you think that is the determined destiny in all of this? (As in active and directed behind the scenes.)

Absolutely. I think when all is said and done there will be an eight game NCAA sanctioned playoff. The first round of which will be a conference championship, the second game will be the champ of each of the four conference champs and then a championship. I think 64 teams will make up D1A.

I like that scenario...but it will be bloody cutting to 64 from 120...

billybud wrote:I like that scenario...but it will be bloody cutting to 64 from 120...

Then teams from 65 to 128 can form 4 super conferences to make up D1AA and have their own playoff.