Report: Big East Torn On Expansion Candidates

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

http://www.bigeastcoastbias.com/2012/9/19/3357722/report-big-east-torn-expansion-candidates-divisions


Report: Big East Torn On Expansion Candidates, Considering Non-Geographic Divisions For Football  
by Mengus22 on Sep 19, 2012 12:07 PM EDT in Big East Football

According to Brett McMurphy with ESPN, the Big East is divided over the two biggest decisions to be made about the future of the football side of the conference. The Big East leadership is divided over whether the conference should target Air Force or BYU as its 14th football playing member. The conference is also considering a 16-team football setup where Air Force, BYU, and Army are all members. It is also undecided on the makeup of the divisions for football. McMurphy writes:

The Big East is divided over whether to pursue Air Force or BYU as its 14th football member, while another option the conference is considering is a 16-team football league by adding Army, Air Force and BYU, industry and league sources told ESPN.

On Thursday, recently hired Big East commissioner Mike Aresco reiterated in Tampa, Fla., that the conference will add a 14th football member, echoing comments that former commissioner John Marinatto made months ago that it would add another member from out West to get to 14 teams.

Adding all three teams to go to a 16 team football conference would obviously add volume and value to a potential television rights deal, but man would it make for an unwieldy football conference. The WAC's attempt at a 16 team football conference didn't last very long. Hopefully, a new televisions contract with enough value will be enough to entice BYU and the Big East can call it a day for expansion.

As for divisions for football, McMurphy reports the Big East is looking at a number of options including divisions that are loosely geographically based, but, the most popular option appears to be dividing the conference along non-geographical lines into "red" and "blue" divisions. McMurphy again:

When the Big East grows to 14, league officials already have had discussions how to split the divisions. The most popular 14-team model, sources said, would be "Red" and "Blue" divisions that are non-geographic.

The Red Division would consist of Louisville, South Florida, Connecticut, San Diego State, SMU, Navy and Memphis.
The Blue Division: Cincinnati, Central Florida, Rutgers, Boise State, Houston, Temple and the 14th team.

Each team would play six league games within its division and two games against the other division, including one permanent cross-division rival game. Those annual cross-division matchups would be:
Louisville-Cincinnati; USF-UCF; UConn-Rutgers; San Diego State-Boise State; SMU-Houston; Navy-Temple and Memphis vs. the 14th team.

I'm not a fan of non-geographical divisional alignment, but, the Big East has odd geography no matter how they setup the divisions, so maximizing television value by manufacturing some of the better games more often or possibly in a conference championship game is fine with me.

[GGGG]

Ick.  Service academies are good for politics...but not much else sports wise.

[chapman]

"Red" and "Blue"? Maybe we can base the divisions on how their states vote in the November election.

Guessing the breaking point for geography is having eight "eastern" teams in EST and five, possibly six "western" teams in CST/MST/PST.  At 14 members, your EST candidates for a "western" division are Louisville and Cincinnati, who based on travel would not be willing to be the school that gets screwed.  If they're smart about how they schedule cross-division games they could limit each school to only two long trips per year which would work out ok.

For basketball schools, I'll take this as the positive news that we aren't going to see another crap program invited for football purposes.

[Aughnanure]

Ick.  Service academies are good for politics...but not much else sports wise.

This! I do not get the Big East's obsession with the service academies. Maybe Air Force cause of its location, but give me UNLV, BYU & New Mexico any day.

[Groin_pull]

Big East football is a sorry collection of misfits. The league is a joke. Just a jumble of schools no one else wants. I'm sure networks are lining up to throw huge piles of money at the Big East now.

[bilsu]

This! I do not get the Big East's obsession with the service academies. Maybe Air Force cause of its location, but give me UNLV, BYU & New Mexico any day.

There are only so many teams the Big East can go after. The basketball only schools should just leave, if they are going to go for 16 football teams. I do not think they will be able to get BYU, but if they can they should also thry to get them for basketball.

[Knight Commission]

I think its telling that the basketball teams are having no say (or care) about this.

[Aughnanure]

There are only so many teams the Big East can go after. The basketball only schools should just leave, if they are going to go for 16 football teams. I do not think they will be able to get BYU, but if they can they should also thry to get them for basketball.

I agree with this (almost) and openly support a bball-only conference 100%. Louisville, UConn, Rutgers, etc will leave now or later, but they will leave eventually. But, the basketball schools still need to wait to make sure they can keep the Big East name. Once 2 of Rutgers, UConn, Louisville leave it is over.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

This! I do not get the Big East's obsession with the service academies. Maybe Air Force cause of its location, but give me UNLV, BYU & New Mexico any day.

I get it.
* With a now national conference, you get 3 already known national teams.
* You also get 3 already built-in rivalries not to mention probably college football's best known one between Army-Navy as conference game.
*As someone already mentioned, politics.  The Big East needs to re-establish bowl connections and with the service acadimies it makes it hard to continue to shut out the Big East like the Orange Bowl is trying.  (I guess the ACC is tired of losing to the Big East every year.)  You play the patriotic card and can have lawmakers lobby on the conference's behalf regardless of the fact that the service acadamies are unlikely to represent the BE.
Aresco's the TV guy so there must be other reasons.

That being said, is BYU & UNLV interested as all-sports members?  Will they help basketball?

[77ncaachamps]

Welcome to the old Conference USA: Red, White, and Blue Divisions.

[Aughnanure]

I get it.
* With a now national conference, you get 3 already known national teams.
* You also get 3 already built-in rivalries not to mention probably college football's best known one between Army-Navy as conference game.
*As someone already mentioned, politics.  The Big East needs to re-establish bowl connections and with the service acadimies it makes it hard to continue to shut out the Big East like the Orange Bowl is trying.  (I guess the ACC is tired of losing to the Big East every year.)  You play the patriotic card and can have lawmakers lobby on the conference's behalf regardless of the fact that the service acadamies are unlikely to represent the BE.
Aresco's the TV guy so there must be other reasons.

That being said, is BYU & UNLV interested as all-sports members?  Will they help basketball?

Besides the Army-Navy games (and Navy-ND of course) are the ratings ever that good? I don't the hate service academies, but it seems its short sighted when higher-upside schools like New Mexico, Nevada, UNLV and even UMass are out there for the taking.

[GGGG]

BTW, I will point out in MU Fan in CT's defense, the bowls really like when service academies are eligible because they bring in decent crowds.  But that is in comparison to something like the 4th place MAC team...not BCS level teams.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Besides the Army-Navy games (and Navy-ND of course) are the ratings ever that good? I don't the hate service academies, but it seems its short sighted when higher-upside schools like New Mexico, Nevada, UNLV and even UMass are out there for the taking.

Two more reasons for the service academies is you don't have to worry about the other sports, less shuffling around, less legal affiliations to untangle as it's obvious the move is straight up for football only.
Lastly, you start the "new" conference out on a higher level because you have "known" names in football.  (Kind of the same reason why ND went to the ACC.  They choose "known" names for their 5 guaranteed games a year.)

That being said, I agree the ceiling is so much higher with teams like UNLV & UMass.    Plus you bring in major metro TV markets of Boston & Las Vegas which is what the "new" Big East is supposed to be all about (yes?).  UMass even plays in Foxboro.

I think your Plan B is a real possibility for a couple reasons. 
* Isn't Army still traumatized by it's C-USA experience in football, so they want to avoid conference affiliation again?
* How adamant is BYU about home game TV money?  It sounded like a deal breaker for the Big XII and the Big East in the first go around.  I can see that issue sticking around.