ESPN: Big East Will Remain Together

[TallTitan34]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6998720/commissioner-john-marinatto-says-schools-committed-big-east

The remaining Big East basketball and football schools are all committed to staying together.  They are seeking out replacement schools.

[Aughnanure]

This is adorable.

[GGGG]

I'm wondering if the ACC is going to regret their expansion move. Smells like panic. I also wonder if the BE just takes one school since TCU is already in for next year.

[GOO]

Ya right.  Until a better offer comes along. Too early to report something like this, and we won't know for at least a week.

[TallTitan34]

If we were to replace Pitt and Syracuse with Kansas and Kansas State are we a better conference than before?  I think it's about the same but I do think we would still be a better basketball conference than the ACC.

[TallTitan34]

Also in order to prove that schools are committed, I would vote to significantly increase the penalty for leaving the conference.

[CAINMUTINY]

The two new members should be Kansas and kansas state

[TallTitan34]

This would go along with the Xavierhoops report which was posted here.

[muhs03]

The two new members should be Kansas and kansas state

This is about football, not basketball. UCF might actually be better than both of those schools plus Florida is a recruiting hotbed...moreso than Kansas. Who knows though.

If the PAC isnt going to expand and the B12 still has their tv contract, no B12 school is going to go to the BE at this point. More travel for less money.

[HoopsMalone]

USF should cover the interest Floridians have in college football beyond Florida, Florida State, and Miami.  Can't see how UCF helps the cable contract.  Might as well work on the middle of the country with TCU, KU, K-State, and maybe even get in the growing Carolina area with Eastern Carolina.

[Litehouse]

Not sure I believe Marinatto, but that's as definitive as anything we've seen yet.  Pitt, Cuse and the ACC totally panicked.

Maybe we bring in Memphis and then Navy for football only.

[Aughnanure]

USF should cover the interest Floridians have in college football beyond Florida, Florida State, and Miami.  Can't see how UCF helps the cable contract.  Might as well work on the middle of the country with TCU, KU, K-State, and maybe even get in the growing Carolina area with Eastern Carolina.

Huge alumni base, another chance tor more games in Florida to sell recruits on. But yeah, Florida has way too many BCS level teams already, but those are the reasons.

[chapman]

Counting TCU it's 7 football schools.  Wonder if anything will materialize with the Army / Air Force possibilities...my guess is no, if the two schools that left probably took issue with it I'm sure "we'll leave too" is enough of a veto, and it doesn't seem believable there were only two "No"s.  If Kansas and Kansas State would come, it could go as high as 11.  Then who would be lucky number 12?  If KU and KSU can come on board for 2012 or 2013 do they make Pitt and Cuse stick around anyway for one or two seasons, and would it be realistic to have a football championship game if there are 12 teams under that extremely odd arrangement?  Another strange thing that could happen, but my guess is they release them early if KU and KSU come.

[brewcity77]

USF should cover the interest Floridians have in college football beyond Florida, Florida State, and Miami.  Can't see how UCF helps the cable contract.  Might as well work on the middle of the country with TCU, KU, K-State, and maybe even get in the growing Carolina area with Eastern Carolina.

You have no idea then about UCF. It is the fastest-growing university in the nation. It has over 50,000 students. It is in the middle of a recruiting hotbed and is located in the #19 media market in Orlando. They only reached D1 status in 1995, and since then spent 6 years independent, 3 in the MAC, and the last 6 in CUSA. Since joining CUSA they have gone to 4 bowl games. Their basketball program is lacking, but was ranked for the first time last year and boasts both Jordan kids.

No, UCF isn't a top-notch program, but they are poised as much as any school in the nation to make the jump to being an elite athletic institution. They have a burgeoning fanbase in a state that loves college football above all else, and will likely double their already-sizable alumni base in the next 15-20 years. Maybe I'm cheerleading them because my niece just graduated from there, but they would be a very, very valuable addition. IMO, they are the most valuable non-BCS school out there.

[Litehouse]

Might as well work on the middle of the country with TCU, KU, K-State, and maybe even get in the growing Carolina area with Eastern Carolina.

The Raleigh and Charlotte areas are growing.  Greenville is a glorified strip-mall on a 2 lane highway.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

IT'S UCF!  IT'S UCF!

[RyanConroy]

This would please me even if only to force Syracuse, Pitt, and possibly UConn to actually pay the five million dollar exit fee.

[Ari Gold]

[4everwarriors]

To be renamed as Little East.

[MUMac]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6998720/commissioner-john-marinatto-says-schools-committed-big-east

The remaining Big East basketball and football schools are all committed to staying together.  They are seeking out replacement schools.

I did not read any reference to basketball.  This was football only.  It was a meeting of just the football schools - no basketball schools were included.  That does not give me the warm and fuzzies.

The schools say they are committed to staying.  Likely the case as the PAC 12, SEC and Big 10 are dismissing rumors of any desire to grow.  Where would they go?  A marriage of convenience that would/will likely be broken if any of those leagues show interest in adding new members.

I feel this is far from over.  Maybe a lull for a year or more.  But not over.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

You have no idea then about UCF. It is the fastest-growing university in the nation. It has over 50,000 students. It is in the middle of a recruiting hotbed and is located in the #19 media market in Orlando. They only reached D1 status in 1995, and since then spent 6 years independent, 3 in the MAC, and the last 6 in CUSA. Since joining CUSA they have gone to 4 bowl games. Their basketball program is lacking, but was ranked for the first time last year and boasts both Jordan kids.

No, UCF isn't a top-notch program, but they are poised as much as any school in the nation to make the jump to being an elite athletic institution. They have a burgeoning fanbase in a state that loves college football above all else, and will likely double their already-sizable alumni base in the next 15-20 years. Maybe I'm cheerleading them because my niece just graduated from there, but they would be a very, very valuable addition. IMO, they are the most valuable non-BCS school out there.

Their football team did beat Georgia in a bowl game last season and finished in the Top 25.  

[Brewtown Andy]

I liked the part where ESPN just stapled the news about what happened at the meeting to the top of their story about the meeting being scheduled. It led to this paragraph in a story about a committment to stay together:

UConn president Susan Herbst was not in attendance at the meeting, sources told Schad, as the school focuses on lobbying for entry to the ACC. Herbst was expected to send a school official to the meeting as the representative.

[brewcity77]

I can't say I'm really relieved by this news (assuming it's even accurate). Every time I hear the Big East will remain together, all I can think is that there's an unstated "until..." at the end of the headline. Half our membership would fall all over themselves to be part of the ACC, SEC, or Big 10. Hell, I think UConn and Rutgers would probably join the PAC-12 if offered.

[Guy Fieri's Dad]

If replacement schools means the service academies or UCF the conference is already dead.

[bilsu]

Right now the Big 12 is also staying together, so we will not get any schools from them. Although Oklahoma has backed themselves in a corner with their demands of removal of the Big 12 commissioner. Pac 10 apparantly is not going to expand. Big 10 is probably not going to do anything. SEC needs one and that is what could effect Big East. Maybe they take an ACC school and ACC takes Uconn. I like the idea of adding the 3 military academies for football. Add East Carolina and CF and call it a day. If Uconn jumps ship then add Memphis.