Big East Looking To Add 9th Football Team

[SANJAY]

EIGHT ENOUGH FOR NOW: Having eight teams creates an annual headache with an unbalanced schedule in terms of league games home and away, but Tranghese said he doesn't see a match for football expansion, at least in the next two years.

"We're not going to expand to solve scheduling problems. It makes no sense," he said. "If we're going to take a ninth member, it's got to be someone who's a gate attraction, who helps us in television and helps us with bowls. We've got a brand that's really valuable, and we're not going to give it up unless someone can make us better.

"I just don't see anybody out there. I think we can help some people, but we're not being helped. We need to be selfish about this."

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/07/18/Sports/Four_Heisman_hopefuls.shtml

[cygnus34]

For those that mention PENN ST., they wanted to join the B.E. when Tranghese first started the league but their B.B. was not to the level he wanted, so he turned them down.  If that doesn't say something to you about what kind of league this is, nothing will.  No matter what school is approached for F.B. they had better have a better B.B. team.  Tranghese put himself in this situation and now there is NO school around to fit in like LOU. & CIN.  Your school was given a rare chance, and only one other school at this time comes close and that is Memphis but they have drawbacks also.  If that were to happen, either DePaul or Marquette would have to go.

P.S. Notre Dame would certainly fit but they have no interest.

[BoozedUpBull]

This is certainly not going to happen for a few more years...but in a few years, if Florida schools keep improving...UCF or FAU could get serious consideration.  Also, if Notre Dame continues to decline, they may consider joining a league.

[crambone]

I'd take Notre Dang over UCif any day.

[smazza]

usf should never agree to let ftu/ou/oc in big east

that would be stupider than miami leaving big east

[Jihme]

what are the current contract deals with the teams in the the big east who don't have football?

[hightechbull]

Army & Navy?  Never.

They are fine schools, but they will never compete in athletics unless some politician is brave enough to institute a draft.  Then you will see the athletic stock of Army & Navy soar like it did back in "the old days".

[Bullistic]

Give incentive to Villanova to move up into Division 1A football and the problem is solved

[Sunil]

Give incentive to Villanova to move up into Division 1A football and the problem is solved

This is a pretty good idea that isn't talked about enough. They have had a pretty decent 1-AA program even before the A-10 football league folded, are part of a major TV market, and actually have a stadium that seats 12,500...conceivably expandable. Read some articles a while ago that Villanova turned down an invite back in '99 because they faced neighborhood objections to expanding the stadium. If they were willing to play at Lincoln Financial Field in downtown philly...that could be alleviated...but the biggest problem would be that their student body is only about 7,000 undergrads. That would make it the smallest of all the football schools...and issues abound with it (attendance, financial investment, etc.)

[Mooby]

I'm a USF grad going to law school at Nova and this is a bad idea!  Our football stadium is old and small and there is no place to expand it (trying to build a new law school here has taken forever as all around the school are VERY rich families who don't like traffic and building).  I don't think Nova could play at the Link regularly as we only have 7,000 undergrads and the Link holds like 70,000.  It would be kind of embarrassing.  I think USF should switch places with Kentucky and all problems would be solved.  Kentucky is a basketball school and the BE is a basketball conference.  USF has some success at football and 0 success at basketball.  We should join a football conference and that is the SEC.  Just my $.02.