on the football field. Here is a good article about the NBE. It all comes down to what most of us have been saying...winning games. also note at the end about ND. Tranghese had gotten heat about "forcing ND to join the BE....and that ND "played a significant role in keeping this all together". I said it before on here. ND has a lot more power in BE football then "most" think.......for being a non-member. ND seems to want to keep this conference exactly how it is and by their new "3 team a year deal" to secure or ("tie down") this conference ...it makes one wonder whats really going for the future.......it seems hard to imagine a split in the furture...when ND has all this "hidden power"....just my opionion anyways...any thoughts?

<a href='http://www.connpost.com/sports/ci_2811594' target='_blank'>http://www.connpost.com/sports/ci_2811594</a>

I have come to believe there are 3 options:
1. A split that might send Norte Dame with the football schools, or at least keep Norte Dame as a "partial" member of the football conference (bowl scenario, etc).
2. The loss of two Big East schools to the ACC/Big Ten, resulting in a split of the football schools without Norte Dame
3. The keeping together of the 16 team conference, with the possible addition of a 17th member that plays football (16 BB round robin, 8 FB round robin).

I think you are right in that it will be much more difficult to split than people think. The number of basketball teams in the NCAA may decide the split just as much as any football factor does. I think right now the ninth football only member may happen before anything else does. I think eventually this plays into ECU, Marshall or UCF's favor...If any of the three can show a surge up in football
in CUSA in the next two to five years.

Pittusmc Wrote:on the football field. Here is a good article about the NBE. It all comes down to what most of us have been saying...winning games. also note at the end about ND. Tranghese had gotten heat about "forcing ND to join the BE....and that ND "played a significant role in keeping this all together". I said it before on here. ND has a lot more power in BE football then "most" think.......for being a non-member. ND seems to want to keep this conference exactly how it is and by their new "3 team a year deal" to secure or ("tie down") this conference ...it makes one wonder whats really going for the future.......it seems hard to imagine a split in the furture...when ND has all this "hidden power"....just my opionion anyways...any thoughts?

<a href='http://www.connpost.com/sports/ci_2811594' target='_blank'>http://www.connpost.com/sports/ci_2811594</a>

IMO, that part about ND just shows, to me anyway, that Tranghese is an idiot and shouldn't be a conference commissioner. ND tried to get some special concessions out of the Big Ten before (read: non-football member) and the Big Ten shot it down cold. IMO, that's what the Big East should be doing, especially since the BE's BCS future is secure. Also, what are some the BE's presidents' views on ND? I'm starting to think that some of them may be just as dumb as Tranghese.

I don't think MT has done what's necessary to hold this conference together. Actually, I believe he has positioned it for the split. The only need for expansion was to increase fb numbers, yet he brought in 2 bb schools. Why? Only one reason in my mind--to create 2 viable conferences for after the split.

I, also, believe MT thinks he can hold it together, and he believes that ND will help him. Truth is that the split will occur and MT will probably be shocked if ND drops out of the BE sans the fb schools. I think there's a real possibility that they may do so.

Notre Dame is really only concerned with Notre Dame. I certainly hope our new league does NOT offer them a partial membership.