Defections not enough to sink Big East

[Apis Bull]

Link:  Defections not enough to sink Big East

Izenberg: Defections not enough to sink Big East

Thursday, July 29, 2004

BY JERRY IZENBERG

Star-Ledger Staff

It had been the worst of times with the promise of more to come. Betrayed by two of its own university presidents and at least one of its athletic directors, the Big East Conference suddenly found itself trying to walk barefoot across a high wire that was pockmarked with broken glass.

The University of Miami's president had lied to her colleagues. The minutes of one league meeting has her vowing eternal fidelity. Nobody knew that at the same time she was preparing to carpetbag her way into the ACC.

The president of Boston College would set an indoor armory record for obfuscation, misrepresentation and arrogance cloaked in piety. In separate occasions, he and his athletic director had all but chanted a dewy-eyed "solidarity forever" at the time that they, too, were swallowing with forked tongues.

Miami and Virginia Tech, a state school that had to bow to the Governor of Virginia's wishes, announced they were gone in 2004. Tech, at least, left with honor.

Meanwhile, Boston College managed to vow allegiance to the Big East and the ACC and the television dollar, all at the same time, prepared to leave in 2005.

A current lawsuit could embarrass its president in the matter of his deposition. Either way, it could get ugly.

So there was the Big East yesterday, its football coaches and a few players from each school, in convention assembled to discuss the upcoming season.

And it is clear that a funny thing has happened to the Big East on its way to anticipated disaster.

This jockstrap version of the Titanic still floats, still cruises and is still very much alive.

Yesterday, Mike Tranghese, the commissioner, was explaining that its BCS status is automatically good for the next four years. He talked about its football future in absolute candor.

Here is a guy that all of college sports beyond the Eastern corridor would have you believe should be talking like a 2 a.m., torch singer at closing time with nowhere to go.

But on a clear day, Tranghese can see all the way past Ohio, past Kentucky and all the way to Tampa, Fla.

His new football league, once the Boston College Affair is adjudicated, will add South Florida, Cincinnati and Louisville to the football end of things.

South Florida is the sleeping giant Rutgers always wished it could be. It signed seven of the state's top 10 high school prospects for this season. By the time it gets Big East status, it could be a fire-breathing dragon in shoulder pads.

The University of Louisville's football program improves regularly. Cincinnati remains an unknown quantity. But Tranghese is quick to point out what's happening on the other side of Eden.

Miami and Virginia Tech might as well play single-wing basketball. Their loss in that sport will wind up as addition by subtraction. Boston College lacks the consistent basketball credentials that Louisville has, Cincinnati is always a basketball factor. South Florida is there for its football.

But now the Big East will add DePaul and Marquette, running its basketball league to 16. Unless you have been spelunking in the caves of Portugal the past decade, you know that the ACC is a hellacious basketball league.

Nice stuff.

But the new Big East basketball league that shows up for 2005 has the potential to be the strongest college basketball league ever assembled.

As for Boston College and its double-talking representatives at last year's league meeting, the lawsuit is simple. The exit deal used to be one year's notice and $1 million. A reconstructed constitution after Miami and Tech left, set those terms at 27 months and $5 million.

In a heated closed meeting, its president eventually expressed support for the new constitution.

Now he's horrified that it may come back and hit him between the eyes, hence, the lawsuit.

But as far as remaining teams are concerned, there is some wiggle room for him. If he loses, they want the $5 million. They probably would not enforce the 27-month rule. There are some among the contesting schools that would be willing to make brown bag lunches for all the BC athletic programs if they pay up and promise not to come back.

There is no surprise in this. At this point would you want a business partner you can't trust?

"Can you be successful in both football and basketball without the 'defectors'?" Tranghese was asked.

"In football," he said, "we each have to make sure to schedule two nonleague games against powerhouse opponents. Scheduling will not be as difficult as it sounds. Enabling legislation for a 12th game is already on the table, and I believe it will pass. We have to win our share of those games.

"In football there are two ways to make your presence known. The first is with a dominating team. The other way is to collectively perform at a successful level. Remember, Miami's football program did not just distance itself from the Big East. It distanced itself from the whole country, Miami is gone. What we have to do is to be collectively competitive with each other right now."

Nobody can say with certainty whether that will be enough.

Jerry Izenberg appears regularly

in The Star-Ledger.

[E.T.]

Nice realization of our Beloved BULLS.

[Apis Bull]

Let's hope those NJ recruits read this.

[bulls96go]

go bulls

[WVUNo1Fan]

Quote: "Nobody can say with certainty whether that will be enough."

Did he have to throw gloom in there?

[E.T.]

Our Beloved Big East NEEDS to be successful and then add teams... but who ?

[WVUNo1Fan]

.......Without giving the league a weaker image!

(thats a good question)

[Apis Bull]

Notre Dame and Penn State.  j/k  ;D