New Big East?

[WoVeU]

TCU to the Big East? Villanova? UCF?

I thought that TCU wasn't out of the question a few months ago, an offer has now been extended.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5760971

It seems 3 teams were under consideration for expanding to 10 teams, but it looks like TCU and Nova are rather likely. I infer this to mean UCF would then be in play as 1 of 2 teams for the conference to go to 12 teams. Not hearing ECU, the school I'd expect, makes me wonder if they aren't backroom courting Maryland or some team that would want more to join???

[billybud]

I wonder about TCU and their playing football in the BE while all other sports in another conference. I get a feeling sometimes that TCU is like a big flashing silver spoon lure breaking the topwater with a splash and hoping to lure the B-XII into a bite.

UCF, I think, would be a better football choice for the Big East than Nova. Better facilities, better support, more access to talent, and thus a more immediate upside.

The TCU fans and supporters will be a hard sell for the school administration if it does desire to move to the BE in football.

[billybud]

No talk of Houston?

I predict that Nova will not go to IA football until the BE goes to 12 teams in the near future. I believe there will be phased expansion to a 12 team football and 20 team basketball conference, with a 10 team football league coming first.

Nova will probably be second phase and that will give them time to get ready for it. Some mix of TCU, Houston, UCF, etc will be the first phase to get the BE to 10 football schools.

(and, I thnk that the BE commissioner may have played to the NCAA the idea of each 10 team BB division getting its own autobid. That would be a coup if he accomplishes that, but I get the feeling that he at least has some positive consideration).

That heals the BE split between football and basketball schools and gives him the votes to go to a 12-20 format...my guess.

[Dossenator]

No talk of Houston?

On ESPN college football live show a couple days ago they did mention Houston as a possibility....especially if TCU was on board. They also mentioned Temple as a possibility....UCF and Villanova as well.

[Brian Roastbeef]

One of the goals of the Big East in this is to up their football schools without disrupting the 16 team basketball conference. That's one thing to sort out with TCU. UCF would be a decent add, if they can handle being in the same conference as USF. Villanova, meanwhile I have to think is a lock.

If they get those three, then they'll certainly up the pressure to get a 12th team. Trying to keep the status quo in basketball limits options though, unless they take back Temple or bring up yet another 1-AA... Richmond, or James Madison...

[strawman]

The schools near the most tv sets will be invited first, that is why ECU isn't being mentioned too seriously, not much in Greenville except ECU. They would love to be in some of those Texas markets for tv and some recruiting potential. UCF would give them another market in Florida and more of a presence in that fertile recruiting ground. The problem I see with Temple is they sucked for so long that they booted them out of the conference and now they have a good coach re-building the program. What happens if/when Golden leaves and the new coach doesn't maintain the momentum, do they boot them out again?

[Eric]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around Texas schools playing road games on the Eastern seaboard. Geography doesn't mean much anymore

[billybud]

There ya go...geography is out the window...

Invite Boise.

[donovan]

Of course if geography counted....hmm..I think I have beat that drum enough...anyway.....Louisiana Tech should be available somewhere closer to home.

[Derek]

There ya go...geography is out the window...

Invite Boise.

I don't like this.

Why not let Utah join the SEC?

[WoVeU]

The TV Market needs are one big push on the geography. Then with general FBS spread, there are only 5 N. Eastern schools not in the Big East...Temple, Navy, BC, Maryland, and Penn State. Then the ACC has all of the Virginia and N. Carolina programs. So without re-aligning all conferences they have to stretch somewhere or take smaller programs...if they take smaller programs they get slammed by critics. Having less than 12 teams is bad for survival, let alone thriving!

[Eric]

Yeah I had always thought it was kind of odd. I mean the Atlantic ocean is probably only slightly farther away from Texas than the Pacific is I would assume. I'm just going off of my highly faulty perception, but it seems roughly longer. I think that for TCU's other sports, having back-to-back road dates at Syracuse and then at UConn the next week or something just seems like it would put a very strenuous burden on the athletic funds for minor sports.

[WoVeU]

I wonder about TCU and their playing football in the BE while all other sports in another conference. I get a feeling sometimes that TCU is like a big flashing silver spoon lure breaking the topwater with a splash and hoping to lure the B-XII into a bite.

UCF, I think, would be a better football choice for the Big East than Nova. Better facilities, better support, more access to talent, and thus a more immediate upside.

The TCU fans and supporters will be a hard sell for the school administration if it does desire to move to the BE in football.

They will get the full sports package. They are just letting other teams (read as smaller, less establish, less coveted) thinking they are getting into basketball. Now they might take TCU in everything but basketball, the Hornfrogs might like not getting smacked around in hoops right out of the gate. But if they want it, the Big East (as I said earlier) needs to boot a non-football school. In my opinion the first ejection is Depaul.

And as I said earlier, travel to Dallas is no big step over travel to Tampa from Pittsburgh (WVU and Pitt). And these 2 would be the in the middle as far as travel impact. For Syr, Rut, UConn the flight difference would be somewhat noted and for Louisville and Cincy...about the same. (I guess I could check.)

*Pitt to Tampa is 2hrs 20 minutes. Dallas is 3hrs 10 minutes.
*Harford, Conn to Tampa is 3hrs 15 min. Dallas is 4hrs 10 min.
*Cincy to Tampa 2hrs 3 minutes. Dallas is 2hrs 45 minutes.
*Louisville to Tampa 2hrs 10 min. Dallas is 2hrs 30 min.

**Also for UCF reference, Pitt to Orlando is 2hrs and 10min.

[WoVeU]

Yeah I had always thought it was kind of odd. I mean the Atlantic ocean is probably only slightly farther away from Texas than the Pacific is I would assume. I'm just going off of my highly faulty perception, but it seems roughly longer. I think that for TCU's other sports, having back-to-back road dates at Syracuse and then at UConn the next week or something just seems like it would put a very strenuous burden on the athletic funds for minor sports.

I don't know about other sports, but it does seem like basketball would be rough.

[billybud]

Therein lies a problem...if TCU is invited for football only, where do they put their other sports? Not the MWC since it requires that if you have football, that you play in the MWC or your other teams do not.

That leaves a real downstep...Missouri Valley or Sunbelt, both of which usually get just the one bid for March Madness.