Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[Muck]

Why the Hell do you think Vandy is still in? Duh!

Because somebody has to read the message board posts for the rest of the schools' alums down in dogpatch.

That being said it is the sign of a strong & stable conference. The SEC doesn't need an exit fee. It is made up of schools that have generally similar outlooks and strong regional ties. There is little incentive for most (if not all) of them to look elsewhere.

 

[Muck]

Which school would be a better addition to a new conference, West Virginia or Missouri?

Might have been more interesting if the poll was instead "which school would be a better addition to the SEC".

 

[kinch]

Yay! For the first time since I dined with coach Hazell I have some inside news.

The Big East has approached my flag football team, the "Warring Unmedicated, SPARTA!" for inclusion into their conference. I'll post more as updates arise.

 

[Muck]

Yay! For the first time since I dined with coach Hazell I have some inside news.

The Big East has approached my flag football team, the "Warring Unmedicated, SPARTA!" for inclusion into their conference. I'll post more as updates arise.

ECU gets screwed again.

 

[Muck]

Big East votes unanimously to extend invitations to new members

PHILADELPHIA -- Big East presidents voted unanimously today to "extend invitations to specific institutions, including both football-only and all-sports members,'' according to league commissioner John Marinatto.

Marinatto declined to name specific schools, or the number that were extended invitations, but Houston, SMU, and Central Florida have been on the league's radar for all-sports invitations. In addition, the league has targeted Boise State, Air Force and Navy as football members only.

The league will need an additional school to get to its plan of 12 with the recent departure of West Virginia.

Marinatto said he would be "speaking to representatives of those schools shortly'' and said he was looking forward to announcing their acceptance in the near future.

.../cont/...

Marinatto's full statement:

"We had a very productive meeting and were able to discuss the great progress we have made in the last few weeks regarding conference realignment.

"Our Presidents voted unanimously to extend invitations to specific institutions, including both football-only and all-sport members to join the BIG EAST Conference. I will be speaking to representatives of those schools shortly and look forward to announcing with them their acceptance into the BIG EAST. The addition of these members will extend our reach, bring us to exciting new markets, strengthen our status within the BCS, and lay the foundation for possible further expansion, all while maintaining the high quality and standards our Conference is known for.

"In light of the lawsuit filed by West Virginia yesterday, the Presidents also discussed and confirmed our continuing commitment to enforce the Conference's 27-month notification period for schools choosing to leave. The Conference believes these claims to be wholly without merit and will explore all its legal options to protect its interests and to ensure that West Virginia lives up to its obligations."

SOURCE

 

[Dryden]

Big East should just mail out a few hundred invitations Presort Std Postage Pd.

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE BEEN PRE-SELECTED* FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE BIG EAST!
Visit our Web site to enroll now. Some applications can be approved in under 60 seconds.

 

[Diego-Bucks]

Big East votes unanimously to extend invitations to new members

[/i]

Marinatto's full statement:



SOURCE

I'm doubtful that they extended the invites if there was any doubt. I'm just not sold on this being a good thing for the Big East. They are Conference USA from the year 2000. They have a plethora of average teams and two service academies (why not Army??). Boise State gets their shot, so... good for them?? But honestly, I don't see much entertainment in this conference. For these mid-low level match-ups I'd much rather watch a Boise State against Nevada knowing it was important for the area/fanbases than I will care about Boise State and Central Florida. No one from Orlando cares about Idaho, no one from Idaho will stop trout fishing to care about Orlando.

This isn't attractive for a BCS level conference and its definitely lacking anything that feels regional or natural. To me, the fact that this is completely desperate is... not so sexy. I'm typically in favor of taking advantage of whatever you can get, insecurities be damned, but this Big East broad is just too much of a whore.

 

[ochre]

The Big East should just name Ron Zook as their new Commissioner.

 

[dragurd]

Yeah the big east the the big 12's desperate lets invite people so we can stay an AQ conference who cares if it's no better then the MAC is getting kind of sad. There is a time to lket go. The Big East has hit that time.

 

[Muck]

So best guesses on who get offers?

All sports:
SMU, Houston, UCF, Temple

FB only:
BSU, AFA

Who is number seven? Pitino is pushing for Memphis.

They have a plethora of average teams and two service academies (why not Army??).

I don't think Navy is that interested in the Big East regardless of what the Big East says....and Army isn't joining any conference after their experience in CUSA.

 

[Diego-Bucks]

So best guesses on who get offers?

All sports:
SMU, Houston, UCF, Temple

FB only:
BSU, AFA

Who is number seven? Pitino is pushing for Memphis.



I don't think Navy is that interested in the Big East regardless of what the Big East says....and Army isn't joining any conference after their experience in CUSA.

If Navy doesn't go, will Air Force still go? Other candidates are BYU, ECU, Memphis. I'm sure BYU is willing to wait out the Big 12 and/or stay independent but an offer may be too attractive () to turn down. They do football in Big East and they stay in the WCC for everything else still.

 

[Woody1968]

If Navy doesn't go, will Air Force still go? Other candidates are BYU, ECU, Memphis. I'm sure BYU is willing to wait out the Big 12 and/or stay independent but an offer may be too attractive () to turn down. They do football in Big East and they stay in the WCC for everything else still.

None of the football members of the Big East want to be in the league as it is, why in hell would any school want to become a new member, when the conference has no shot at an automatic bid after 2014?

 

[Muck]

If Navy doesn't go, will Air Force still go?

That's the big question...and if Air Force balks does Boise State do so as well (allegedly they want AFA as a western partner).

None of the football members of the Big East want to be in the league as it is, why in hell would any school want to become a new member, when the conference has no shot at an automatic bid after 2014?

Because as sad sack as it is it does have an automatic bid and it's not an absolute that it will lose it whereas the other options (CUSA, MWC) have even less of an opportunity to ever pick one up.

 

[Woody1968]

That's the big question...and if Air Force balks does Boise State do so as well (allegedly they want AFA as a western partner).



Because as sad sack as it is it does have an automatic bid and it's not an absolute that it will lose it whereas the other options (CUSA, MWC) have even less of an opportunity to ever pick one up.

No. The Big East is toast as an AQ conference, unless ESPiN pulls some baloney out of their hat and gets the BCS suck it up. I would say the CUSA-MWC merger would be just as likely to get a bid as the Big East is to keep one.

Furthermore, one has to assume that the Big East is not even confident in the schools accepting the offer of membership, since they declined to name them.

 

[Muck]

No. The Big East is toast as an AQ conference, unless ESPiN pulls some baloney out of their hat and gets the BCS suck it up.
I would say the CUSA-MWC merger would be just as likely to get a bid as the Big East is to keep one. [/i]

There are measurable metrics in place that a conference must meet in order to earn an automatic BCS bid. CUSA & MWC individually are nowhere close to meeting the requirements...and a merger of the two is going to hurt more than it helps as they are bringing along all the bottom feeders that kill them under the written guidelines.

There is currently no quantifiable method by which a conference can be stripped of an automatic qualifier.

So we know unequivocally that that staying in CUSA/MWC or an amalgamation of the two is guaranteed to result in no automatic bid (barring a miracle).

We also have no way of knowing how or why a conference would be stripped of said bid.

So going by what we currently know to be true, why would one believe CUSA/MWC is more likely to have a bid in five years than the Big East?

Furthermore, one has to assume that the Big East is not even confident in the schools accepting the offer of membership, since they declined to name them.

Really one has to assume that?

One couldn't for example assume that it might be due to trying to mitigate legal or political interference?