REPORT: BEast to add UCF, SMU, Houston in all sports; Boise St/Navy/AFA in fball

[Norm]

UConn, Villanova, Georgetown, ND, Louisville, St. John's, Cincinnati
MSG for the Big East tourney
Nearly all games nationally televised
Continued BCS affiliation

***compare that to CUSA, with
Louisville, Memphis, Cincinnati
Conference tournament held in El Paso this past year
Only select marquee matchups televised nationally
No BCS affiliation

It's not even close to what we had in CUSA.  It's not what the Big East was the past three years, but it's still leaps and bounds better than what we had in CUSA and if you can't see that then I don't know what to tell you.

Yes, but the Big East has already lost Pitt, Syracuse and West Virginia. Louisville is on its way out and I wouldn't be surprised if UConn and Cincinnati soon follow. And if Notre Dame joins a conference for football it wont be in the Big East.

Syracuse
Pitt
West Virginia
Louisville
UConn
Cincinnati
Notre Dame
South Florida
Rutgers
Central Florida
Houston
SMU
Providence
Villanova
Seton Hall
St. John's
DePaul
Georgetown
Marquette

I think I'd rather have the basketball only schools break off and hook up with Xavier, Butler and maybe Dayton.

[Aughnanure]

Just and idea-----Houston, Memphis, Temple and add Xavier, possibly VCU, Ala. Birmingham and Butler. The Question is would VCU and Butler maintan. Ala. B. usually has a good team as does Old Dominion.

I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

[bamamarquettefan]

Yes, Memphis and Temple for SMU and UCF.   Houston is alright. 

I would love to have Memphis for basketball, but as long as we want to hold out some hope for BCS-status, Memphis is a huge drain with the WORST football team in all of FBS once again this year.  Houston is ranked, Boise State is obviously the one power out there, military academies add something, and SMU may be far enough past the death penalty to return to football power.

We know we will be downgraded in basketball, but you need to try for potential.  Houston always has potential to re-emerge as a basketball power, and UCF did sweep S. Florida, Florida and Miami to start 14-0 last year and get ranked before falling apart, so I don't know if someone got hurt or they just came down to earth.

I'm not critical of these moves.  The only move that was obviously a huge mistake to this point was turning down the $1.4 billion from ESPN without another deal in hand, but since then it's been a very difficult damage control effort and this plan might be as good as any other.

[79Warrior]

Lose Pitt, Cuse and WVA

Gain Houston, SMU and UCF

Not even close for b-ball.  Houston might be OK, but SMU and UCF........  Huge loss for BE hoops.

Yep. BE basketball will suffer.

[GGGG]

Here is what I am wondering.  It is clear that the BE is expanded to the benefit of football instead of basketball.  And the basketball schools are complicit with this.

Now, we know that the revenue distibution within the BE isn't public information.  But what if the bball schools agreed to this, but are getting more $$$ out of the deal in return.  The fball schools would go along with this because they don't have a majority, have nowhere else to go, and these moves likely give them a greater pie to divide since they would likely keep their AQ status.

So instead of sitting back and letting the fball schools do something, they actually engineered a deal that would get them a greater %age of the larger pie.

[Niv Berkowitz]

Either way, this blows. The hoops schools need to effing wake up and end this charade. They are being led around by their noses by a football. It's pathetic. The Big East will never be anything in football. The sooner those close to this realize the better off it will be hoops-wise. Just terrible.

Wonder how this will affect ticket sales?

[NersEllenson]

Either way, this blows. The hoops schools need to effing wake up and end this charade. They are being led around by their noses by a football. It's pathetic. The Big East will never be anything in football. The sooner those close to this realize the better off it will be hoops-wise. Just terrible.

Amen.  There is ZERO justification for why the basketball schools should have allowed 2 of the 3 in of UCF, SMU and Houston.  As Katz pointed out - you take Temple and Memphis - and 1 of the 3 above schools.  (Regardless if Memphis's football record would bring down the AQ status of BCS.)

I sure as hell hope that in this arrangement the basketball schools required the exit fee be upped to the $25M range for existing members (primarily to keep Lville, Cincy, and UCONN) in the league...or have to give serious pause to leaving...when it is a known FACT UCONN and Lville have been lobbying to get out.

Mark it down within 5 years Lville, UCONN and Cincy will be gone - and we'll now have UCF, SMU and Houston in the league - instead of say Memphis, Temple, Xavier...when we probably could have had the same without ever having to have the riff raff of SMU, Houston and UCF in the conference. 

[Aughnanure]

The only basketball-only fans that like this deal appear to be Georgetown (http://hoyatalk2.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general). All others seem to be ready and willing for the basketball-only era to begin.

[dpucane]

Andy Katz says:

"Big East should have gone Memphis-Temple in addition or in place of Houston and SMU at least you get hoops and market, not fb&no market"

http://j.mp/u5LPom

How are Houston and Dallas not markets?

[Warriors10]

Shoot me now...

[JD]

Well i guess MU should just transfer to B10, or is it B11 now?

Just Kidding everybody.

[NersEllenson]

How are Houston and Dallas not markets?

When nobody cares about a team within a market - it doesn't have much value.  Houston could evolve into having SOME value.  However, SMU has to be National Championship caliber good for any part of Dallas to really care.  The only people in Dallas who care about SMU are SMU alum - and their support of SMU athletics is very, very marginal at best - they draw about 1500 per Men's Basketball game...

[chapman]

Andy Katz says:

"Big East should have gone Memphis-Temple in addition or in place of Houston and SMU at least you get hoops and market, not fb&no market"

http://j.mp/u5LPom

Andy Katz is right.

[Hards Alumni]

When nobody cares about a team within a market - it doesn't have much value.  Houston could evolve into having SOME value.  However, SMU has to be National Championship caliber good for any part of Dallas to really care.  The only people in Dallas who care about SMU are SMU alum - and their support of SMU athletics is very, very marginal at best - they draw about 1500 per Men's Basketball game...

Correctamundo.

Which is why a lot of times market size is vastly overrated.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

I got my MBA from SMU.  I would say that not only are they an after-thought in Dallas -- college basketball ranks somewhere in between drill team at football games and the minor league baseball in Frisco.  Just in case you are keeping score those things are far behind high school football.  Dallas is a pro-sports oriented area with an exception for anything football related.  Yuck.

[Aughnanure]

Interesting...

PeteThamelNYT, after hinting that Air Force may not be totally on board.

After Big East gets to 12, it will consider the 14/18 notion. Hoops schools have a huge say and want additions

http://bit.ly/tgDs5L

[6746jonesr]

Can;'t wait for basketball season to begin so you all have something else to complain about.

[muguru]

No one hear must realize that UCF had a top 75 RPI last year??

[Marqus Howard]

Interesting...

PeteThamelNYT, after hinting that Air Force may not be totally on board.

After Big East gets to 12, it will consider the 14/18 notion. Hoops schools have a huge say and want additions

http://bit.ly/tgDs5L

Temple/Memphis?

We can only hope...

[brewcity77]

I'll be the dissenting voice. This is a good move. We solidify football and hopefully appease them enough with a conference championship game. I do think that we need a forfeiture of future revenue clause, and honestly, the one mistake I'd see is if we allowed this without further assurances (other than the paltry $10M exit fee) of conference survival.

Our football is better. Let's face it, Syracuse and Pitt suck. West Virginia doesn't, but I'll take UCF and Houston over WVU. And if we do add Boise State, that's a huge add that will ensure BCS status remains.

Our basketball is worse, but this may not be over. Temple and Memphis may still be in the mix. And if not, UConn, Louisville, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette, that's seven perennially good teams. St. John's, Rutgers, Providence, Houston, and UCF all seem to be on the rise (yes, UCF is improving, they were ranked last year). So Seton Hall, South Florida, DePaul, and SMU suck. Every league has some bottom-feeders. No, it's not the Big East of old, but it's a hell of a lot better than C-USA, and anyone who thinks otherwise is blind or delusional.

Being affiliated with perennial top-tens like UConn and Louisville is a good thing. Being affiliated with Cincinnati and Notre Dame is a good thing. If we go basketball-only, we likely lose those schools. And like it or not, those schools bring in a heck of a lot of the contract revenue. Trying to break away from them would be incredibly stupid. Mind-bogglingly, phenomenally stupid. Leave them, start a 10-team league, within 5 years we are no better than the current A-10. And frankly, they'll probably then add Temple and Memphis end up a better league than our new basketball-only league anyway.

Did I mention that breaking away would be monumentally stupid?

[Guy Fieri's Dad]

This.  This is going to go and on and on until we are Conference USA.  Or, create a solid conference that does not include football (at least FBS football).

From a basketball standpoint, the Big East has lost one national powerhouse, one perennial Top 25 teams, and one consistent tourney team and replaced it with one team with makes the tourney once every five years, and two teams who nearly never make the tourney.

Exactly!

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I'll be the dissenting voice. This is a good move. We solidify football and hopefully appease them enough with a conference championship game. I do think that we need a forfeiture of future revenue clause, and honestly, the one mistake I'd see is if we allowed this without further assurances (other than the paltry $10M exit fee) of conference survival.

Our football is better. Let's face it, Syracuse and Pitt suck. West Virginia doesn't, but I'll take UCF and Houston over WVU. And if we do add Boise State, that's a huge add that will ensure BCS status remains.

Our basketball is worse, but this may not be over. Temple and Memphis may still be in the mix. And if not, UConn, Louisville, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette, that's seven perennially good teams. St. John's, Rutgers, Providence, Houston, and UCF all seem to be on the rise (yes, UCF is improving, they were ranked last year). So Seton Hall, South Florida, DePaul, and SMU suck. Every league has some bottom-feeders. No, it's not the Big East of old, but it's a hell of a lot better than C-USA, and anyone who thinks otherwise is blind or delusional.

Being affiliated with perennial top-tens like UConn and Louisville is a good thing. Being affiliated with Cincinnati and Notre Dame is a good thing. If we go basketball-only, we likely lose those schools. And like it or not, those schools bring in a heck of a lot of the contract revenue. Trying to break away from them would be incredibly stupid. Mind-bogglingly, phenomenally stupid. Leave them, start a 10-team league, within 5 years we are no better than the current A-10. And frankly, they'll probably then add Temple and Memphis end up a better league than our new basketball-only league anyway.

Did I mention that breaking away would be monumentally stupid?

+1!

[NersEllenson]

I'll be the dissenting voice. This is a good move. We solidify football and hopefully appease them enough with a conference championship game. I do think that we need a forfeiture of future revenue clause, and honestly, the one mistake I'd see is if we allowed this without further assurances (other than the paltry $10M exit fee) of conference survival.

Our football is better. Let's face it, Syracuse and Pitt suck. West Virginia doesn't, but I'll take UCF and Houston over WVU. And if we do add Boise State, that's a huge add that will ensure BCS status remains.

Our basketball is worse, but this may not be over. Temple and Memphis may still be in the mix. And if not, UConn, Louisville, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette, that's seven perennially good teams. St. John's, Rutgers, Providence, Houston, and UCF all seem to be on the rise (yes, UCF is improving, they were ranked last year). So Seton Hall, South Florida, DePaul, and SMU suck. Every league has some bottom-feeders. No, it's not the Big East of old, but it's a hell of a lot better than C-USA, and anyone who thinks otherwise is blind or delusional.

Being affiliated with perennial top-tens like UConn and Louisville is a good thing. Being affiliated with Cincinnati and Notre Dame is a good thing. If we go basketball-only, we likely lose those schools. And like it or not, those schools bring in a heck of a lot of the contract revenue. Trying to break away from them would be incredibly stupid. Mind-bogglingly, phenomenally stupid. Leave them, start a 10-team league, within 5 years we are no better than the current A-10. And frankly, they'll probably then add Temple and Memphis end up a better league than our new basketball-only league anyway.

Did I mention that breaking away would be monumentally stupid?

Brew - We aren't breaking away from Lville, UCONN, Cincy if we don't add football teams at present - they can still play in the Big East for hoops - but they'll have to figure out their football situation on their own.  It is HIGHLY likely that the above schools leave the Big East (even with proposed football team additions) once offered by the ACC, Big 12, SEC, or Big 10.  It is unlikely that ALL of those conferences stand pat at their current size.  Did adding TCU stop Pitt, Cuse, and WVU from leaving??  NO.  Are we really to think UCF, Houston, SMU will make Lville, UCONN, and Cincy stay in the Big East long term??

I doubt any of the above would leave the Big East conference in its present form - to move 100% of their sports to the MAC, or Conference USA for football purposes (assuming none of the other leagues offer them a spot at present)...so we'd continue to get to play them in basketball.  If Lville, UCONN, and Cincy aren't willing to agree to a $25M+ exit fee at present - no sense in watering down the basketball brand with teams like UCF, SMU, Houston.

This strategy to me is by far the most "proactive" strategy the basketball schools could take.  They have the power - USE IT!  Force the hand of of Lville, UCONN, Cincy - and when they don't agree to $25M exit fee...you have your answer as to their commitment long term to the conference.  But, let's get Memphis, Temple, and Xavier in the Big East right now...so when Ville, UCONN, and Cincy eventually leave...the Big East is still a strong basketball brand...and not diluted by SMU, Houston and UCF.

[Norm]

I'll be the dissenting voice. This is a good move. We solidify football and hopefully appease them enough with a conference championship game. I do think that we need a forfeiture of future revenue clause, and honestly, the one mistake I'd see is if we allowed this without further assurances (other than the paltry $10M exit fee) of conference survival.

Our football is better. Let's face it, Syracuse and Pitt suck. West Virginia doesn't, but I'll take UCF and Houston over WVU. And if we do add Boise State, that's a huge add that will ensure BCS status remains.

Our basketball is worse, but this may not be over. Temple and Memphis may still be in the mix. And if not, UConn, Louisville, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette, that's seven perennially good teams. St. John's, Rutgers, Providence, Houston, and UCF all seem to be on the rise (yes, UCF is improving, they were ranked last year). So Seton Hall, South Florida, DePaul, and SMU suck. Every league has some bottom-feeders. No, it's not the Big East of old, but it's a hell of a lot better than C-USA, and anyone who thinks otherwise is blind or delusional.

Being affiliated with perennial top-tens like UConn and Louisville is a good thing. Being affiliated with Cincinnati and Notre Dame is a good thing. If we go basketball-only, we likely lose those schools. And like it or not, those schools bring in a heck of a lot of the contract revenue. Trying to break away from them would be incredibly stupid. Mind-bogglingly, phenomenally stupid. Leave them, start a 10-team league, within 5 years we are no better than the current A-10. And frankly, they'll probably then add Temple and Memphis end up a better league than our new basketball-only league anyway.

Did I mention that breaking away would be monumentally stupid?

Brew, West Virginia is a FAR better football school than UCF and Houston. Mountaineer fans are rabid about their team and they follow them to bowl games - which is a big thing to bowls that want fans in attendance.

Also, the way things are going, Marquette will not be affiliated with UConn, Louisville, Cincinnati and Notre Dame - in probably less than 3 years. And I think they'll break away from us, not the other way around.

[Golden Avalanche]

No one hear must realize that UCF had a top 75 RPI last year??

Indeed, they were better than the bottom third of the present-day conference. Remember, they had a great early streak of undefeated play to get people noticing.

They've got a strong coach with pedigree, and with a move to the Big East and market they have, it'd be no shock to see him stay.

The main issue with the Knights is I believe they've had some NCAA sniffers the last six months.