I've been following Big East related tweets on twitter and it appears that Sportscenter is reporting all of the Big East schools (sans Pitt and Syracuse) are meeting in New York tonight.
I'm still trying to find official word of this.
QuoteBrian Hoffman
Just heard on @sportscenter that there is a meeting TONIGHT for the Big East... wonder if it is just to rally troops or there's action!
Big East athletic directors and presidents, excluding those from Pitt and Syracuse, will meet Tuesday night in New York, a conference source confirmed to ESPN.com's Pat Forde. The source wasn't certain if Connecticut will be represented at the meeting.
Quote from: TallTitan34 on September 20, 2011, 01:01:38 PM
Big East athletic directors and presidents, excluding those from Pitt and Syracuse, will meet Tuesday night in New York, a conference source confirmed to ESPN.com's Pat Forde. The source wasn't certain if Connecticut will be represented at the meeting.
Proposed agenda
I. Current options
a. Split off football from basketball-only schools, forming two separate conferences
b. Merge with remaining Big 12 members, others, to form 20-team league
II. How to screw over Syracuse and Pittsburgh as hard and long as possible
Quote from: Pakuni on September 20, 2011, 01:07:00 PM
Proposed agenda
I. Current options
a. Split off football from basketball-only schools, forming two separate conferences
b. Merge with remaining Big 12 members, others, to form 20-team league
II. How to screw over Syracuse and Pittsburgh as hard and long as possible
Make sure UConn and Rutgers attend part II incase they get any ideas ;)
Sounds like it's football schools only, and we aren't invited.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6993604/big-east-big-12-talking-possible-merger-sources-say
"Big East athletic directors and presidents of the surviving football-member schools -- Louisville, West Virginia, South Florida, Cincinnati, Rutgers and Connecticut -- are scheduled to meet Tuesday night in New York, a conference source confirmed for ESPN.com. The meeting will not include Pitt and Syracuse."
Villanova is also trying to get an invite to the meeting:
QuoteVillanova, a Colonial Athletic Association team in football that won the FCS championship in 2009, wants to be considered as a candidate for the Big East, and is seeking an invitation to the meeting, according to a source. The Wildcats already are in the Big East in basketball.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6997221/sources-big-east-football-schools-meet-new-york-tuesday-night (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6997221/sources-big-east-football-schools-meet-new-york-tuesday-night)
I'm a big fan of this idea from the article:
Quote"Instead of looking each other in the eye, what they should all do is turn on their cell phones and show who they've been talking to and texting with," the official said.
Quote from: TallTitan34 on September 20, 2011, 03:25:14 PM
Villanova is also trying to get an invite to the meeting:
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6997221/sources-big-east-football-schools-meet-new-york-tuesday-night (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6997221/sources-big-east-football-schools-meet-new-york-tuesday-night)
phuckity phuck phuck.
Quote from: Hards_Alumni on September 20, 2011, 03:29:51 PM
phuckity phuck phuck.
Why?
If anything, it's a recognition from Villanova that they have no chance of landing in the ACC and need to be a part of saving what can be saved of the Big East.
Sounds to me like 'nova is keeping all options open, and the more tables you get to sit at, the more options you have. Apparently we don't get to sit there, at least not tonight, even in our own conference. Hards is right. Phuck.
Quote from: Pakuni on September 20, 2011, 03:35:31 PM
Why?
If anything, it's a recognition from Villanova that they have no chance of landing in the ACC and need to be a part of saving what can be saved of the Big East.
Yep. Like I said, it is every man for himself right now.
The meeting only includes one founding member - UConn. So while they may be making a "football" decision, they will not be making a "Big East" decision (except what the BE does is dependent on what they do).
Quote from: Pakuni on September 20, 2011, 03:35:31 PM
Why?
If anything, it's a recognition from Villanova that they have no chance of landing in the ACC and need to be a part of saving what can be saved of the Big East.
because
a. when the dominoes fall and all the B12/BE football remnants form a conference for themselves, we'll need ND, Georgetown, and Nova to maintain any sort of relevancy in a basketball only conference
or
b. the more quality bb only schools there are, the better the chance that the BE/B12 fb schools will want to allow non-football schools into the conference
Quote from: foreverwarriors on September 20, 2011, 03:49:31 PM
because
a. when the dominoes fall and all the B12/BE football remnants form a conference for themselves, we'll need ND, Georgetown, and Nova to maintain any sort of relevancy in a basketball only conference
What benefit would there be for the B12/BE remnants to exclude non-football BE members like MU, G'Town, St. John's, ND, etc.? They won't share football money regardless, and TV money for a hoops package only gets better with the inclusion of those programs.
And how does Nova's attempts, as a wannabe FBS football program, to participate in this meeting affect the likelihood of the football programs trying to form a conference without the basketball schools?
Quote
b. the more quality bb only schools there are, the better the chance that the BE/B12 fb schools will want to allow non-football schools into the conference
Are you suggesting that if Nova becomes a FBS program in a reconstitutied BE/B12, that makes it less likely hoops-only programs get an invite? I doubt a potential Nova football program would have much influence either way. If the football schools are inclined to separate themselves from the basketball schools, Villanova isn't going to change their minds. Likewise, if they're inclined to include basketball-only schools, the presence of Villanova football isn't going to tip the scales the other way.
ESPN is saying that TCU will be there and that their Big East source is saying "he does not expect any substantial decisions to be made at meeting."
Quote from: Oldgym on September 20, 2011, 03:38:24 PM
Sounds to me like 'nova is keeping all options open, and the more tables you get to sit at, the more options you have. Apparently we don't get to sit there, at least not tonight, even in our own conference. Hards is right. Phuck.
The Phuck was because we don't get a seat at the table.
Unconfirmed, but I heard that the guy who coaches our club team left his day job early to catch a Greyhound for the meeting.
Quote from: Pakuni on September 20, 2011, 04:02:00 PM
What benefit would there be for the B12/BE remnants to exclude non-football BE members like MU, G'Town, St. John's, ND, etc.? They won't share football money regardless, and TV money for a hoops package only gets better with the inclusion of those programs.
Maybe they have come to the conclusion that they don't want to listen to schools that don't have a football-first agenda. They don't want more mouths to feed. And the marginal per school revenue that the basketball schools would bring don't make up for that.
On the other hand, it speaks volumes that the football schools are meeting on their own. Clearly they do not care about the bball schools because we are completely dependent upon their goodwill at this point.
Football schools meet alone. Basketball schools have a phone call. The tea leaves are starting to get clearer. If we need the football schools to throw us a bone to be nice, forget it. If we are needed to get a better TV package and ESPN or whomever tells the football schools such, then everyone doesn't go seperate ways.
If ND and Texas do not go to the B10 or ACC, and instead go independent in football, we have a chance of being part of the conference that they form. That may be our best hope, albeit, a long shot.
I'm almost at the point of saying f*ck it, let's just get on with a real solid all bball league and start planning a long term future. In the event that some sort of Big East/Big 12 merger happens it will probably implode in a few years anyways.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on September 20, 2011, 04:21:12 PM
Maybe they have come to the conclusion that they don't want to listen to schools that don't have a football-first agenda. They don't want more mouths to feed. And the marginal per school revenue that the basketball schools would bring don't make up for that.
What does this even mean? Don't want to listen to schools? Please explain.
Same with mouths to feed. If the basketball only schools don't get any football revenue - which they would not - how are they being fed? And I'd venture to guess that the basketball schools bring in more revenue than they would take out from football because, er .... they don't take anything from football.
QuoteOn the other hand, it speaks volumes that the football schools are meeting on their own. Clearly they do not care about the bball schools because we are completely dependent upon their goodwill at this point.
Actually, it makes complete sense. Why would they seek input/give influence to non-football schools at this point? Is it really breaking news to you that the bball schools are dependent on what the football schools do? this is a revelation?
Perhaps the BE football schools (with TCU) go with the B12 to form a Super Football Conference and live off the B12 TV deal. The remaining BE football schools, who are primarily hoops driven (ex USF. WVU), return to the BE for basketball and go forward on a new media deal for basketball only. UND gets what it wants (independent in football), Texas gets to keep their network, and the basketball only schools get to protect their assets. UCONN and Rutgers get to evaluate their options.
ND is working hard behind the scenes to make something work. So is Texas. OU and Pac 12-16 backing off from each other. The BE's most valuable property is perhaps a media deal to happen...and if only for hoops, and with 2-5 less teams to share, betting they could do much better than $4mm per school. The rivalries are kept in place for the most part, and a safe firewall between football and hoops is erected, leveraging the power of the two conferences and their separate deals. BCS (football) and NCAA (hoops+other sports) are cleanly set up to succeed.
Quote from: Pakuni on September 20, 2011, 01:07:00 PM
II. How to screw over Syracuse and Pittsburgh as hard and long as possible
Isn't this really bad business? Lets say there is some type of BE/B12 merger. Why would any of the schools that will be playing in the same conference together for the foreseeable future want two sitting ducks around? Why would the football schools want the possibility for Pitt and Syracuse to take bowl game spots before they leave? Why would basketball schools want to give them the opportunity to win a conference championship/a tournament championship right before they leave? Why would you want either of these schools to take an ncaa bid from a bubble team like KSU...or Cincy...or anybody else? Why screw over teams that will be in the conference for the long haul? That doesnt make sense. Nevermind the importance of establishing a conference for the sake of pitching a tv deal.
Quote from: Dr. Blackheart on September 20, 2011, 04:51:35 PM
Perhaps the BE football schools (with TCU) go with the B12 to form a Super Football Conference and live off the B12 TV deal. The remaining BE football schools, who are primarily hoops driven (ex USF. WVU), return to the BE for basketball and go forward on a new media deal for basketball only. UND gets what it wants (independent in football), Texas gets to keep their network, and the basketball only schools get to protect their assets. UCONN and Rutgers get to evaluate their options.
ND is working hard behind the scenes to make something work. So is Texas. OU and Pac 12-16 backing off from each other. The BE's most valuable property is perhaps a media deal to happen...and if only for hoops, and with 2-5 less teams to share, betting they could do much better than $4mm per school. The rivalries are kept in place for the most part, and a safe firewall between football and hoops is erected, leveraging the power of the two conferences and their separate deals. BCS (football) and NCAA (hoops+other sports) are cleanly set up to succeed.
This sounds somewhat like my Super Big East idea except the conference is for all sports. Pods are set up (like the NFL model) so teams play the majority of their games against traditional rivals and you get different crossover games salted in every season.
Quote from: Pakuni on September 20, 2011, 04:39:08 PM
What does this even mean? Don't want to listen to schools? Please explain.
Same with mouths to feed. If the basketball only schools don't get any football revenue - which they would not - how are they being fed? And I'd venture to guess that the basketball schools bring in more revenue than they would take out from football because, er .... they don't take anything from football.
Because if you are in a conference with someone, you want to make sure you are on the same page with them when it comes to priority setting, vision, etc. If you have members whose primary concern is basketball, while the rest of the members are more concerned about football as the big moneymaker, you are going to be at odds with one another. As evidence, read the link I provided from the Pitt source about what a wedge issue Nova football became. Most football schools thought it was a joke of an idea, but the basketball schools insisted that any future expansion included Nova football.
As for the money, one also has to look at this carefully. Let's say that the non-football sports get a television deal that nets each school $3M. Would adding the seven basketball schools add an additional $21M+ in revenue? (That would be the break even point to dividing the total seven additional ways.) And what if each school sees a marginal increase of $1M on that deal. Is that event worth it given the issues I mention in the first paragraph?