A number of Big East fans desperately hope that somehow, someway, the Big East will get Norte Dame to join for football. This, as well know, is a very unlikely scenairo and will take much negotiation to do so, if at all possible.
The only way to make this a possibility is simple-give Norte Dame what it wants.
Norte Dame wants a national schedule against traditional rivals, with their own TV contract. That is asking for a lot, but I think that with some tough negotiation, it can be worked out.
The reason this is possible is that we only play 7 conference games. That's right, the part of our football conference many consider to be a bane might actually help us land Norte Dame (or another independent) one day, if my theory were to play out as planned.
The way I would set up the Big East, under a split, would be the following for football:

West
Norte Dame
Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Rutgers
Army *FB only*
Navy *FB only*
East
Louisville
Cincinnati
USF
Syracuse
UConn
(team to be named)

The key to all of this is that you would only have 7 conference games...5 against your division, and 2 crossovers. The benefit would be as such:
-Norte Dame gets traditional rivals, a game in pennsylvania, and a game in the meadowlands.
-Each conference member gets a home game with Norte Dame every 6 years...which is about equal to what we will get with the 3 games a year policy.
-All schools get to use a fleixble OOC schedule (Norte Dame gets USC and Purdue; WV gets Maryland and VT; USF, UC, and UL can schedule some teams from the old CUSA, etc)
-A championship game (will have to be worked out with Army and Navy)

The biggest problem with this is money...Army, Navy, Norte Dame all have their own contracts. However, letting them keep their own contracts might be the best we can do. We would have to secure a portion of their contract for the conference, while letting them keep the rest. If it helps out our football, I say it is worth it.
In addition, take a look at how our all sports would look:
Cincinnati
Louisville
USF
Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Rutgers
Syracuse
UConn
Norte Dame
*Team to be named*

That would be a pretty sweet conference, and depending on that 10th member, could get 5-6 bids a year in basketball, and do well in other sports.
Just trying to think outside the box...what do you all think?

Been Discussed Before

You need "Two to Tango" and the girl don't wanna dance.

ND used to get full share if they BCS bowl. BCS just knocked them down to at-large share[4.5 mill] Looks like BCS is trying to force them to join conf

ND used to get full share if they BCS bowl. BCS just knocked them down to at-large share[4.5 mill] Looks like BCS is trying to force them to join conf

I hope so.

templefootballfan Wrote:ND used to get full share if they BCS bowl. BCS just knocked them down to at-large share[4.5 mill] Looks like BCS is trying to force them to join conf

ND is getting $1 million a year if they make a BCS bowl or not and $4.5 million if they do earn a BCS bowl game. Interestingly enough, these are almost the exact figures they would receive as a Big East football conference member.

This is not forcing them to join a conference. It is helping them to be independent by guaranteeing them conference money as an independent.