The absolute best we can hope for...The Great Big Mid-East...

[denverMU]

The Great Big Mid-East....

Football...Kansas, Kansas St., Baylor, Iowa St., Missouri, TCU, WVU, SFU, Cinci, Louisville.

Basketball...All the above plus, MU, ND, DePaul, Seton Hall, Providence, Georgetown, Villanova, Memphis.

10 football teams and 18 basketball probably the best we can hope for.  It sucks losing Uconn, Cuse, and Pitt but picking up Kansas, K St., Missouri, and Memphis is a close swap from a basketball perspective. Arguably top basketball conference in the country.

[Norm]

Would the league be able to continue to call itself the Big East and keep its BCS status?

[MUBurrow]

why does everyone always seem to be forgetting about Memphis' football team?

[dpucane]

I think the best name for this conference would be "The Middle East". Brick Tamlund style

[4everwarriors]

denverMU, why are you all of a sudden in bed with ND?

[bilsu]

Californian's think Nevada is in the east.

[mugrad2006]

Andy Katz saying that Big East schools merge into the Big 12, not the other way around.  Of course its because of the TV contracts.  Not sure if this means the basketball only schools would be included or not.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6993604/big-east-big-12-talking-possible-merger-sources-say

[chapman]

why does everyone always seem to be forgetting about Memphis' football team?

Actually we can forget them entirely...since this is the second time in the past couple days someone's forgotten St. John's.

[79Warrior]

Andy Katz saying that Big East schools merge into the Big 12, not the other way around.  Of course its because of the TV contracts.  Not sure if this means the basketball only schools would be included or not.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6993604/big-east-big-12-talking-possible-merger-sources-say

Why do they want the basketball only schools? Not going to happen. Basketball is on its own.