Reallignment Update from New York Times

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I agree.  This is why I have been pushing - and hopefully MU and the other Bball schools are too - for the addition of Xavier and Butler if the Big East adds any football schools.  It keeps the Big East in the discussion as best basketball conference (if uconn actually stays) which is what makes the big east a national draw in the first place, and creates a ready made, 10 team conference that can split off immediately if doomsday ever comes.  The Bball schools have a voice at the table, and they should be pushing hard for this.

I'd be OK with this.

[brewcity77]

I agree.  This is why I have been pushing - and hopefully MU and the other Bball schools are too - for the addition of Xavier and Butler if the Big East adds any football schools.  It keeps the Big East in the discussion as best basketball conference (if uconn actually stays) which is what makes the big east a national draw in the first place, and creates a ready made, 10 team conference that can split off immediately if doomsday ever comes.  The Bball schools have a voice at the table, and they should be pushing hard for this.

With rumors of the service academies joining as football-only members, is there a chance we could go to 12 football/20 basketball while maintaining an equal balance of football and basketball-only programs?

Full members: UConn, Rutgers, USF, WVU, Louisville, Cincy, Memphis (?), UCF

Football-only members: Army, Navy, Air Force, ECU (?)

Basketball-only members: Marquette, Notre Dame, DePaul, Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's, Seton Hall, Providence, Xavier, Butler, Dayton, St. Louis

The bolded teams are people we don't yet have but are reportedly interested in at some level. Who knows now if TCU is coming or not, and as it sounds less likely, I went with Memphis. Add UCF and answer their dream of the past half-decade and satisfy the legions of fans calling for them (I am legion...err wait, that movie was I Am Legend...damn, screwed it up!). Either way, any two of TCU/Memphis/UCF/Houston would fit the bill.

Then add the service academies and ECU's football team, because let's face it, ECU basketball sucks (and gives us bad memories). It actually strengthens our football (Navy and Air Force aren't half bad) and satisfies ECU (at least somewhat). It also gets us to the magic 12, which allows for a conference title game and hopefully somewhat solidifies the conference's hold on a BCS auto-bid.

Finally, add Xavier, Butler, Dayton, and St. Louis (or sub in Creighton, Richmond, Boston U, Detroit, George Mason, George Washington, George Clinton, VCU, whomever) to get the basketball-only schools to 12 and creating an equal voting balance with the football schools.

Sure, it's big, but 12 is the number the football schools wanted and 20 isn't that far of a reach from the 17 that were initially proposed for the 2012-13 season (with 'Cuse, Pitt, and TCU). I'd break it up like this:

Big East North: UConn, Rutgers, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Army, Navy, Notre Dame

Big East South: USF, UCF, Louisville, Memphis, ECU, Air Force, Butler

Big East East: Providence, Georgetown, Seton Hall, St. John's, Villanova

Big East West: Marquette, St. Louis, Xavier, Dayton, DePaul

The North and South play football, though in basketball the two football-only schools are subbed out and the one basketball-only is subbed in. The East and the West only play basketball. I sought to preserve some rivalries and while it's not perfect, I think this would be workable and would preserve voting equality without having to create some 24-team monstrosity.

[Stronghold]

I believe the BE should immediately

1. add Nova as a football team
2. Add UCF and Memphis and Umass as all sports
3. Add Navy as Football only.

I agree with all of these except UMass only because I know almost nothing about them.  Nova deserves to join as a football team for sticking around, Memphis would be an awesome basketball addition, and as long as Navy is football only they would be a good addition to the conference.  I think UCF is a good investment for the conference as a whole.  Too much upside as has been previously stated on this board (increasing enrollment, Jordan's sons, sports growth in the last 10-15 years, Orlando market).