Big East and the 9th member

[Guest Panther's Spice]

As a Pitt fan visiting your board for the first time, let me start off by saying that welcome to the Big East.  Don't worry about our basketball program if there is a split since we will still have us, the Orange, the Cards, the Bearcats, and UConn.  We will still be good.  As far as my candidates for the 9th member goes:

1) East Carolina - huge fan base, travels the best out of the current C-USA, had a great program just a few years ago, great baseball, track & field, swimming, improved basketball, better academics than the likes of UCF, Memphis, and Marshall.  Plus it is closer than Memphis and ECU has a long history playing and beating Big East schools, more recruiting in the basketball rich state of North Carolina.  

Drawbacks - their football program went down when they fired Steve Logan, small airport within the city.

2) Memphis - just recently good at football, has been a basketball power for years.  Lots of high school basketball talent in the city, pretty good recruiting areas for their state.  

Drawbacks - travel expenses increase, central time zone,  small traveling fan base when compared to ECU.

3) Navy - DC/Baltimore market, well not really true since they have the Terps, Cavs, Hokies, Hoyas, GW, and etc...  The Big East already has G-town to cover that area, but Navy has improved on the football field and dominates Lacrosse.  They always bring people to either home games or away games.  

Drawbacks - they want to keep the cupcake schedule including Duke, Vandy, Baylor, Tulane, and etc....  Flying into either BWI or RR National and then making the trip to Annapolis can be hell.

4) Penn State - though I hate the school, they have great fans.  They would be the perfect #1 choice if they were not in the Big 10.  Most PSU fans that I know seem to hold their noses up against the Big East since they are in the Big 10.  

Drawbacks - small airport and won't leave the Big 10.

[Markeymark]

Penn State had the chance to join the Big East back when it was forming but turned it down...they would be a good fit and bring loads of fans and tradition. This would be a great way for the Big East to get into the Philly & Harrisburg media markets.

[South_Tampa_Knight]

Personally I would think that it will be CUSA to take a Big East team after the NBE loses its BCS slot after the 2005 season.

[Cubanbull]

LOL!!! Sure buddy keep thinking that way. By the way which team in the newCUSA finished ranked? ill help you out ZERO!!!!!!! the same as your team's wins

[lotsofbull99]

Personally I would think that it will be CUSA to take a Big East team after the NBE loses its BCS slot after the 2005 season.

What kind of weed is Brandon feeding you in O-Town this year?

[bullman3]

Unless the BE splits up, a 9th team would have to be for football only.  There is no way we could have 17 bball teams, 16 is enough.  If the BE doesnt split, and umass is willing to upgrade to 1-a, they could be invited as a football only, and stay in the a10 for others.  Although they dont bring a whole lot to the table as of now.  uconn did a great job upgrading, so i imagine umass could as well.  

Memphis should have been invited instead of depaul.   They are at worse equal in bball and memphis would have gave the conf. 9 fb teams.  I guess the thinking though was to have 8 fb and 8 bball schools to allow a split and to allow both to maintain automatic bids.

[Markeymark]

TV Market??

Army - NYC

Navy - Baltimore/DC

East Carolina - Podunk Carolina

Memphis

Central Florida - Orlando

UAB - Podunk Alabama

Marshall - Podunk West Virginia

Temple - Philly

UMass - Central Massachusets

Nova - Philly

Georgetown - DC

[Guest Hail Pitt]

Then again, look at the 'real' markets. :

TV Market??

Army - NYC, Cuse, Buff  - over 28 million total

Navy - Baltimore,DC, Annapolis - over 11 million total

East Carolina - the current 2nd fastest growing city in NC (Greenville), Hampton, Norfolk, Va Beach and Raleigh less than 100 miles away - about 4 million total

Memphis - Memphis, Jackson, Miss - 1.5 million total

Central Florida - Orlando - 1 million total

UAB - Birmingham Alabama - over 1 million total

Marshall - Hunting, West Virginia, parts of Ohio, Kentucky - about 600,000 total

Temple - Philly - see their example, metro pop of over 1.2 million but only can get about 15,000 into the stands

UMass - Boston, NE - currently only averaging about 5,000 for home games

Nova - Philly - look at Temple

Georgetown - DC  - 5 million total, only averaged 500 fans this season for their home games.

TV markets don't mean crap.  Look at the SEC, they are all in Podunk places, but they get the highest ratings on TV.  

[The Sheriff]

Georgetown - No one is from DC... so essentially, no one will ever goto a Georgetown football game. Hell... people no Georgetown for hoops, bars and Congressmen and that is it. I didn't even know the Hoyas had a football team, but I was one of their biggest hoops fans growing up. Go figure...

[JeffreyBEllis]

LOL!!! Sure buddy keep thinking that way. By the way which team in the newCUSA finished ranked? ill help you out ZERO!!!!!!! the same as your team's wins

cubanbull:

To whom are you referring? I do not understand the rationale for your hostilities.

Hail Pitt:

Please continue to espouse your insightfully informative musings on TheBullsPen.Com's message forum.  ;D