Houston to Big East

[brewcity77]

Seems like this got lost in all the craze over the apparent loss of West Virginia yesterday. Still don't get them leaving to play schools where the nearest is over 800 miles away...that'll work well for their Rifle teams, women's volleyball, wrestling, and soccer teams. Oh well.

Houston has apparently approved their chancellor to move their sports to the Big East. Guess geographically it's about as logical as the WVU move, at least until SMU and UCF join along (though I suppose Houston and Orlando are probably more than 800 miles apart too...). Anyway, here's the article:

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2011-10-24/report-houston-to-authorize-move-to-big-east

[Brewtown Andy]

I'd much rather prefer kicking the football schools out of the Big East now that the non-football schools will have the votes to do so.

[bilsu]

Without looking at mileages, I do not think Houston is centrally located in Conference USA either. I am sure the travel is greater in the Big East, but the net difference would not be as great as if Boise St. switched. I remember when Houston had Elvin Hayes (sp). They have had some very good teams. Who knows what the future will bring?

[hdog1017]

Drexler and Olajuwon were pretty good for Houston as well. 

[GGGG]

Without looking at mileages, I do not think Houston is centrally located in Conference USA either.

They are in a division with UTEP, SMU, Rice, Tulsa and Tulane.  I am not how much closer they can be when you only have to cross one state border to go to two of these schools.

[muhoops1]

Houston = Problem Solved!

[MUMountin]

Houston did just score a couple of big recruits over the past few months, so maybe they are back on the upswing.  Still not sure if it is a great move for the BEast, but maybe they'll be a tourney type team by the time they'd join.

[nyg]

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/Big-East-to-extend-football-invites-to-six-schools-including-Boise-State-102611

Here's the latest....

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

FWIW Mr. CBS, "Hello Jim Nantz my friends", was on with Mike Francesca about a week and half ago.  He said (and he's a homer as he's a UofHouston alum) that it would be a good move on the Big East basketball side.  He said they were committed to upgrading their basketball & football facilities and in the right conference like the Big East they could return to their 1980s success.

[Marqus Howard]

Houston did just score a couple of big recruits over the past few months, so maybe they are back on the upswing.  Still not sure if it is a great move for the BEast, but maybe they'll be a tourney type team by the time they'd join.

+1

Their '11 class is alright, but their '12 class has some real potential. Danuel House looks like the real deal.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

BYU to the Big East with the other western football schools?

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/29532522/32936807

[StillAWarrior]

Houston is in the top 20 in football right now.  This is a move intended to strengthen the Big East football situation...not the basketball situation.  I'm not saying that Houston will be bad for basketball (although they certainly don't replace Pitt, Syracuse or WVU...or Cinci, Louisville and UConn), but the focus clearly is on football.  It's as if someone in the Big East offices is yelling to an assistant, "bring me this week's football rankings, and circle any team that's not in the SEC, ACC, Big10, Pac12 or Big12!"  Very short sighted.  As long as the focus is on football, it will just prolong an inevitable fundamental realignment for Marquette down the road.

[Patso2]

Houston is in one of Buzz' recruiting hotspots.

[nyg]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/7152071/west-virginia-mountaineers-move-big-12-hold-source-says

Now on hold while politics takes a stand. 

I used to despise Pitino, but at least he is fighting for the BE B-ball program tooth and nail. 

[lab_warrior]

FWIW Mr. CBS, "Hello Jim Nantz my friends", was on with Mike Francesca about a week and half ago.  He said (and he's a homer as he's a UofHouston alum) that it would be a good move on the Big East basketball side.  He said they were committed to upgrading their basketball & football facilities and in the right conference like the Big East they could return to their 1980s success.

All good points.  I'm sure though, that Nantz said all this in the smuggest, smarmiest way possible. 



Thhhhhanks!

[StillAWarrior]

Houston is in one of Buzz' recruiting hotspots.

I've seen people argue this both ways...

It gives Buzz greater access to Houston and the ability to assure the kids he's recruiting that they'll be able to play in their home town.  On the other hand, it give's Houston's coach the ability to say that you don't have to go live in Milwaukee in order to play in the Big East or MSG.


I'm honestly not entirely sure who has the better of the argument.  What I do know is that Buzz was doing quite well in Houston long before Houston was part of the Big East.

[brewcity77]

Pitino is my hero in all this conference craziness. He seems to be the only guy not afraid to say he wants to be in the Big East.

[StillAWarrior]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/7152071/west-virginia-mountaineers-move-big-12-hold-source-says

Now on hold while politics takes a stand. 

I used to despise Pitino, but at least he is fighting for the BE B-ball program tooth and nail. 

Which I appreciate.

As soon as he's able to get Louisville to scuttle the football program and join with the other Big East basketball-only programs, I'll believe that they'll still be in the same conference with Marquette in three years.  Louisville is as good as gone...Pitino's comments, while appreciated, are meaningless.

[lab_warrior]

 What I do know is that Buzz was doing quite well in Houston long before Houston was part of the Big East.

Agreed...I don't see any way Buzz doesn't continue to do well recruiting down there.

[bilsu]

Houston is in one of Buzz' recruiting hotspots.

Is that really true? His recruiting seems to be evolving all the time. We have Otule form Texas and Cadougan who played in Texas. My guess is that when they graduate, we will not have any players from Texas.

[bamamarquettefan]

Pitino's comments, while appreciated, are meaningless.

I wouldn't say "meaningless."  Certainly "uphill," and "longshot" could be appropriate, but he is the face of a basketball program netting $14 million a year, more than all but 18 football programs, so I too have become a huge fan.

Your final analysis is likely correct, but I appreciate having every card played.

Obviously the day the BEast turned down the $1.4 billion/ 9 year deal we entered an uphill fight, but I agree with Pitino that we should add those teams.  I also have no problem with one trip to Texas and one to Florida, to play two teams each.  And i don't see any reason Houston can't rise to the top in basketball again if the Big East comes out of this viewed as one of the top basketball conferences.

The ONLY good thing about the B12 getting stronger in the past month is that is messes up the push for four 16-team conferences.  If you have that, you pretty much have a playoff waiting to happen with 64 teams breaking off from the rest.  With FIVE conferences firmly established, you leave open at least 3 other spots either for a playoff or a bowl system, and that means you might get a spot open to even a weak Big East or certainly the winner of 32-team.

So while the case has been made stronger recently for basketball-only, my preferences in order are still:

1. somehow salvage a hybrid that keeps a football BCS bid,
2. give the football teams their 32-team mega conference with the Big East division that can get a BCS bid by winning two playoff games (good luck vs. Boise State) in hopes of keeping some combination of UConn, Lville or WVU for basketball
3. basketball-only.

[StillAWarrior]

I wouldn't say "meaningless."  Certainly "uphill," and "longshot" could be appropriate, but he is the face of a basketball program netting $14 million a year, more than all but 18 football programs, so I too have become a huge fan.

Your final analysis is likely correct, but I appreciate having every card played.

Obviously the day the BEast turned down the $1.4 billion/ 9 year deal we entered an uphill fight, but I agree with Pitino that we should add those teams.  I also have no problem with one trip to Texas and one to Florida, to play two teams each.  And i don't see any reason Houston can't rise to the top in basketball again if the Big East comes out of this viewed as one of the top basketball conferences.

The ONLY good thing about the B12 getting stronger in the past month is that is messes up the push for four 16-team conferences.  If you have that, you pretty much have a playoff waiting to happen with 64 teams breaking off from the rest.  With FIVE conferences firmly established, you leave open at least 3 other spots either for a playoff or a bowl system, and that means you might get a spot open to even a weak Big East or certainly the winner of 32-team.

So while the case has been made stronger recently for basketball-only, my preferences in order are still:

1. somehow salvage a hybrid that keeps a football BCS bid,
2. give the football teams their 32-team mega conference with the Big East division that can get a BCS bid by winning two playoff games (good luck vs. Boise State) in hopes of keeping some combination of UConn, Lville or WVU for basketball
3. basketball-only.

Aside from your order of preference, I don't disagree with anything you've said.  "Meaningless" might not have been the right term.  But I don't think they'll stop the inevitable (particularly in light of the recent article that was linked on the other thread suggesting that Louisville is working hard to ensure that it's them, and not WVU, that goes to the B12).

[oldwarrior81]

Is that really true? His recruiting seems to be evolving all the time. We have Otule form Texas and Cadougan who played in Texas. My guess is that when they graduate, we will not have any players from Texas.

TJ Taylor through 2015

[bamamarquettefan]

The Texas Longhorn fans were quick with some funny comments on WVU or Lville being included.  I like, "I had to google Morgantown to find out where it was."  I'm sure Texas will treat either team as equals if they make the jump.

by Hopkins Horn on Oct 26, 2011 1:00 PM CDT reply actions   

I know that WVU has done decently in the recent past as far as footall goes, but how do they stack up in all the categories that so many people have been writing articles about here and elsewhere?

TV market/eyes – I don't know a lot about Morgantown, but wikipedia says its small..as in it makes Beaumont look huge. However, who in Louisville cares about the college team? Do you, Hopkins (or SRR if he comes over from BC) have any of the TV data? Do people from the SEC or Pac 12 tune in to watch WVU or Louisville? I would think so at least in the case of basketball.

Alumni – kind of goes with TV market, or the potential for there to be one. WVU does appear to have a fairly large student population, and thus many alumni.

Good road trip – I had to google morgantown to find where it was at

Academics – i have no idea about either of these schools. Its at the botom of the list because it seems to have taken a back seat in the reality of what is happening as compared to what people thought originally

by UT_BKC on Oct 26, 2011 1:10 PM CDT up reply actions   
Let's not forget the honorable Senator from the state of Kentucky, who took a break from all his hard work creating jobs to demonstrate his nuanced interpretation of the conservative belief that government should allow free markets to operate without interference.

From the Times:

Two people with direct knowledge of the situation said that lobbying by the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, including to David Boren, the president of the University of Oklahoma and a former senator, helped slow West Virginia's admittance to the Big 12.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

From the Times:

Two people with direct knowledge of the situation said that lobbying by the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, including to David Boren, the president of the University of Oklahoma and a former senator, helped slow West Virginia's admittance to the Big 12.

There's one thing he seems to be good at and it's obstruction.