Conference Expansion Update...again: TCU, UCF, Temple to join Big East THIS week

[Aughnanure]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/518325-tcu-probable-to-big-east-along-with-central-florida-temple

Also, Twitter is reporting that Gary Patterson (coach of TCU) is in Bristol, Connecticut this week...which, for some apparent reason, indicates something is up.

[Brewtown Andy]

Bleacher Report? Yeah, sure.

[Aughnanure]

Bleacher Report? Yeah, sure.

Actually, the report of this happening THIS week comes from a radio station in Dallas....just can't link to that.

[GGGG]

Well, the BR report comes from the same Dallas radio station.  We will see.  I can't see how adding a program they already dropped (Temple) is going to help them.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I don't think it will be more than 2 schools initially.

[HoopsMalone]

Would Villanova be the fourth football school giving them a 12 team football conference?

A 19 team hoops conference wouldn't be good for anything but giving Buzz a chance to recruit Texas even more than he does.

[Aughnanure]

Would Villanova be the fourth football school giving them a 12 team football conference?

A 19 team hoops conference wouldn't be good for anything but giving Buzz a chance to recruit Texas even more than he does.

IF Temple is added, I think that rules out Villanova. No way were they moving up to D-1 and allowing Temple back into their market.

[HoopsMalone]

IF Temple is added, I think that rules out Villanova. No way were they moving up to D-1 and allowing Temple back into their market.

Good point.

It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out.

[GGGG]

Would Villanova be the fourth football school giving them a 12 team football conference?

A 19 team hoops conference wouldn't be good for anything but giving Buzz a chance to recruit Texas even more than he does.

A 19 team conference means that a bunch of schools wont be in the BE for long.  Seriously, there will not be a 19 team conference for an extended period of time.

[Coleman]

A 19 team conference means that a bunch of schools wont be in the BE for long.  Seriously, there will not be a 19 team conference for an extended period of time.

I'm not so sure. The paradigm is shifting. Conferences are getting larger. Super-conferences may be the future. 19 isn't impossible. You play an even 18 game basketball schedule...everyone once.

I don't think its possible to go any larger than that, however.

[GGGG]

Victor, the issue is money.  You aren't going to increase television contracts that much from going to 16 to 19, which means that schools are going to be looking at a per school decrease.

[Coleman]

Victor, the issue is money.  You aren't going to increase television contracts that much from going to 16 to 19, which means that schools are going to be looking at a per school decrease.

True in basketball.

But this is all about football. Adding 3 football teams (especially a TCU) would be huge for Big East fotball tv contracts.

[Aughnanure]

A 19 team conference means that a bunch of schools wont be in the BE for long.  Seriously, there will not be a 19 team conference for an extended period of time.

Probably not, at least not for very long. Though, I dont know why they would stop at 19 either when they could add Houston (top 5 market) or Memphis as well.  A 20 team Big East could theoretically exist, but if the PAC-10 and Big Ten go to 16 teams it will be the end.

When you are already 16 teams, is 20 really that ridiculous?

[GGGG]

Probably not, at least not for very long. Though, I dont know why they would stop at 19 either when they could add Houston (top 5 market) or Memphis as well.  A 20 team Big East could theoretically exist, but if the PAC-10 and Big Ten go to 16 teams it will be the end.

When you are already 16 teams, is 20 really that ridiculous?

Ridiculous doesn't even begin to describe it.

[Aughnanure]

Ridiculous doesn't even begin to describe it.

Then so is 16. Its 1 more basketball game to make a round-robin, or divide into divisions.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I guess it isn't happening this week.