Rumblings at Pitt have them.......

[KipsBayEagle]

making an announcement they will be leaving for the big ten on Friday.  Memphis has been rumored as the possible replacement school.  This is not confirmed news by any stretch, but many people connected with Pitt have been saying this.

[NersEllenson]

making an announcement they will be leaving for the big ten on Friday.  Memphis has been rumored as the possible replacement school.  This is not confirmed news by any stretch, but many people connected with Pitt have been saying this.

Wow..that would be very interesting..what a trade off basketball-wise.  I know Jamie Dixon has been very vocal about not wanting to join Big 10?  Guess he's getting overruled if it happens?

[KipsBayEagle]

Wow..that would be very interesting..what a trade off basketball-wise.  I know Jamie Dixon has been very vocal about not wanting to join Big 10?  Guess he's getting overruled if it happens?

I was thinking the same thing.  Wouldn't be surprised if his name was bounced around at some of the bigger coaching vacancies after this season if this goes through.  Theres something about memphis being in the big east that doesn't sit well with me.  The Big 12 Jr. is definitly getting the better end of this deal.

[Warrior]

I'd like to see Pitt replaced with Xavier from a basketball standpoint. Xavier may be part of a future Catholic basketball conference that breaks off from the Big East someday, so it makes sense to me. 

[MarquetteDano]

If this does happen, Big East football would not look too good.  Whoever replaces Pitt would have to have a good football program.  The basketball part of the conference is already good so it isn't as painful there.

[Warrior1969]

Boston College?

[schubert33]

Boston College?

Why would Boston College leave the ACC??

[______]

I would like to see Rutgers go to the Big 11 and Memphis take their place.

[Warrior1969]

Well has it really worked out that well for BC?  Obviously a better fit on a lot of fronts in the BE.  When these things start happening seems like most anything is possible.

[Jacks DC]

No way BC comes back.  They left for the ACC for the football revenue and the BE just doesn't have that, esp. without Pitt.

[Jacks DC]

I'd heard Mizzou as a potential candidate for the Big Ten too.  Almost seems like a better fit.

[mu_eyeballs]

Here in the heart of big ten country(Columbus)...sports radio has never even touched on Pitt, all of the talk has been about Missouri, so much so I would be surprised if it was anyone else.

[chapman]

If true, wonder if Jamie Dixon wants to stay around since he's so opposed to it.  And I doubt Len Elmore's well-noted Pitt pipeline of New York kids are going to want to play farm boys.

Memphis probably makes the most sense as the likely replacement.  Doubt BC would come back, but they'd be the best fit.  Temple would also be great from a hoops standpoint, but they would have to promise to win more than one football game every three years this time around.  Of course, it's all made easier if Notre Dame would just play BE football instead of just playing half the conference every year and staying independent.

[spartan3186]

If true, wonder if Jamie Dixon wants to stay around since he's so opposed to it.  And I doubt Len Elmore's well-noted Pitt pipeline of New York kids are going to want to play farm boys.

Memphis probably makes the most sense as the likely replacement.  Doubt BC would come back, but they'd be the best fit.  Temple would also be great from a hoops standpoint, but they would have to promise to win more than one football game every three years this time around.  Of course, it's all made easier if Notre Dame would just play BE football instead of just playing half the conference every year and staying independent.

I'm willing to bet that if Notre Dame decided to give up their independent status they would be Big Ten bound as opposed to staying in the Big East.

[MU111]

The Big Ten has seemed to want Notre Dame so much for so long, that I agree ND would probably go there if they gave up their independent status.  I just don't see them willing to do that before the Big Ten takes someone else, though.

I agree with MarquetteDano that the Big East will want a replacement that is a pretty good football school.  Neither Xavier, nor Temple (used to be in the BE for only football), nor Memphis seem to fit that bill.  If Pitt does leave, it will probably get me thinking more about when (versus if) the BE splits into football versus non-football schools.

[ChicosBailBonds]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/30/sports/30bigten.html


I still think the Big Ten goes to 14 teams which I will laugh my head off at Badger fans complaining how big our conference is.

Unfortunately, if it happens, the Big East will be gutted.  The Super Conferences may be at hand.

Big Ten is the first domino.  What happens to those that don't have football like MU....ah, what happens.

[chapman]

I'd like to see Pitt replaced with Xavier from a basketball standpoint. Xavier may be part of a future Catholic basketball conference that breaks off from the Big East someday, so it makes sense to me. 

Since this always gets brought up whenever conference movement comes up; it probably will never, and for our sake, pray it never happens.  Competition and revenue generation are 100x more the priority of these schools’ athletic departments when positioning their programs than the school’s religious affiliation.  We will be one of the odd men out if things were ever to get messed up this badly.  Georgetown and Villanova have history, money, and geography on their sides.  Furthermore, teams like Dayton and Xavier will have no incentive to leave the A-10 to join some new 8-10 team conference consisting exclusively of small, private schools that will struggle to get games on television.  The level of competition would be embarrassing compared to what we’re at now.  If the BE were ever to dissolve, begging the A-10 to let us in might be the best case scenario.

The Big Ten has seemed to want Notre Dame so much for so long, that I agree ND would probably go there if they gave up their independent status.  I just don't see them willing to do that before the Big Ten takes someone else, though.

I agree with MarquetteDano that the Big East will want a replacement that is a pretty good football school.  Neither Xavier, nor Temple (used to be in the BE for only football), nor Memphis seem to fit that bill.  If Pitt does leave, it will probably get me thinking more about when (versus if) the BE splits into football versus non-football schools.

The question is, how does a weak football conference get stronger in football by getting rid of its basketball-only members?  It's not going to help them attract stronger football programs to join them and it will also hurt their basketball programs.  If a BE school were to leave, the conference needs to consider adding two replacements instead of one for a balanced football schedule.  Even if they don't lose a member, getting up to 9 football schools helps the level of competition in the conference.  I don't see how having 9 football schools to 7 or 8 non-football schools would spell doom for the conference.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Well, if this happens and happens soon, there's the recruiting dominoes as well.  Recruits are going to want to understand what is happening, what conference they are playing in.  Then you have the coaches wanting to understand what conference they are coaching in.

This will be a lot of fun.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

If there is a move, I think the best case scenario for us is

Mizzou to Big Ten
Arkansas to Big 12 (Historical rivalries with Texas schools)
Memphis to SEC


Sadly, I see these moves as very unlikely.

[NavinRJohnson]

I have been saying for years that Pitt is an ideal fit for Big 10 expansion. From a basketball standpoint, finding an adequate replacement would probably not be too difficult. Football might be a different story. What will Len Elmore do when Dixon is no longer able to get those NYC kids (which he won't)?

[ChicosBailBonds]

If there is a move, I think the best case scenario for us is

Mizzou to Big Ten
Arkansas to Big 12 (Historical rivalries with Texas schools)
Memphis to SEC


Sadly, I see these moves as very unlikely.

If they go to 14, it's very bad for many schools, including MU.  If the Big Ten only goes to 12, then it's manageable.  The key is the quantity.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I hope Cottingham is on the ball on this

[ChicosBailBonds]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/336734-and-pittsburgh-makes-12-the-big-ten-to-add-the-panthers#poll


Student athletes were informed via closed door meeting last week and that's the date if it comes true.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

While it's been commented that religious affiliation shouldnt play a role in conference formation, it may end up being that way anyway in a Superconference era. By and large, the BCS leagues are mostly public, state schools.

Pac-10: 8 of 10
Big 12: 11 of 12
SEC: 11 of 12
Big 10: 10 of 11 (11 of 12 with Pitt)
ACC: 8 of 12
Big East: 7 of 16 (The Big East is the only BCS Conference where the majority of its members are Private schools).

The last few rounds of Conference expansion (including the move that brought us into the Big East) were driven in large part by football revenues. Boston College and Notre Dame are the only two Catholic schools offering D-1 FBS football. Beyond that, there aren't many private schools, and for good reason. Many private schools simply do not have the resources, or are unwilling to commit the resources due to size to sustain a massive D-1 football program.

If the rumors are true, Pitt's move could spell the much-rumored breakup of the Big East, because there are not a lot of attractive schools for the Big East to pick from. Even if we were to pick up a school like Xavier for basketball, the Big East would still need a football school, and due to ND's obstinance, that only leaves Army and Navy in D-1 without a conference. Not exactly world-beaters.

As far as poaching another Conference's members, the most likely plundering targets would probably be Conference USA or more remotely, the MAC. Memphis, Marshall, ECU, UCF, I'm looking in your direction. None of these options looks very attractive for the Big East.

The Big East may need to look within. Villanova and Georgetown operate an FCS team, and in theory could bring them up to D-1. It's been done before (Connecticut), but UConn once again, is a state instutiton, with the resources of the taxpayers behind them.