Just because it is the off season

[SANJAY]

My first choice would be TCU.  Good program.  However, they are far outside the current footprint and the travel costs for Olympic sports would be a problem.

[twillybull]

If the question is which team would help the Big East the most, then I have to say Memphis, Navy or Army.  Memphis is a relatively large market, and usually boasts one of the better mid-major teams out there.  Army and Navy bring a semi-global market in TV viewing.  I was under the impression that the Big East television market was pretty good.  As for UCF, do we really want the screw-ups joining us?

[bullcocky101]

one thing to note is that in college sports...notre dame has the power, if they say they want to play every other sport in the Big East except for foootball, than they play every other sport in the Big East except for football. The commish won't do anything regarding ND.

[Belle of the Bull]

one thing to note is that in college sports...notre dame has the power, if they say they want to play every other sport in the Big East except for foootball, than they play every other sport in the Big East except for football. The commish won't do anything regarding ND.

I hate that that is true.

[Rizman]

Today no program in terms of Football will add to the Big East.  Just keep it the same so programs like Syracuse and UConn can grow. 

[HarveyGlass]

Today no program in terms of Football will add to the Big East.  Just keep it the same so programs like Syracuse and UConn can grow. 

I agree.  And why going small with all these weak CUSA schools?  The only schools I would invite would be Notre Dame, Penn State, and maybe Maryland.  Otherwise, it's a much better option to pour resources into building the Syracuse's and UConn's of the conference.  Memphis, ECU, TCU, Southern Miss, and especially UCF bring absolutely nothing to the table.

As far as splitting the bball and fball schools, the eight fball members would command respect in both sports as a stand alone conference.

I also think that with the past few years of outstanding BigEast TV ratings numbers, the conference will get much better TV and bowl contracts next time around.  To me, expansion is useless unless it's a program that brings positives into the league.  Picking up weak little sisters and hoping they develop is no way to go, IMO.

[puc86]

Never heard of them ???

There have been a lot of talk about the expansion of the Big East, and I don't want to get into the details of how it will happen, but I want to ask, what do you think will happen with the talent (recruits) for USF if UCF gets into the Big East?  Would UCF finally get to our level or would our level come down?   This is sort of a loaded question since it would involve the recruits choice of campus, OCS or Pro stadium, possible academics, etc, etc. 

Personally I think it would take UCF a few years to start competing with us, simply because I don't think GOL is that great of a coach.  His overall win-loss is just about 50/50 ad he had loaded teams in with GT.  I think he is better at recruiting starred players, but I think CJL can get better athletes.  If it came down to two teams with the same talent I would pick CJL to win every time. 

Just wanted to see what you all thought, if this did become a reality

[HarveyGlass]

Today no program in terms of Football will add to the Big East.  Just keep it the same so programs like Syracuse and UConn can grow. 

I agree.  And why going small with all these weak CUSA schools?  The only schools I would invite would be Notre Dame, Penn State, and maybe Maryland.  Otherwise, it's a much better option to pour resources into building the Syracuse's and UConn's of the conference.  Memphis, ECU, TCU, Southern Miss, and especially UCF bring absolutely nothing to the table.

As far as splitting the bball and fball schools, the eight fball members would command respect in both sports as a stand alone conference.

I also think that with the past few years of outstanding BigEast TV ratings numbers, the conference will get much better TV and bowl contracts next time around.  To me, expansion is useless unless it's a program that brings positives into the league.  Picking up weak little sisters and hoping they develop is no way to go, IMO.

Did you feel the same way when USF was being considered for C-USA and the BE?

Absolutely not.  First as a former student.  Second, CUSA was(and is) a weak conference.  It had its moments in hoops, but it was basically a three team basketball league for most of its existence, IIRC.  Bringing in fledgling programs(especially USF, with a major TV market and a Florida recruiting presence) was a natural move for a fledgling conference.  There wasn't any risk of dragging the CUSA down with expansion.  The BigEast is a whole different animal.

IMO, if UCF were invited to play with the big boys, the entire conference would be drug down in just about every way by more losing football.  Recruiting would get worse for everyone, the SOS would get worse for everyone, and USF would be hurt big-time.  The Bulls would immediately be lumped together with the Knights in the national consciousness, instead of being a stand-alone rising power.  I think it would be a package deal for a long, long time.  I can understand why UCF would want to be joined at the hip with USF. 

And a school has to have a little more than a football team to be in the BigEast.  I don't know a thing about any of their other athletic programs, but I doubt they are on a major conference level.

[ProudBull]

I started this because I wanted to see if you all thought the same about recruiting. I really think that if UCF joined the Big East or any BCS team right now that we would hurt each other.  It's tough enough now (and we are making progress) to recruit with the "big 3", but to have to compete with another BCS school would be too much.  Don't get me wrong, I don't think that UCF would out recruit us.  I just can't see that happening. It will just be a lot harder when we are beating each other up for recruits. 

As for the other sports, from what i have read, it wouldn't happen for UCF. They would be a football school only, which becomes a major problem since CUSA would dump them for that.  If it did happen and it steam rolled ahead it probable wouldn't happen for a least two-three seasons.  And even then there are all kinds of talks about some of the ACC teams breaking away.  The whole thing is such a mess of a mess that it is not even worth discussing.  I just thought that if it did ever happen besides our desire to see UCF go back to D1-aa, what are the other legit reasons that UCF would not work?

[HarveyGlass]

Today no program in terms of Football will add to the Big East.  Just keep it the same so programs like Syracuse and UConn can grow. 

I agree.  And why going small with all these weak CUSA schools?  The only schools I would invite would be Notre Dame, Penn State, and maybe Maryland.  Otherwise, it's a much better option to pour resources into building the Syracuse's and UConn's of the conference.  Memphis, ECU, TCU, Southern Miss, and especially UCF bring absolutely nothing to the table.

As far as splitting the bball and fball schools, the eight fball members would command respect in both sports as a stand alone conference.

I also think that with the past few years of outstanding BigEast TV ratings numbers, the conference will get much better TV and bowl contracts next time around.  To me, expansion is useless unless it's a program that brings positives into the league.  Picking up weak little sisters and hoping they develop is no way to go, IMO.

Did you feel the same way when USF was being considered for C-USA and the BE?

Absolutely not.  First as a former student.  Second, CUSA was(and is) a weak conference.  It had its moments in hoops, but it was basically a three team basketball league for most of its existence, IIRC.  Bringing in fledgling programs(especially USF, with a major TV market and a Florida recruiting presence) was a natural move for a fledgling conference.  There wasn't any risk of dragging the CUSA down with expansion.  The BigEast is a whole different animal.

IMO, if UCF were invited to play with the big boys, the entire conference would be drug down in just about every way by more losing football.  Recruiting would get worse for everyone, the SOS would get worse for everyone, and USF would be hurt big-time.  The Bulls would immediately be lumped together with the Knights in the national consciousness, instead of being a stand-alone rising power.  I think it would be a package deal for a long, long time.  I can understand why UCF would want to be joined at the hip with USF. 

And a school has to have a little more than a football team to be in the BigEast.  I don't know a thing about any of their other athletic programs, but I doubt they are on a major conference level.

A little more like a basketball team?  Listen to yourself, I can't believe that you could possibly believe that the Bulls was "a stand-alone rising star" coming into BE hoops?  Did that USF dragged down the entire conference and hurt recruiting for schools like UCONN, ND, or Nova? 

I'm not quite sure I know what you're getting at.

USF was brought into CUSA, IMO, because it was thought that the Bulls football program was on its way to bigger and better things, and the CUSA wanted to make its football(which was non-existent) better.  A natural match.

When everyone in their right mind could see that the football program was really taking off, with the sky being the limit, the BE knew that a powerful football program would be able to drive the school's entire athletic program in many ways, including financially.  Thus the invite.  It's already happening.  All athletics are on the verge of going to another level.  Baseball looks promising with Prado, basketball looks real promising with Heath.  Both salaries, by the way, are made possible by burgeoning football money, which is the result of a very good team.

The BigEast was not brought down in hoops because there are already 10 top40 programs in any given year.  Football was not brought down because the Bulls have been competitive from the start, and there is no other conference presence that far south.

Since UCF isn't half the football team, and there is already a Florida team in the league, we're looking at bringing in a leech.  Heaven help the Knights if they ever tried to bring a basketball team to this monster.  USF owns the series 17-4.

Here's the link to the USFvUCF page...http://www.southfloridabulls.com/Other%20Bull/USF%20vs%20UCF.htm

There's a reason power conferences don't go out and nab the UC-Irvines, South Alabamas, and Central Floridas of the world...they can't compete.  UCF doesn't have to dominate the new CUSA to be considered a decent team, but they do need to compete for a CUSA title or two.

Man, you got rambling now.  lol

USF has been on a steady climb, UCF is treading water in a puddle.  I don't know how anyone could think they would be an asset to the BigEast.  It's not as if joining will immediately make them a good athletic school.  Lots of teams do jack squat with BCS money.  USF was already on their way up, hence the invite.