Sticking to reality.

[Carl Spackler]

Big East conference as it is, with the exit provisions enforced, is not going to change for 2 years, unless more teams are added. TCU is still set to join conference play in 2012. So - if nobody jumps ship in the next two years while we've still got a tv contract (espn contract for football runs out in 2013, but the b-ball contract runs out after the 2013 b-ball season is over as far as I can tell - which is interesting...football money will continue to come in unti the end of 2013, but b-ball money runs out in march in 2013......here's one article stating as much, need to verify elsewhere

http://www.dailymail.com/Sports/201105221121?page=2&build=cache

So until the end of the 2013 season, and TCU coming...AND nobody jumping in the meantime and leaving.

Big East all sports
Syracuse
Pittsburgh
TCU
UConn
USF
West Virginia
Louisville
Cincinatti
Rutgers

Big east catholics
Notre Dame
Seton Hall
Depaul
Marquette
Villanova
Georgetown
Providence
St. John's.

Here's the thing. THere's a poster around here advocating that what we should be doing is strengthening the big east. I agree. We should be doing that, at the same time as exploring all other options.

To strengthen the big east, leadership needs to change. Period.

Here's what I would advocate.

Secure the BCS bid in the hands of the football schools, regardless of conference affiliation of the big east, should the big east actually fracture. Priority #1, nothing else matters.

As soon as that's accomplished. Add Temple as all sports. Probably need to make sure you add TCU and then add Temple to secure that BCS status.

Once that all happens, ride out the TV contract until end of basketball season 2013, and do not renew ANYTHING for the 18 team monster contract until the end of the football contract.

LEt market forces take over from there. I'm 100% without a doubt positive for sure, that come end of 2013, and the end of the existing broadcast contract, market forces would force the split of the conference.

As it stands right now...from te artcle above:

The Big East's contract with ESPN pays the conference $36 million annually, with $13 million split equally among the football schools) and $23 million among the 16 basketball schools (not an equal division, with some teams getting bonuses for playing nationally televised non-conference TV dates, etc.).

I without a doubt believe that the 7 football school alignment above, minus cuse and pitt and + temple to make 8, could land a contract that would pay more than $13 million annually + 23/16 million annually.

I guarantee that the catholics would not be abe to generate nearly anything in that price range, and what they add, is not worth more than they cost the all sports when the market is open.

The headaches of a 18 team monster contract for all sports, and the stress on the athletic deparments would be gone.

If the basketball leadership tries to sign a new contract for the entire league in the interim between march 2013 and december 2013?

There can't be anything more clear that a split is necessary.

It all hinges on proper leadership, and landing Temple. Temple is the last football asset left in the northeast.

Sad to say that, but true.

 

[BlueMAB]

How does Temple help secure BCS status?

 

[Carl Spackler]

Temple would get us to 8 teams, which is pre-requisite #1 to retain a BCS bid.

They also could enter as an all sports, as TCU has, to complete an 8 team all sports conference.

When it's time for BCS re-eval, the botto line is that we need wins on the field, and national rankings, among the group and we're getting there.

We lost NOTHING in that respect by losing pitt and syracuse and actually gain in BCS standings by addin TCU and only Temple and staying at 8 teams, and not another unranked team.

 

[BlueMAB]

Temple would get us to 8 teams, which is pre-requisite #1 to retain a BCS bid.

According to this, we don't need 8.

http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/bcs_automatic_qualifying_standards.html

The point totals will be adjusted to account for the size of the conference, as follows:

• Conference membership | Adjustment
• 12 or more members | no adjustment
• 10 or 11 members | points increased by 12.5 percent
• 9 or fewer members | points increased by 25 percent
• *The computations will be made according to the conference's membership on Dec. 4, 2011.

 

[Carl Spackler]

True, that's how the points for BCS qualification work, but I'm 99.999% sure that there is rule somewhere that you need at least 8 teams. IF that's changed since 2003, it's news to me.

 

[The Funster]

Would Nova be OK with Temple coming on board for all sports? Or would Temple be OK coming just for FB?

 

[Carl Spackler]

We need to strengthen our conference as one of the many options we are exploring going forward.

IF - the football schools could come together, secure the entrance of TCU and Temple - which absolutely kills me that Temple is the last division 1-A football asset left in the northeast to an all sports conference at this point in time. That's what big east basketball leadership has done to fooball in the northeast in the past 30years. It's driven out everybody but us and Rutgers that weren't downgraded to 1-AA by 1982, and they're close to driving us out too. They already booted Temple once.

Anyway, if those 8 schools could unite and secure the BCS standing, compete in the mishmosh of the big east until the end of the basketball contract in 2013 and then split.

All would be fine and dandy, and the big east, would actually have the opportunity to become one of those predator BCS football conferences, in 5-10 years, northeast all sports schools would want back in, and we'd be in position to pick and choose who we want to get to the ideal 10 team structure.

The key, is to remove the basketball interests from power.

 

[UConnRock]

But the basketball schools want Pitt and 'Cuse to leave early because the good teams make it harder for the other teams to do well in the regular season and the BE tourney. You know that we have to make the basketball schools happy.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Temple I don't think would be a good idea as a football only. The concept of hybrid conferences needs to get put to rest.

Villanova, I think - still - as I did a long time ago, deserves the opportunity to upgrade, but not the way that Providence led the fiasco. It's not so hard to determine if they're able and willing to do it, and if they don't, cya.

what happened last year, was clearly and effort to solidify the basketball side of things in the big east, yet again.

 

[Carl Spackler]

But the basketball schools want Pitt and 'Cuse to leave early because the good teams make it harder for the other teams to do well in the regular season and the BE tourney. You know that we have to make the basketball schools happy.

Of course they do, because the NCAA tournament is the real money maker for basketball, not television contracts. THis is the thing that nobody is talking about.