Orange Eagles Wrote:bitcruncher Wrote:BC has burnt its bridges, as has Virginia Tech and Miami. Any speculation about renewing anything with them in the near future is ludicrous.
I'm not so sure about that. After BC left, Syracuse said they would never play BC for their turning on the conference. However, after the situation cooled a little, they realized this was still a long-time rival and for the good of the school and tradition, they decided to renew the rivalry for at least six years.
I think maybe Miami or VT have burned bridges, but I think Syr, UCONN and Pitt would sway the conference to welcome BC back if they expressed interest.
Bitcruncher is right to a huge extent. Boston College would never come back to the hybrid Big East as currently constructed.
But if the much-speculated-upon split is delayed until 2013, when the TV contracts are up, I could see BC coming home then.
Penn State will NEVER leave the Big Ten. Notre Dame will NEVER join any conference for football and will NEVER form their own.
Boston College, however, could return down the road if the current hybrid version of the Big East splits and the money is right.
01) Boston College
02) Connecticut
03) Syracuse
04) Rutgers
05) Pittsburgh
06) West Virginia
07) Cincinnati
08) Louisville
09) South Florida
10) Central Florida
That is a beautifully constructed conference there. Four in the Northeast, four in the Mideast, and two in the Recruiting State.
The Big East football schools, after dragging Boston College back home, can order the ACC to take Temple as their replacement.
As far as geographic footprint goes, I can live with that, since I never want a future all-sports league to foolishly have 12 teams.
The Fighting Irish would have their own conference, the Catholic version of the Big East, while staying independent in football.
01) Holy Cross
02) Providence
03) St. John's
04) Seton Hall
05) Villanova
06) Georgetown
07) Notre Dame
08) DePaul
09) Marquette
10) St. Louis