Big East

Kingdome

Kingdome

FOOTBALL!
The Big East is scrambling for new members and to keep existing ones. The Shrinking 8 (former big 12) is looking to possibly add Louisville and West Virginia. The Big East must be aggressive if it wants to remain an AQ conference. A small conference won't cut it. It needs to expand, and expand big.

My suggestion: 20 team super conference (12 all sport members, 8 non-fooball members) that stretches from New England to Texas.

Football members:

TCU, Houston, South Florida, Central Florida, East Carolina, Memphis, Louisville, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Temple, Rutgers, UConn

Non-football members:

Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova, Georgetown, Notre Dame, DePaul, Marquette


Having 4 teams in large Florida and Texas markets would be huge for recruiting and television. Memphis, Houston, and Temple all bring basketball tradition with them, which helps to off set the loss of Syracuse and Pitt basketball. East Carolina brings a rabid fan base and gives the conference a foothold between Florida and Northeast.
 
R

Runnik's Hambones

Active Member
I agree that the Big East needs to make some moves, and quickly, but I'm thinking a bit bigger than your suggestion, King. Not only does the Big East need to keep their AQ qualifier but they also need to compete with the other conferences.

I think a 20 team super conference is a good idea but I would drop Temple and go after Boise St. They hate their conference and assumed they would be able to play Utah and TCU when they joined. It would also be their chance to join an AQ qualifier.

TCU, Houston, South Florida, Central Florida, East Carolina, Memphis, Louisville, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Boise St., Rutgers, UConn

Non-football members:

Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova, Georgetown, Notre Dame, DePaul, Marquette

Same teams you had otherwise.
 
Kingdome

Kingdome

FOOTBALL!
I never considered Boise because geography, other sports, market size, academics, etc. They have a nice thing going on in football, but I'd rather have a San Diego State than a Boise State in my conference.

If the Big East wants to drop the East and become the Big Conference, I'd look at San Diego State and UNLV. They could be travel partners, are in larger, recruit rich markets, and would be fun travel destinations for other conference fans looking to see their team on the road.
 
R

Runnik's Hambones

Active Member
Geography is out of the window and the Big East needs two things if they want to be a "super conference" (albeit the smaller of the 5 talent wise, assuming SEC, ACC, Big 10, Big East, and Pac 12). They need basketball teams to replace Syracuse (mostly) and Pitt, as well as competitive football teams. Houston and East Carolina will be some what competitive in the Big East, I think, but the hope with TCU was that the Big East would have a top 5 ranked qualifier every year. TCU isn't as good as they were last year or the couple of years before that, and a TCU v Boise rivalry would make for exciting football. If you lock up those two teams you have the surprise programs in football over the last 6 years, and they are an upgrade over Syracuse and Pitt.

Adding Memphis keeps Big East basketball king. Syracuse is always a tourny contender and Pitt has become more and more competitive. Memphis is in the hunt in the tourny every year as well and you still have the defending national title winners in UConn.

IMO, this is the best way of upgrading Big East football and remaining dominant in college basketball. I can understand the conversation for San Diego St and UNLV but if the Big East wants to begin moving from under the shadows of other conferences they need to add teams that can compete with any of them. Boise St could have very well contended for the national title several years now. If the Big East can walk away with some big time bowl wins against other conference championships and continue to be a basketball stud then they can survive and thrive.
 
Kingdome

Kingdome

FOOTBALL!
I just can't see Boise sustaining it. They have to import 95% of their players, 90% of which had to slip through Pac-10 offers or admission offices. Boise is good because there is more talent out west than there are D1 programs, and because they are good at identifying developable talent. They also benefit from substantially easier academic requirements than the Pac-12 schools. If WSU gets their act together and a San Diego State or Fresno State get it rolling down in California, it could result in rough sailing for Boise.

I think San Diego State offers more as a program, and significantly more in positive externalities for both the conference and conference members. San Diego County is a football recruiting goldmine. Not sure if it is still true, but San Diego used to produce more NFL players than any other city. Plus it is a larger market, which helps with exposure and media rights. On top of that, it is a great travel destination for visiting fans.
 
Sgt John

Sgt John

Sith Lord of T&A
Speaking on KDs point, didnt Boise just lost a couple schollys over recruitment of football players from Denmark???
 
Kingdome

Kingdome

FOOTBALL!
Yeah, Boise got docked a few schollies. Lucky for them they don't receive any postseason sanctions. They lose 3 a year for a few years.
 
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