MT says "NO" to ucf to the Big East

[TyBull]

June 04, 2006  

Mitch Vingle  

# Can Big East look within for some new football blood?  

http://www.wvgazette.com/section/Sports/2006060340  

I HAD AN intriguing e-mail from a reader last week.  

The gentleman wrote that he'd like to see Villanova and Georgetown jump to Division I-A in football. That way, he reasoned, the Big East could expand in the sport without adding members and gain exposure in the Philadelphia and Washington television markets.  

Not an awful thought, right? Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has repeatedly said another school wouldn?t be added to the already unwieldy league unless it "brought something to the table." The hope, of course, has always been that Notre Dame would simply join in football. But that will happen, oh, around the time Jessica Simpson wins a Sudoku tournament. In other words, not in our lifetimes, pals.  

So there the league sits, with 16 schools, eight of which play Division I-A football. And the latter eight could use some serious help in the area of football scheduling, especially since the advent of the 12-game season. WVU, for instance, had to line up five out-of-conference games for 2006: Marshall, Buffalo, Maryland, East Carolina and Mississippi State. Adding a school like Central Florida (which just signed coach George O'Leary to a $1 million-per-year deal through 2015) might ease the scheduling burden. But, when asked specifically about the school this past week, Tranghese tactfully said thanks, but no thanks.  

"We?ve just not talked about adding," said the commissioner. "We?re at 16. Going to 17 presents a whole slew of additional problems. Unless a school is going to bring a lot to the table ... [uCF] isn?t going to bring more bowls or TV revenue. And scheduling just isn?t enough of a reason to add someone. At 16 we?re on sound footing. We just need to play a little."  

 

[bullman3]

Why arent we playing 12 games?  Never understood that.

[Joe]

We are...

Something will be done to lower the burden of schduling, I think Tranghese is just trying to figure a way to do so without killing the basketball league. Whether its UCF, ECU, Memphis, etc. I'll worry about that when the time comes.

As for pulling the D-IAA team up. Do they really want the conference to be laughed at? Seriously neither program is really that committed (Gerogetown hasn't had a winning season in 7 years and 'Nova is more of a roller coaster). Nova has said in the past that they have no interest in moving up to D-IA because of costs.

[Triple B]

Wrong board.

[Joe]

Agreed this is State of Florida or BE, meant to add that at the bottom.

[Knight_Light]

LOL!!! Well...since expansion isn't on the table now...what else do you expect him to say?

As a Commish...he can't play favorites...

It's the PRESIDENTS that vote...not him.

KL

[ucfknights04]

ECU would join for football only.  UCF and Memphis wouldn't because it would mean putting our other sports that we actually are investing in (and Memphis is already a national power in) to an A-Sun or SoCon.  

Take ECU and you'll have an 8 team football schedule.  Simple.  

If the split happens, and you expand to 12, we'll follow suit with Memphis and Southern Miss and all will be right.  Until then, it's simply not in our best interests.

[Sitting_BULL]

.  Until then, it's simply not in our best interests.

Well, we are sorry to hear that.  SINCE YOU WEREN'T INVITED ANYWAY!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bullpride08]

Well, we are sorry to hear that.  SINCE YOU WEREN'T INVITED ANYWAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Exactly.  So exactly how does one explain out of that?

[SRQ]

When WV, UL, PITT & USF have solidified the Big East's legitimacy as a BCS conference, then the addition of a current 1-AA program (Nova) will not cause any waves.