http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/story/2011-09-17/acc-approves-syracuse-pittsburgh-big-east/50448806/1
According to this article, Pitt and Syracuse was a done deal Saturday morning and that adding two additional schools is a possibility....UConn and Rutgers mentioned.
If that happens, and the Big 12 can hold together for a few more days, I could see Cincy, Louisville and TCU going to the Big 12, West Virginia making it into the SEC, and USF getting screwed. Then we'd be left with the basketball only Big East.
Shocking. Maybe we should have looked into football. Oh no, never mind, it cost too much.
In the back of my mind there is some Big East contract provission that if enough teams leave there is no buyout. I also think there was something like a 5 year window before this could happen. Does anybody else remember this? It could be there will be no buyot money and the 27 month rule would be null and void.
ESPN reported that UCONN & Rutgers are the next to be offered by ACC!
Away on vacation with very limited internet access, this feels even more sudden for me. I heard a whisper of Pitt and Syracuse yesterday, this morning I wake up and it seems like we're to be plundered for four teams and that the Big 12 has as much chance of survival as we do. TCU must be wondering what they've gotten themselves into.
I am just hoping there is some legal recourse the teams of the Big East can take against the ACC, Pitt, and Syracuse. I also hope we can find a way to quickly lure in some of the Big 12 teams so that we are a league that survives.
How long will this all take now to unfold? Don't Syracuse and Pitt have to stay for at least 2 years before they can join another league?
This is what I had mentioned last night. I had heard from a higher up at ND that UConn was for sure going. My guy heard the other team was WVU, with Rutgers and ND on the wish list. Not surprising.
Quote from: The Lens on September 18, 2011, 12:23:31 AM
Shocking. Maybe we should have looked into football. Oh no, never mind, it cost too much.
My problem with that is that our football team would not have been picked up by anyone, so then we'd be stuck with a football program noone wanted to pick up.
The regret I have in the beast passing on the recent 9-year tv deal to look for a better one.
Quote from: bamamarquettefan on September 18, 2011, 09:57:49 AM
My problem with that is that our football team would not have been picked up by anyone, so then we'd be stuck with a football program noone wanted to pick up.
The regret I have in the beast passing on the recent 9-year tv deal to look for a better one.
And who was behind that?? Pitts President Nordenberg, and he just so happens to also be the President of the Big East executive committee. he told ESPN to "hold off" for a bit, while he secretly negotiated their escape from the conference.
Quote from: The Lens on September 18, 2011, 12:23:31 AM
Shocking. Maybe we should have looked into football. Oh no, never mind, it cost too much.
Where would a fledgling football program leave us now? Would it have resulted in an invite to the ACC, SEC, or Big Ten? No. Would it have convinced Syracuse and Pitt (and soon to be Uconn and Rutgers) to stay in the Big East? Also no. In a best case scenario it would leave us in the same situation as Louisville and Cincinnati, either joining or waiting to welcome the Big 12 leftovers. I don't think that's any better than the position we're in without football.