(05-11-2012 12:12 PM)LaserRaider Wrote:  There's so much stuff going on right now...it's crazy

Sure makes for some interesting conversation....

East Carolina and Southern Miss are obvious to the Big East if Boise and SDSU balk. Considering Memphis is now in the Big East, USM wouldn't be isolated either. Of course, considering how little sense the movements have to do with logic, maybe the Big East would opt for Charlotte and UTSA.

The Big East is unlikely going to be able to hold SDSU, Boise, Louisville, and at least one more high profile program. One would think the basketball schools are fed up.

How this affects the rest of the Belt is anyone's guess.

(05-11-2012 11:41 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  Most people are guessing ECU and USM.

I concur on ECU. They sell 50,000 tickets a game. They are on the east coast. Hoops is improved. Small market but they are still going to draw more Big East viewers in other Carolina markets than a Big East without them and the other markets are large.

I disagree regarding USM. The Eagles have been successful, they draw well, and hoops is improved but I think someone else catches the Big East's eye.

Tulsa. Reason 1. Market is nearly 5X larger than Hattiesburg. Reason 2. They are a private school and would have more in common with the league's private schools. Reason 3. Successful football, four division titles in seven years, cracked top 25 in 2010. Reason 4. History of having a very successful basketball program.

If the Big East goes prowling, I think ECU and Tulsa are the new members.

Take a look at what timezone schools in the Big East football conference play in:

Eastern (8): Louisville, Cincinnati, Temple, Rutgers, UConn, USF, UCF, Navy
Central (3): Memphis, SMU, Houston
Mountain (1): Boise State
Pacific (1): San Diego State

What happens if Boise State decides to move back to the MWC if the MWC guarantees them 5 million a year of TV money? I suppose its possible. Does it makes sense for the Big East to go after East Carolina when they have 8 other schools in the Eastern Time Zone?

It doesn't make any sense. What would make more sense is a pitch to BYU and Air Force as the #13/#14 teams and stick it in Boise's face.

I: SDSU, BYU, Air Force, Navy, SMU, Houston, Memphis
II: Louisville, Cincinnati, Temple, Rutgers, UConn, USF, USF

Let's say Louisville and Boise State leave with BYU heading as well the the Big XII.

I: SDSU, Air Force, Navy, SMU, Houston, Memphis
II: Cincinnati, Temple, Rutgers, UConn, USF, USF

The split is 12 in football/17 in basketball. St. Louis gets the call up to join the Big East as a basketball school to replace Louisville

Big East BB:

Central Time (7): SMU, Houston, Memphis, St. Louis, DePaul, Marquette, Notre Dame

Eastern Time (11): Cincinnati, Temple, Villanova, Georgetown, St. John's, Providence, UConn, Rutgers, Seton Hall, UCF, USF

Again here it makes zero sense for the Big East to be looking at reloading in Eastern Time. East Carolina is certainly out of the picture.

Southern Miss is a different story. They have a decent shot at the Big East because of their Central Timezone location and they have a better football team than East Carolina. I know East Carolina is selling 50,000 tickets but that is with 2 ACC schools on the home schedule. Toledo could probably average 50,000 with Purdue and Michigan State on the home schedule every year.

Southern Miss busts the BCS this year and that will further help their chances. A dark horse school by my estimation would be Tulane which would fit much better into the BE with a 70,000 seat stadium and Catholic Denomination. Tulsa is Presbyterian. Tulsa also plays in a 25,000 seater which is not adequate by BE standards.

BYU is difficult for anyone to deal with because (for starters) of their insistence its my way or highway. Including on TV deals and financial matters. So they are unlikely to come to terms with the Big East because of the inability of the BE to come up with the right financial package. They likely would never agree to an exit fee from the BE. Plus they're better off as an independent than in the BE. BYU would likely deal somewhat with the Big 12 and certainly with the Pac 12 to varying degrees, but its unlikely they'd do so for the BE. BYU made a foolish decision to go independent but the BE isnt a better deal for them at this time.

I doubt Air Force would agree to go to the BE if Boise wasnt in it. They didnt join when Boise was a part of it.

The BE has no real ability to strike back at Boise if they leave except if they offer to pilfer the MWC (with Boise and probably SDSU back in it). And in that case, why would you leave a stable home for a far flung and unstable BE?

(05-12-2012 11:41 AM)AlaIllTex Wrote:  BYU is difficult for anyone to deal with because (for starters) of their insistence its my way or highway. Including on TV deals and financial matters. So they are unlikely to come to terms with the Big East because of the inability of the BE to come up with the right financial package. They likely would never agree to an exit fee from the BE. Plus they're better off as an independent than in the BE. BYU would likely deal somewhat with the Big 12 and certainly with the Pac 12 to varying degrees, but its unlikely they'd do so for the BE. BYU made a foolish decision to go independent but the BE isnt a better deal for them at this time.

I doubt Air Force would agree to go to the BE if Boise wasnt in it. They didnt join when Boise was a part of it.

The BE has no real ability to strike back at Boise if they leave except if they offer to pilfer the MWC (with Boise and probably SDSU back in it). And in that case, why would you leave a stable home for a far flung and unstable BE?

To your comments:

1) If Boise leaves the BE that might give BYU the negotiation leverage they've been looking for (i.e. keeping TV rights to home games)

2) Air Force is not making decisions based on what Boise is doing. The driver for Air Force is more what Navy is doing and Navy has already decided to join the Big East.

Due to Navy bases located in San Diego and Air Force in the western division both Navy/Air Force likely end up in the west. Having BYU in that western division for Air Force would be bigger than having Boise State without question.

3) Any school not in the ACC, B1G, PAC, SEC, B12 would leave for the Big East. Boise State might be a rare exception because of the remote location and the fact they can bully the Mountain West into unequal revenue sharing. Any other school in the MWC like Fresno or New Mexico would jump at the BE.

(05-12-2012 11:12 AM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  I know East Carolina is selling 50,000 tickets but that is with 2 ACC schools on the home schedule. Toledo could probably average 50,000 with Purdue and Michigan State on the home schedule every year.

I'm going to ignore the rest of your gibberish and focus on this, because this is quite stupid. We average 50k for a season, not for 2 home games. Hell we had higher attendance for our game against UAB than we did against Virgina Tech (partially because they returned some of their allotment late). Sure Toledo could maybe get 50k for those 2 games at home, but 50k wouldn't show up for the rest of their schedule. I'm not going to debate the rest of your points, because the only one that matters is the Big East will die as a league before we ever play in it, but that statement was dumb.

A dark horse school by my estimation would be Tulane which would fit much better into the BE with a 70,000 seat stadium and Catholic denomination.

Tulane is secular, and the religious affiliation of its student body is roughly 40% Catholic, 20% protestant and 40% Jewish, unless it has changed a lot since I was there.

Anyone want to jump ship and join the CFL? Lol.

(05-12-2012 08:16 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  Anyone want to jump ship and join the CFL? Lol.

I might want to, I love the CFL!

East Carolina will be in the BE before the end of summer. Betting SoMiss do also. CUSA will then add teams.
Don't see the BE dying, too much money right now. SoMiss would never, never go to the SB. They would stay independent before doing that. No offense.

Dude, if C-USA loses Southern Miss and ECU they won't be able to convince Liberty to join their ranks.

Those two programs are the ONLY thing keeping their bowls and TV contracts in place, Conference USA can kiss those goodbye once the Eagles and Pirates leave.

Why don't these clowns just make everyone Big East members and get it over with.

Hold the phone. Boise getting cold feet, Big East commish resigning, now rumours that Florida State is playing footsie with the Big 12... I don't think all of this is coincidence. Many people think the recent ACC expanison was defensive, not offensive. They feared losing teams (most likely to the SEC) so they scarfed up some Big East teams to get to 14 just in case.

If FSU (and maybe Miami also?) goes to the Big 12, then that might green light the SEC to go ahead and grab Va Tech and NC State. The B1G may get in on the action and take what they want from the Big East and/or ACC. Boise will stay put and the ACC will once again fill back up and probably kill off the Big East as a football conference. The Big East will probably go all basketball. I just can't see them stocking back up again, but if they do, they'll gut CUSA and here we go all over again.

The only allure that CUSA has ever had for me is USM and UAB.
I think that is the opinion of most South fans.

My dream scenario is to somehow get USA, Troy, UAB, USM, and the Cajuns all together in a conference.
UAB optional.

(05-12-2012 09:53 PM)FeFiFo Wrote:  East Carolina will be in the BE before the end of summer. Betting SoMiss do also. CUSA will then add teams.
Don't see the BE dying, too much money right now. SoMiss would never, never go to the SB. They would stay independent before doing that. No offense.

I want whatever you are smoking. Even if we got in the BE somehow we aren't really joining the BE we are just rejoining C-USA.

(05-11-2012 04:26 PM)FlyHawk98 Wrote:  

(05-11-2012 01:54 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  Never said I had a problem with it, but most of the original C-USA members would want to stick together. I could envision UAB and Rice getting booted for maybe Charlotte and someone else. I think we'd fill in the geography, but I can't see 4 Florida schools in any league, and certainly not 4 Louisiana schools in a league. If you took all that group and asked me what I would most want this would be my list.

East
ECU
Marshall
Charlotte (my only issue with them is my fear they will get invited to the BE, not an issue in this scenario)
ODU (same as Charlotte)
UCF
USF

West
Memphis
USM
Tulane
Houston
SMU
Unsure about the 6th out west but wouldn't surprise me if it was UTSA

As a Marshall fan, I don't think there's much else I could ask for lol.

One thing about Rice, they play good baseball, and in the south college baseball is a growing sport