I was doing some marketing research and stumbled upon something that may be key to ECU joining as a football only. There has been much talk on this board and on others about ECU joining the Big East for football only and moving their other sports to another conference. It turns out that the CAA, the likely home of other ECU programs if they take the football only invite, is part of the NSM marketing group, as is The Big East Conference and Marquette, Providence, Rutgers and Louisville individually. This maybe nothing more than coincidence but when UofL joined NSM local media here noted that this was Louisville's attempt to create a presence in the northeast and this was long before Louisville joined the Big East. Bottomline, after seeing this, I don't believe the size of ECU's market will be an issue for the Big East. NSM could mediate any movement between conferences by ECU. Just thought I would pass this along as something to think about.
CJ

http://www.nelligansports.com/

ECU just inked a deal with ISP Sports. ECU is also not going to the CAA or Socon.

http://www.ispsports.com/university_partners.cfm

Hummell,
I appreciate the link to ECU marketing group but I was more intrigued by the Big East / CAA connection. As with most businesses you like to deal with people your familiar with. Since The Big East and CAA have a common partner, ECU joining both conferences doesn't look like a stretch.
You speak in your post as if you know that ECU would turn down a football only invite. Do you have some additional information? I am sure UCF and Memphis fans would be interested in hearing it.
CJ

I'm not sure exactly what my comrade Hummel is getting at, but I can assure you that ECU would not turn down a football-only invite to a BCS conference.....even if it meant parking all of the other sports somewhere else for a while......

We are "football first" at ECU (which has been hard to realize during the 3 years prior to this past season), so we will do what it takes to get the football program into the best possible situation....and I'm positive Terry Holland, Steve Ballard and the rest of the ECU braintrust is doing whatever it takes to pur us into that position...

I would like to bring up TV audience.
The highest rated ESPN game between 2 CUSA teams was:
LOUISVILLE @ ECU 2000 (Thursday night)

And the highest rated game between a CUSA team and another conference was:
VIRGINIA TECH @ ECU (1999) (Thursday night)

I just thought I would add that......

We need a 9th team and it seems ECU is willing to step it up. I am not sure UCF would take a FB only membership but I expect they would.

Anyway, lets hope we get this 9th member soon with the expectation they will be full member once the split happens.

Hummell Wrote:ECU just inked a deal with ISP Sports. ECU is also not going to the CAA or Socon.

http://www.ispsports.com/university_partners.cfm

isp is who ucf has as well

Football only memberships are the only thing even mentioned in any statement.It is a Temple type membership not an all sports membership.By the way what schools are backing whom?

FYI...here's ESPN TV Ratings from 2005:
(TV HH stands for TV Households)

ESPN College Football 2005 Ratings Breakdown - Regular Season
No. DATE...... GAME.......... RATING..... TV HH
1 Oct 8 Ohio State vs Penn State 4.91 4,425,034
2 Nov 15 Virginia Tech vs Miami 4.87 4,400,639
3 Nov 12 Auburn vs Georgia 3.95 3,567,531
4 Nov 19 Penn State vs. Michigan State 3.81 3,446,035
5 Nov 19 Miami vs. Georgia Tech 3.4 3.074,100
6 Oct 27 Virginia Tech vs. Boston College 3.3 2,977,797
7 Sep 26 Tennessee vs. LSU 3.1 2,768,014
T-8 Oct 20 Virginia Tech vs. Maryland 2.77 2,499,493
T-8 Oct 1 Notre Dame vs.Purdue 2.77 2,501,676
10 Oct 22 LSU vs. Auburn 2.62 2,368,458
T-11 Sep 4 Virginia Tech vs. N.C. State 2.47 2,197,808
T-11 Sep 10 South Carolina vs. Georgia 2.47 2,229,213
13 Oct 29 Michigan vs. Northwestern 2.46 2,219,787
14 Oct 15 Florida State vs. Virginia 2.43 2,197,042
15 Nov 24 Pittsburgh vs. Louisville 2.29 2,070,642
16 Sep 24 Michigan vs. Wisconsin 2.26 2,013,280
17 Sep 17 Florida State vs. Boston College 2.23 2,008,837

tigersharktwo Wrote:By the way what schools are backing whom?

UC's administration (i.e. N Zimpher) is backing any of the IVY schools as expansion candidates lmfao

Lemmiwinks Wrote:

tigersharktwo Wrote:By the way what schools are backing whom?

UC's administration (i.e. N Zimpher) is backing any of the IVY schools as expansion candidates lmfao

Syracuse had a football scheduling PROBLEM with ecu.Saying that UCONN,Rutgers,Pitt or Syracuse are supporting memphis not likely.Saying USFLA is supporting UCFLA is not likely.

I'm not saying that East Carolina wouldn't take a Football only invite, I think we would. What I am saying is that we are not going to the CAA or Socon. We can not just willingly "park" our other sports in this conference whenever we feel like it. Doing this would require (at minimum) some sort of long term commitment to their conference and a boat load of money to mess with the future scheduling they have lined up. If the Big East was working with the CAA/Socon on our behalf, it would be obvious that we were just "using" the CAA or Socon in the interim until a full invite was extended. I got news, they don't need East Carolina. Even if we were to find a lesser conference desperate enough to allow us to "park" our sports for the next few years, we would have to be willing to buy our way in and I'm not talking about a small piece of change.

That being said, I predict a full invite to the Big East no later than this time next year.

tigersharktwo Wrote:Syracuse had a football scheduling PROBLEM with ecu.Saying that UCONN,Rutgers,Pitt or Syracuse are supporting memphis not likely.Saying USFLA is supporting UCFLA is not likely.

Shark, those are actually some excellent points.

There is no "problem" between SU and ECU.....

All parties got what they wanted/needed out of the situation that arose.

Hummell Wrote:I'm not saying that East Carolina wouldn't take a Football only invite, I think we would. What I am saying is that we are not going to the CAA or Socon. We can not just willingly "park" our other sports in this conference whenever we feel like it. Doing this would require (at minimum) some sort of long term commitment to their conference and a boat load of money to mess with the future scheduling they have lined up. If the Big East was working with the CAA/Socon on our behalf, it would be obvious that we were just "using" the CAA or Socon in the interim until a full invite was extended. I got news, they don't need East Carolina. Even if we were to find a lesser conference desperate enough to allow us to "park" our sports for the next few years, we would have to be willing to buy our way in and I'm not talking about a small piece of change.

That being said, I predict a full invite to the Big East no later than this time next year.

I sure hope you are right, but I would be one to think, if it did come down to all sport invite Memphis would be the one. Although, I hope you are right, I would take a BE football only with CAA or SoCon invite.

Capital Pirate Wrote:There is no "problem" between SU and ECU.....

All parties got what they wanted/needed out of the situation that arose.

Yes Syracuse was real happy ecu cancelled.

SF Husky Wrote:We need a 9th team and it seems ECU is willing to step it up. I am not sure UCF would take a FB only membership but I expect they would.

Anyway, lets hope we get this 9th member soon with the expectation they will be full member once the split happens.

No, UCF will not go backwards in Hoops and Baseball. It will be all sports or nothing.

I'd recommend adding Army and Navy as partial members. Gets you to 8 conference games without any headache with dealing with another conference shuffle.

triad buc Wrote:

Hummell Wrote:I'm not saying that East Carolina wouldn't take a Football only invite, I think we would. What I am saying is that we are not going to the CAA or Socon. We can not just willingly "park" our other sports in this conference whenever we feel like it. Doing this would require (at minimum) some sort of long term commitment to their conference and a boat load of money to mess with the future scheduling they have lined up. If the Big East was working with the CAA/Socon on our behalf, it would be obvious that we were just "using" the CAA or Socon in the interim until a full invite was extended. I got news, they don't need East Carolina. Even if we were to find a lesser conference desperate enough to allow us to "park" our sports for the next few years, we would have to be willing to buy our way in and I'm not talking about a small piece of change.

That being said, I predict a full invite to the Big East no later than this time next year.

I sure hope you are right, but I would be one to think, if it did come down to all sport invite Memphis would be the one. Although, I hope you are right, I would take a BE football only with CAA or SoCon invite.

Triad, how's it going man? Listen, whether or not anyone wants to admit it on this board or any other boards, the Big East (or whatever the new name will be) is going to 12 teams before they go to 9 (unless ND or Penn State join).

Therefore, 4 teams will be included in this new league.

But, as far as the CAA/Socon goes, forget it...that is rumor.

This year East Carolina needs to make itself much more attractive in order to be considered/invited in 2007. Yes, 2007. The Big East will have to make this decision before this time next year....Stay at 8 (not gonna happen) or go to 12 in 2010.

Hummell Wrote:Listen, whether or not anyone wants to admit it on this board or any other boards, the Big East (or whatever the new name will be) is going to 12 teams before they go to 9 (unless ND or Penn State join).

Therefore, 4 teams will be included in this new league.

This year East Carolina needs to make itself much more attractive in order to be considered/invited in 2007. Yes, 2007. The Big East will have to make this decision before this time next year....Stay at 8 (not gonna happen) or go to 12 in 2010.

As for the part above that I bolded, thanks for stopping by and illuminating us all to the truth that we don't want to admit! lmfao lmfao

Of course as an ECU internet fan you are well in tune with the BE leadership right?

P.S.- Teams don't have to be invited 3 years in advance, so don't plan that party just quite yet.

Hummell Wrote:Triad, how's it going man? Listen, whether or not anyone wants to admit it on this board or any other boards, the Big East (or whatever the new name will be) is going to 12 teams before they go to 9 (unless ND or Penn State join).

Therefore, 4 teams will be included in this new league.

But, as far as the CAA/Socon goes, forget it...that is rumor.

This year East Carolina needs to make itself much more attractive in order to be considered/invited in 2007. Yes, 2007. The Big East will have to make this decision before this time next year....Stay at 8 (not gonna happen) or go to 12 in 2010.

ECU fans and supporters need to abandon that strategy of hoping that we go to 12 to ensure being part of it. You know it about money and the money is not there for 12 that why we eliminate that option. If you willing to sacrifice your other sports then that is your best change to get in after 2010 other school will offer us better choice for full membership. Remember what lead to this situation IS THE NEED OF SCHEDULING not conference championship. I