R. Edsall pushing for 9th Big East football school

[BullsFanInTX]

Let me repeat for the TCU bashers (I am a HUGE fan of bringing in TCU).  TCU IS CLOSER TO LOUISVILLE AND CINCY THAN TAMPA IS.

[Knight_Light]

We absolutely cant add one of those cusa teams. I think if we could get notre dame in.

Why would ND join the Big East for Football?

ND just signed a 10 yr football series with a Big East Team that didn't include ONE HOME GAME for that Big East Team!!

That's called POWER!!

ND wants basically 8 home games per year (7 in South Bend, 1 at a neutral site where ND knows they will have a majority of the fan base and earn major $$$$$$$ from those cities/stadiums inviting ND to town), and just 4 true road games per year.

ND doesn't want to join a conf...where it would have to be told who to play and WHERE 8 times per year (assume if ND or another team joined, Big East would "add" an 8th conf game).

Unless a conference offers up some silly deal where ND could collect 50% of all conf revenue...ND will never join a football conference.

[Who'sYourData?]

We absolutely cant add one of those cusa teams. I think if we could get notre dame in.

Why would ND join the Big East for Football?

If Notre Dame has another down year or two, they will have to take less TV money.  The ratings for the second half of last year were awful.  Even Ebersol won't be able to justify giving them that much money.  Notre Dame would bring extra money into the Big East, a chunk of that would get flipped to Notre Dame.

Of course, if they win nine games this year they are right back in the catbird's seat.  I think it's conceivable a deal gets done, but probably only if ND's market value continues to drop.

[USFFan]

I seriously hope that the Big East is not entertaining the prospects of playing a conference championship game.  I personally think 9 teams is perfect for football and, for that matter, for all sports.  Round robin football scheduling (4 home and 4 away) and basketball scheduling (everybody home and away).  I also think that a championship game ends up costing conferences more than it helps them.  Georgia and Missouri both end up in BCS games last season if their conferences don't have championship games.  In fact, in neither of the last two seasons have the best two teams met in the SEC championship game. 

Also, while I am no Notre Dame fan, it's going to be a LONG time (if ever) before they're forced to join a conference.  If NBC decided that they didn't want to broadcast Notre Dame games, there would be no lack of networks lining up to sign them.  Too many Catholics and Irish people who really have no other ties to that school are fans of Notre Dame for them not to draw great crowds.  As awful as they were last season, coupled with as bad as Stanford was, getting a ticket to see them play here in California was a difficult task.  People tune in to watch them win or to watch them get beat, but they tune in.  They're like Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction - they will not be ignored. 

USFFan

[Guest]

St John's canceled their program a few years ago because they could not sustain the function.

The only viable programs in the Big East are Georgetown and Villanova... But both private schools are probably not willing to invest the $$ necessary to move from FCS to FBS.

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TCU won't be in the Big "EAST" ... I think the conference needs to stay east of the Mississippi... and in that case, you're talking about a MAC, C-USA, Sun Belt or FCS team...

Other FCS options:

Richmond

Dealware

Appalachian State

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

Youngstown State

[NormalBull]

Edsall is crying because he is staring at playing ND 10 times with 0 games at Wenchler Field.  So in years where UConn has only 3 home conference games and they play ND they run the risk of only having 5 home games.  No coach is going to like that very much.  The fans at UConn should be a little pissed at their AD also UNLESS they get the 3 ND games at Foxborough and the 2 at Giants stadium as part of their season ticket package.  Even then, UConn loses revenue (parking, concession, advertising, etc.) by not having a 6th home game at the Wench (I know how it is spelled grammar police.  It's just my play on the stadium name).  It really does pose a scheduling problem for UConn, but that is their problem. 

Randy, shut up and get your team ready to hit the road Jack.

Normal

[BullsFanInTX]

St John's canceled their program a few years ago because they could not sustain the function.

The only viable programs in the Big East are Georgetown and Villanova... But both private schools are probably not willing to invest the $$ necessary to move from FCS to FBS.

---

TCU won't be in the Big "EAST" ... I think the conference needs to stay east of the Mississippi... and in that case, you're talking about a MAC, C-USA, Sun Belt or FCS team...

Other FCS options:

Richmond

Dealware

Appalachian State

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

Youngstown State

TCU isn't that far west of the Mississippi.  Nearly as far east as Arkansas of the SouthEASTern conference, and 180 miles from the state of Louisiana (of which LSU is also in the SEC).  I don't see them as any more or a problem than Marquette or Depaul.

Airplanes can get to DFW airport more easily than just about anywhere in the US.

TCU is a far superior option than the above mentioned teams.

[MikeG]

Interesting conversation-- but all pretty meaningless short of the basketball conference shakeup happening first.

There are a handful of programs that I've suggested previously which were questionable "gets" when the conference raided CUSA. Depaul and Marquette-- while marquee type names and huge media markets, are in the midwest-- I can see them being cast aside. Notre Dame-- give them the ultimatum-- join in football or get out of the BE.

What's the worse thing that can happen with that-- Notre Dame leaves? Big deal. They've been a thorn in the side of the BE in football forever (imo).

If they say-- OK-- we'll do it-- fine -- great-- we win. If not-- there is one additional slot we can add an all sport member too.

Now I doubt both of the 1-AA schools would rise up to 1-A but maybe one of them would. Give both the option-- whoever wants it will take it. That brings us to 9 right there, with the three open slots (or two in the crazy case ND accepts the ultimatum).

SO with ND-- we are at 10. WIthout them-- 9 (with three all sport slots)

Then invite Memphis-- great fit for hoops-- not a bad school academically--- good location, more or less, and a good sized stadium which might be a way to knock CUSA out of the Liberty Bowl and give us a Bowl matchup versus the SEC.

The last one or two guys I would consider for an invite are hard to figure out. UCF of course comes to mind but for personal reasons I don't want to push that.

ECU has been waiting for this for years=-- but I just don't get a good feeling about that move.

Getting Miami to come back might lead Cuse to jump over to the ACC-- so that would be a problem in itself.

I have trouble supporting FAU as well== lots of potential but the marquee name thing is just going to water us down in the eyes of the country-- especially if they start winningthe BE early on (who knows).

SOuthern Miss-- just not a good fit on many fronts.

So I thnk we might need to look north--- Navy seems like a good choice. Perhaps getting them might encourage Army to want to be a part as well. Not sure that is a good fit-- but it is a really nice road trip and tons of tradition.

It would be great if we could steal Penn State away from the Big Ten- hey-- this is a pipe dream post afterall.

TCU does have lots of positives--- and they are certainly itching to jump up to the BCS.

Based on this-- the ideal would be (imo):

Get ND to join football, grab up Memphis, TCU, and Navy-- drop Depaul, Marquette, and some other less attractive non-football team (St. John's?)=== unless Villanoa or Gtown go 1-A

more likely:

Drop just depaul and marquette, pick up TCU & Memphis (or one of those above)-- bring us to a 10 team league--- with the top two in the rankings playing at the #1 teams location the first week of december.

it's fun to play around with this since there are just so many permutations involved here. In the end though-- not sure how soon any of this type of stuff shakes short of someother action pushing us there.

[USFan]

IMO, we basically have to wait until the current TV contract is up.

However, I do like Memphis.  Not a bad location, great basketball team, Liberty Bowl, and renewed rivalry with Louisville.  Oh, and Cincinnati isn’t far from Memphis.

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

Let me repeat for the TCU bashers (I am a HUGE fan of bringing in TCU).  TCU IS CLOSER TO LOUISVILLE AND CINCY THAN TAMPA IS.

Ehh... It's not so much its proximity to other Big East schools, but the fact that a school WEST of the Mississippi is a hard fit for the Big EAST.

not saying it couldn't, wouldn't or shouldn't happen, but it's a regional conflict that just doesn't make sense.

first a school in West-Central Florida named University of South Florida, now a team WEST of the Mississippi in the Big East?

apparently our geography sucks in this conference.