If I were the commissioner of the Eastern Eight here's the 12 team all-sports conference I would try to create:

Division A
1. Boston College
2. UConn
3. Syracuse
4. Rutgers
5. Penn State
6. Pittsburgh

Division B
1. Maryland
2. VA Tech
3. West Virginia
4. Louisville
5. Cincinnati
6. Memphis

If I were commissioner. Notre Dame would be out. Any other result would be gravy.

Wilkie01 Wrote:If I were the commissioner of the Eastern Eight here's the 12 team all-sports conference I would try to create:

Division A
1. Boston College
2. UConn
3. Syracuse
4. Rutgers
5. Penn State
6. Pittsburgh

Division B
1. Maryland
2. VA Tech
3. West Virginia
4. Louisville
5. Cincinnati
6. Memphis

If you get Penn State, you won't need to be an Eastern League. Trust me on this. It would be the Big East with an additional 4 to 6 teams from the bb side.

Cheers,
Neil

omnicarrier Wrote:

Wilkie01 Wrote:If I were the commissioner of the Eastern Eight here's the 12 team all-sports conference I would try to create:

Division A
1. Boston College
2. UConn
3. Syracuse
4. Rutgers
5. Penn State
6. Pittsburgh

Division B
1. Maryland
2. VA Tech
3. West Virginia
4. Louisville
5. Cincinnati
6. Memphis

If you get Penn State, you won't need to be an Eastern League. Trust me on this. It would be the Big East with an additional 4 to 6 teams from the bb side.

Cheers,
Neil

The only way you get PSU is to get ND, BC and Maryland. It ain't happening.

No it will not happen and that why I posted my earlier Big East in 2010 post, which is facing reality. Mike T. is going to fight against the 9th football team until he forcesus to split!

Do you sell onions to Taco Bell?

omnicarrier Wrote:

Wilkie01 Wrote:If I were the commissioner of the Eastern Eight here's the 12 team all-sports conference I would try to create:

Division A
1. Boston College
2. UConn
3. Syracuse
4. Rutgers
5. Penn State
6. Pittsburgh

Division B
1. Maryland
2. VA Tech
3. West Virginia
4. Louisville
5. Cincinnati
6. Memphis

If you get Penn State, you won't need to be an Eastern League. Trust me on this. It would be the Big East with an additional 4 to 6 teams from the bb side.

Cheers,
Neil

Interesting. If I understand your correctly that's 8 + PSU + 4-6 teams for BB = 13-15 teams in there unless you forgot to add one more. Is your line of thinking relating to keeping FB small but maximizing 'markets' in BB?

I take it your 4-6 BB teams include at least Marquette-Villanova-GTown plus ND?

I don't think with the way things are going in football provided it continues that a true eastern all-sports conference of 1-A schools that we have often only dreamed of is somewhat possible. It would still take a great deal of effort and someone who was visionary and knew how to push the right buttons like a Tom Jurich to get it all done. I think that as long as Rutgers, West Virginia, Louisville, and South Florida continue to keep our coaches and continue to progress as we have this conference will be able to lure the smaller of the powers in BC and Maryland to an Eastern Conference. Penn State is the harder sell and who is the number 12 is a much harder sell still. At this point I believe that we will indeed split because theres a million reasons to do so and no real reason not to. I think East Carolina is well on its way to becoming a consistent Top 25/40 program again and with its fanbase and location will be a nice 9th all sports member now and in the future.

In 2010 we'll see an Eastern Conference/Big East/Eastern 9 whatever:
Rutgers
Louisville
West Virginia
Syracuse
Connecticut
Pitt
Cincinnati
South Florida
East Carolina

Then with any luck the schools will be strong enough, be attracting 90%+ capacity to larger stadiums than currently had, etc. to lure in the 3 schools to complete that conference.

Hoquista Wrote:

omnicarrier Wrote:

Wilkie01 Wrote:If I were the commissioner of the Eastern Eight here's the 12 team all-sports conference I would try to create:

Division A
1. Boston College
2. UConn
3. Syracuse
4. Rutgers
5. Penn State
6. Pittsburgh

Division B
1. Maryland
2. VA Tech
3. West Virginia
4. Louisville
5. Cincinnati
6. Memphis

If you get Penn State, you won't need to be an Eastern League. Trust me on this. It would be the Big East with an additional 4 to 6 teams from the bb side.

Cheers,
Neil

Interesting. If I understand your correctly that's 8 + PSU + 4-6 teams for BB = 13-15 teams in there unless you forgot to add one more. Is your line of thinking relating to keeping FB small but maximizing 'markets' in BB?

I take it your 4-6 BB teams include at least Marquette-Villanova-GTown plus ND?

My line of thinking is that if the league gets PSU (which is a BIG IF, but remember the original post assumed you could get PSU) then BC comes running to get the football schools to at least 10.

If the league gets PSU, look for ND, Nova, and G'Town to do what it takes to keep a semblance of the hybrid in place - including writing off the likes of Seton Hall and Providence, maybe more, if necessary.

Cheers,
Neil

TexanMark Wrote:

omnicarrier Wrote:

Wilkie01 Wrote:If I were the commissioner of the Eastern Eight here's the 12 team all-sports conference I would try to create:

Division A
1. Boston College
2. UConn
3. Syracuse
4. Rutgers
5. Penn State
6. Pittsburgh

Division B
1. Maryland
2. VA Tech
3. West Virginia
4. Louisville
5. Cincinnati
6. Memphis

If you get Penn State, you won't need to be an Eastern League. Trust me on this. It would be the Big East with an additional 4 to 6 teams from the bb side.

Cheers,
Neil

The only way you get PSU is to get ND, BC and Maryland. It ain't happening.

Why? They went to the Big 10 without ND, BC, and Maryland. ;-)

The thread presupposed getting PSU.

I, probably more than most, know what it will take to get PSU.

It will take somewhat equivalent sports revenue, sports exposure, and academic research potential for the Big East to have a shot at getting the Nittany Lions.

It won't take exact equivalencies - since the Nits are sacrificing being THE program in the Big 10 and instead settling for third/fourth team status in that league - but it has to come reasonably close.

In terms of sports exposure, it's already there in terms of both men's and women's basketball, but way behind in terms of football. Can the Big East perform well enough over the lifetime of the current TV contract with ESPN to get CBS to once again consider broadcasting BE games at noon leading into SEC games at 3:30?

If the Thursday night ratings for the BE this past year are not a fluke but an indication of growing popularity of BE teams, this is a possibility.

Also, the addition of PSU (and Syracuse giving up independence in this sport) would ensure a lacrosse league that would surpass the ACC in this emerging sport.

Sports exposure then is covered.

Sports revenue? Well, that becomes a chicken or the egg type of thing. Prior to them joining, obviously the football revenue would not be comparable.

If, however, PSU considers joining that immediately increases the potential football revenue of the league. And if PSU considers joining, who else considers jumping ship? BC, definitely. Miami, possibly. Maryland, less likely than Miami, but still possibly. Would ND (after having been blown away in four or five BCS Bowl games and no longer being automatic with 10-2 records) finally consider joining the Big East for football?

Lastly, the truly unknown and unimagineable nut to crack, academic research potential. I've covered this topic on numerous occasions in the past. The CIC is currently the number 1 academic research consortium in the nation. It, however, can be equalled or overtaken by a northeastern consortium that isn't restricted by conference affiliation. We have seen state consortiums in the northeast begin to develop in New York and Pennsylvania. They are currently in their infancy, but using the CIC model and broadening its reach beyond what the CIC allows could, within the next decade, be just below where the CIC is. And if they were to join together, perhaps equal or surpass the CIC.

The two major athletic leagues that would be 'the face' of this latter consortium would be the Big East and the Ivy League. Develop a relationship with the Ivy League in terms of men's and women's bb, soccer, and lacrosse and ensure their league's exposure on ESPNU (which could become the league's defacto Big10 Channel) and the final piece of what it would take to get PSU to jump leagues would be in place.

Now, the chances of all the above happening are not good, but it's not impossible either. It just takes visionary thinking, a lot of hard work, Big East football programs continuing to improve, and a bit of luck.

Cheers,
Neil

Don't see Penn St leaving the B-10. ND joins the B-10 to make it 12 before Penn St leaves espeically if Carr's prediction of a play off and Florida's chancellor gets his way. If this is the case 12 team BCS conferences are a must with the champions going to the BCS bowls on NYD. The highest 2 ranked teams go to the plus one Championship bowl. The bowl system is not going to be left out of this. There is too much money at risk. Also Maryland is not leaving the ACC and we don't want BC back because the ACC will only go after another BE team.

The only way BC comes back if ND refuses to join the BE and if ND goes to the ACC and BC returns to the BE. The B10 then goes after Missouri and the B-12 goes after a Cusa or MWC team. Let the western conferences figure out their own configurations after that.

Without ND & ND to B-10

North:
UMass - (BC if ND goes to ACC and Missouri goes to the B-10).
Pitt, Rutgers, Conn, Cuse, WV
South:
L'ville, Cinn, USF, Memphis, ECU, UCF.

ND joins BE - Missouri joins B-10.
North:
ND, Cuse, Pitt, Rutgers, UMass, Conn.
South:
WV, L'ville, Cinn, USF, Memphis, ECU or UCF.

Oherwise just get a ninth for football or add one all sports and geton with life until the play off becomes a reality and the independents are forced into conferences if they want a piece of the play off pie. Another words 1A football is going to have to deal with ND's arrogant independence or leave them out. One or two conferences can't force the issue. All of the major conferences must force the issue with ND.

What will the price of oil be in 2010 ?

panite Wrote:Don't see Penn St leaving the B-10. ND joins the B-10 to make it 12 before Penn St leaves espeically if Carr's prediction of a play off and Florida's chancellor gets his way. If this is the case 12 team BCS conferences are a must with the champions going to the BCS bowls on NYD.

A playoff system, which is unlikely in my opinion, would only strengthen the case for Penn State to jump ship and ND to join the Big East in football. Much more likely to win a conference championship and make the playoffs in the Big East than the Big 10.

Quote:The highest 2 ranked teams go to the plus one Championship bowl.

This is a misunderstanding of what the plus one game is all about. It's not about the highest ranked teams going to the plus one Championship game bowl. It's about taking the best two teams from the 5 Bowl games played and having them play for the championship a week later.

So in this scenario, this year, Ohio State, Florida, and Michigan would all play in different bowl games, then based upon how well the teams performed in their bowl games, a choice of which two would play the following week would be made.

It made more sense when the roofed Jets stadium had a shot to be done with the Big East champion going to that bowl.

The 'plus one' set-up favors PSU staying in the Big 10 and ND staying independent.

Quote:The bowl system is not going to be left out of this. There is too much money at risk. Also Maryland is not leaving the ACC and we don't want BC back because the ACC will only go after another BE team.

Yes, the league wants BC back. But they aren't coming back on their own. Again, they are followers, not leaders.

And the latter part of your statement assumes that the ACC will always be more attractive than the Big East. Had Miami and BC held out a little longer, that wouldn't be true now. (Although hindsight is usually better than foresight - so I don't blame them for jumping ship.) And the only reason why it is currently true is because of the shambles expansion left the Big East in and the perception that it was no longer BCS-worthy. A perception that is just now starting to fade.

Quote:The only way BC comes back if ND refuses to join the BE and if ND goes to the ACC and BC returns to the BE.

ND is not going to the ACC now. They considered it when they thought they could get partial membership for 7 years and then manuever Syracuse and either Pitt or PSU into a 14-team league 7 years down the road when the ACC was selling the east coast version of the Pac-10. But that ship has sailed when they proclaimed themselves a 'southern' league. It's independence or B10 for ND unless the Big East football schools can rapidly improve between now and 2011-12 in terms of both athletic accomplishment and academics.

Cheers,
Neil

tigersharktwo Wrote:What will the price of oil be in 2010 ?

It has less and less meaning if I power my home by wind or alternate fuels and own a hybrid vehicle.

Again, one needs to be visionary and look at the possibilities, do our part to make the vision a reality because things like the price of oil are something we have no control over.

And if we do none of the above, then we can't sit around and complain when other teams leave for more attractive leagues or long-time business partners desert us only to leave the likes of your Nova floundering in a league that while being good, will likely not keep the Wildcats on the national scene as much as the current situation

Cheers,
Neil

tigersharktwo Wrote:What will the price of oil be in 2010 ?

One gallon will surpass your weekly paycheck

lmfao lmfao lmfao

So if you were commissioner of a conference called "Eastern Eight," there would be 12 teams in it?

With that kind of thinking, it's no wonder you want the BE to add a nothing program from a jerkwater town.

That should have been Eastern Conference, I had just finished reading a post about the old Eastern Eight! Oh, well!

omnicarrier Wrote:

tigersharktwo Wrote:What will the price of oil be in 2010 ?

It has less and less meaning if I power my home by wind or alternate fuels and own a hybrid vehicle.

Again, one needs to be visionary and look at the possibilities, do our part to make the vision a reality because things like the price of oil are something we have no control over.

And if we do none of the above, then we can't sit around and complain when other teams leave for more attractive leagues or long-time business partners desert us only to leave the likes of your Nova floundering in a league that while being good, will likely not keep the Wildcats on the national scene as much as the current situation

Cheers,
Neil

What are the leagues?Who is leaving?Another george bush solution.

tigersharktwo Wrote:

omnicarrier Wrote:

tigersharktwo Wrote:What will the price of oil be in 2010 ?

It has less and less meaning if I power my home by wind or alternate fuels and own a hybrid vehicle.

Again, one needs to be visionary and look at the possibilities, do our part to make the vision a reality because things like the price of oil are something we have no control over.

And if we do none of the above, then we can't sit around and complain when other teams leave for more attractive leagues or long-time business partners desert us only to leave the likes of your Nova floundering in a league that while being good, will likely not keep the Wildcats on the national scene as much as the current situation

Cheers,
Neil

What are the leagues?Who is leaving?Another george bush solution.

In case you forgot, BC, Miami, and VT have already left and there still exists the potential for the football schools to split - not to mention ND either going to the B10 or with the football schools should they decide to split.

But you keep staying put in that bunker of yours believing everything will remain as is ;-)

Cheers,
Neil