inTransit

Make what you will of this NEW YORK (AP) Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco says the conference was ''unwilling'' to cut Boise State the deal the Mountain West did to lure the Broncos Aresco told The Associated Press the Big East worked hard to keep Boise State from breaking its commitment to join the league as a football-only member in 2013, but could not find a way. Aresco says he will be speaking with San Diego State officials in the coming days and that he hoped to know soon if the Aztecs would be following Boise State's lead and returning to the Mountain West before ever competing in the Big East. He added he has been given assurances by SMU and Houston, also slated to join the Big East in 2013, that they are still committed.

If the Big East had kept the BB teams, western division intact and already secured a 10+ million per school annual TV deal, he'd be getting all the credit and rightfully so. However, that ain't what happened here. Every bad move possible has happened and he's going to take the blame. No one here knows behind closed doors what or how it's gone down, despite jersey guy's blog. All we have to judge are the results and they are terrible. Aresco is going to be judged on results, not the circumstances, thats the way it works. If commissioners are nothing but administrators which seems to be the perspective of some here, why do we even care who they are?

Crazy watching exciting college football in Ray Jay, aka USFs house, after games like Rutgers and Pitt this year.

After seeing USFs six year graduation rates I don't see a large alumni base as a selling point.

Jean was a 2011 UFA, my bad.

Related, but...unrelated. FAU put three offensive starters in the NFL from last years draft. Morris, Rob Housler TE AZ Cardinals and Lester Jean, WR Texans. FAU under Schnellenberger ran a pro style offense, not sure if Pelini still is. Anyway, it can be argued FAU didn't have the horses to run a pro style and these guys were average skill position Sun Bowl talent under that scheme with the OL/DL FAU could get. Obviously they were much better than their college careers suggested so even if you find a diamond 2 star or unrated player, you've still got to use them correctly and surround them with talent to see production at the college level, IMO.

As soon as he added Tulane and ECU I realized his 'strategy' would kill this conference. Yeah some of it may have been inevitable but the hoops schools debacle did NOT have to happen. Look, all this guy knows is the TV deal side, by the time he actually gets a deal signed he will have lost all the value in his conference. If he is smart it will be a short term deal because pretty soon there will be nowhere to go but up. Pray for an ACC fisting or something of the sort.

Rumor is Stan is dressing up as Santa and gonna have the 10 year holders on his lap for pictures. You'll get your ball then.

Does posting as a Scout make this board any less 'crapppy' to you?

Thats a great speech for the team, but this thread is to build support for the fan base to attend games.

I agree. Good news is that Fab Melo has moved on and they are playing up front with 6'8 and 6'9 guys. Their point guard however is going to a matchup problem on the defensive end though, no doubt. We will see some zone on both ends in this one.

In past years I have seen a small, but consistent contingent of 'big east basketball' fans show up to these types of games. They arent necessarily rabid fans of either team but instead want to see the best teams come to town and play live. But Id to see a noise factor here, USF fans need to bring that. It is possible and weve already experienced it this year. My point about the schedule for Syracuse was just that they havent had to deal with the 'away' crowd much this year and I honestly believe it could be a difference maker in a tight game. A win in that game could set the table to overachieve in conference this year and build some excitement in those not really paying attention to jump on the bandwagon earlier than last year. Rather than wait until after the break to start building interest for this game, Id hope they could get a start now.

On January 6th, USF will kickoff its conference schedule with a home game against #3 Syracuse. Its only the second away game the Orange will have played in their first 16 games this year. Looking at the schedule, they may very well come into this game undefeated and be top 2 ranked. We had them against the ropes in the Carrier Dome last year and let that game get away. People want to talk about a resume builder? Here is our chance. If we are on the bubble late in the year, a conference win against a top three team is something the selection committee will have to consider. USF fans need to pack the Dome and work to be the difference in what may be a close fought game. I saw it in the Georgia game, the crowd got very loud and into the game as the Bulls pulled away from Georgia and won. The turnout for this game needs to meet or exceed the UCF game. USF athletics/marketing whoever: Please pull out all the stops to put butts in those seats. Yes we need to win our next few games as well and avenge the UCF loss on their home court. But apparently the only way you get the Cuse in your own building is via conference schedule and we NEED to win that game. I just want to add this kicks off a brutal stretch games vs Louisville, Georgetown and Notre Dame, all at home. Several opportunities to notch big wins.

Why does this thread exist? Seriously

;

A few years ago I watched SDSU beat UCONN in the NCAA regional at the (now) TBT Forum. Im not sure why they wouldnt have been an all sports member to begin with. Now, does Boise State even have basketball (just checked and yes they do) Im thinking those two dont even make it to the BE. Even ECU fans acknowledge their hoops program is not good. But they are in N. Carolina so youd think there would be some spillover fans & talent.

When the **** hits the fan, use the buddy system. Moves in realignment appear to happen in pairs so hold your nose and grab your partner with your other hand. Seriously the USF UCF pair is quite a team. What are we selling? TV market size Enrollment #s Recruiting territory it's just hard to accept the mind fvck that is their success is tied to ours in every game that doesn't involve us.

Holy shiz, we just got married to UCF. Now we have to hope their program improves (like ours needs to) ASAP.

Why no ECU? They have won CUSA championships, which USF hasn't. You want teams on the rise that win games in your conference, right? If USF is going into a new conference, let the football played be good. Worrying about markets and TV money is why the Big East is in its current situation. I think most people on this board don't like ECU and UCF (obvious) and would rather see them a rung below us rather than on par. Those two programs have also suffered from a lack of signature wins that could elevate their stature in public opinion. I went back 8 years and it looks like in 07/08 ECU beat Va Tech and WVU back to back to start the season but aside from that they lose (quite often badly) against the bigger mid-atlantic programs when they play. What they've done in conference is great and their fans rightfully can be proud of that. But beating the CUSA teams they are supposed to doesn't seem to translate into much respect for them. Go back and count the number of big wins USF had before their Big East invite, the ones that showed they should move up. And no CUSA championship to boot. I mean, your argument sounds like ECU is more ready to move up then USF was when they did. I would only go back to check that if I had any reason to believe USF was chosen based on performance and obviously they weren't. Your question was why not ECU? Aside from what I wrote I didn't think it needed to be stated that if you want to move out of a market like Greenville, NC you'd better slay the big boys with some regularity, they didnt. Coming out of Tampa, USF wasn't held to that standard. Maybe USF should have been. Going into a conference that it couldn't compete in, never getting past finishing mid pack. If the new Big East is now CUSA 2.0, why shouldn't teams that were in that conference, and won championships, not be allowed to join? This isn't just happening from CUSA to BE. Look at CUSA they just added MTSU and FAU, a program with no history in terrible shape over Troy that has been a top performer in that league. But FAU was the top market left to choose from and is on the 'upswing'. Sound familiar? You may want 'good football' today as you call it but the decision makers don't agree with you. This isn't about good football today, its about markets, $$ and the future. Thats why no ECU.

Why no ECU? They have won CUSA championships, which USF hasn't. You want teams on the rise that win games in your conference, right? If USF is going into a new conference, let the football played be good. Worrying about markets and TV money is why the Big East is in its current situation. I think most people on this board don't like ECU and UCF (obvious) and would rather see them a rung below us rather than on par. Those two programs have also suffered from a lack of signature wins that could elevate their stature in public opinion. I went back 8 years and it looks like in 07/08 ECU beat Va Tech and WVU back to back to start the season but aside from that they lose (quite often badly) against the bigger mid-atlantic programs when they play. What they've done in conference is great and their fans rightfully can be proud of that. But beating the CUSA teams they are supposed to doesn't seem to translate into much respect for them. Go back and count the number of big wins USF had before their Big East invite, the ones that showed they should move up. And no CUSA championship to boot. I mean, your argument sounds like ECU is more ready to move up then USF was when they did. I would only go back to check that if I had any reason to believe USF was chosen based on performance and obviously they weren't. Your question was why not ECU? Aside from what I wrote I didn't think it needed to be stated that if you want to move out of a market like Greenville, NC you'd better slay the big boys with some regularity, they didnt. Coming out of Tampa, USF wasn't held to that standard.

Why no ECU? They have won CUSA championships, which USF hasn't. You want teams on the rise that win games in your conference, right? If USF is going into a new conference, let the football played be good. Worrying about markets and TV money is why the Big East is in its current situation. I think most people on this board don't like ECU and UCF (obvious) and would rather see them a rung below us rather than on par. Those two programs have also suffered from a lack of signature wins that could elevate their stature in public opinion. I went back 8 years and it looks like in 07/08 ECU beat Va Tech and WVU back to back to start the season but aside from that they lose (quite often badly) against the bigger mid-atlantic programs when they play. What they've done in conference is great and their fans rightfully can be proud of that. But beating the CUSA teams they are supposed to doesn't seem to translate into much respect for them.

Well your killing mine boss. Kidding aside, a dominant o line is something I don't recall seeing here...ever?

I guarantee that it isn't just those two schools investigating this possibility. We have seen throughout this process that there are two schools unable to keep things quiet. Well, actually three but Louisville is now in the ACC. The reason these two schools names are all over this is that they are the two that blabbed. Id like to believe its true, because Im not seeing how USF ends up in a Big 5 in the near future. But I talk to friends and Uconn alum in CT regularly. Their mens and women hoops are the only source of sports pride in the state. The last professional franchise left there 20 years ago and people still cling to that hockey team. People are fuming at Uconn prez and AD over their failure to get the program to safe harbor and I doubt would accept the schools is going this direction. ESPN is staffed with plenty of UCONN alum, its hard to conceive any decision maker up there sees a retooled big east as a way forward after this.

This is a big time smokescreen. UCONN and Cincinnati have not suddenly come to accept they are being left out and trying to salvage something. Notice its just them. Why are these two schools, that seemingly have no other link other than they both desperately want to find a Big 5 home be working together to lead a path forward for Big East rejects? They arent. This would have been a lot more believable if it were to come months from now. Its a reactionary move of desperation and if they end up in the ACC it wont be because of this ruse.

One thing to be careful of is overvaluing what we think we offer. Would WVU like an eastern partner? Sure. But they and others seem to be doing just fine grabbing recruits from Florida without us. It sickening to think schools from the state of West Virginia and Kentucky ( Louisville) which were once our peers, made the jump to major conference in part on the backs of Florida kids. On field performance matters when you don't have history, endowments, academics, etc. its the one of the few things we can control at the moment. The TV market factor is important but ask Mike Aresco if its a successful strategy to add markets in instead of programs. Would Louisville have made the ACC if they hadnt been successful on the court and football field they way they have in recent years? Doubt it.