improve our value? by giving us a home for a football program, retaining our BCS bid and a conference championship game
also protects us from another deflection, we can't be living on the edge all the time
many of those programs are better than us in football already, or at least our equal. They will improve in time
if the ACC or B10 don't come knocking, what better options do we have?
We don't need to add multiple programs to have a home. The big east isn't kicking us out. If anyone gets an invite, we'll be one of the first. If we aren't, the programs mentioned aren't getting one either and will still be available.
The suggestion of adding those teams does nothing to protect our BCS bid, nevermind mean you can say we will "retain" it. Add those teams, and we are more likely to lose it. We need a program or two that have been top 25 recently if we want to keep it. That means we need to strongly consider Boise State. I'm not thrilled by this, but it might be necessary.
Even if the schools mentioned were better, (they aren't) they don't have a brand name. These moves aren't made because Quse beat Wake Forest this year, but because Pitt/Quse have a solid brand name.
It doesn't protect us from defection, anyone would still leave if offered something better. The conference will still be weak and unstable. We have 2 years, think about what happened the past 3-4 months. 2 years is an eternity.
Again, any of the teams people suggest we need to add now, will always be available. They are not going to take a spot in a better conference that we want. We will need to get back to 8 or 9, but 12 is not the answer. and the 12/20 that is mentioned is big for the sake of big, but not any more stable than our current situation, and would possibly split the pot more than necessary.
If we don't get an invite soon, we wait and go to work. The Big 12 is just as unstable. We work with the conference on adding Baylor/Iowa State, consider Boise St football only, as plan B, while working towards an ACC invite. If Baylor/ISU or BSU think they're going to be left out (they probably will) they may consider joining a BCS conference now while they can.
We can be honest with the conference because everyone knows we'll leave if offered, but this move is best for the conference long term with or without UConn. I believe we can work toward both ends, because they are best for both parties. I am sick about having to work to add Baylor/ISU & BSU and those three are far more deserving than Houston, ECU, UCF, Memphis, and Navy.
If after 12-18 months nothing's changed, then maybe we consider adding ECU/UCF/Navy, but those should be our last options.