Who should replace Rutgers when the Big10 takes them?

[Joe]

With the MWC probably joint the BCS fray in a few years, and their football revenues being on par with the Big East, I am not so sure that TCU would even be interested.

[Danm1983]

That's why the Pac 10 may decide if TCU wants to go anywhere. If the Pac 10 snagged up Utah and BYU, the MWC will be pretty weak. After TCU, you have UNLV, Air Force, Colorado State, Wyoming, San Diego State and New Mexico. The MWC could definitely add Boise State to help, but Boise State is only really relevant in football and wrestling from what I've heard.

Point is, if the Pac 10 takes Utah and BYU, adding Boise State and Nevada/Idaho/NM State/Fresno State isn't going to bolster the MWC back to where it is now, and I think you'd see TCU looking to jump ship to the Big 12 if there's an opening or maybe the BE then has a shot

[Guest Scherdin]

If we are going the non ACC route, I would think UCF is probably the #1 option. Location, enrollment size and their possible potential are things the BE committee will be looking at.  The other schools can't compete with these and TCU in the BE is like LA Tech in the WAC, huh...

[usf97]

This article came out before the Rutgers report from the Big Ten but it sounds like what I have been thinking about. It may have been posted elsewhere.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/344617-memo-to-the-big-east-go-west-young-man

If the league were proactive, you could have:

South Division

USF

TCU

Memphis

Houston

UCF

ECU (one of these five is a replacement for Rutgers)

North Division

Cincy

Louisville

UConn

Syracuse

Pitt

West Virginia

Would be a better version of the top teams in old CUSA with Pitt, WVU, SU & UConn. Big media markets, still a good basketball conference. Would get a championship game.

[callmesuperman]

This article came out before the Rutgers report from the Big Ten but it sounds like what I have been thinking about. It may have been posted elsewhere.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/344617-memo-to-the-big-east-go-west-young-man

If the league were proactive, you could have:

South Division

USF

TCU

Memphis

Houston

UCF

ECU (one of these five is a replacement for Rutgers)

North Division

Cincy

Louisville

UConn

Syracuse

Pitt

West Virginia

Would be a better version of the top teams in old CUSA with Pitt, WVU, SU & UConn. Big media markets, still a good basketball conference. Would get a championship game.

Great article and yes that would not be a bad set up. But I would include Louisville in the South Division and add Temple to the North Division. UCF in my unbiased opinion has no business being in a BCS conference at this point.

So you would have:

South Division

USF

TCU

Memphis

Houston

Louisville

ECU

North Division

Cincy

Temple

UConn

Syracuse

Pitt

West Virginia

Other current BE members such as Georgetown, Villanova, Providence... would still be in the conference for other sports to have up to 18 members. DePaul, Notre Dame, (unless they join as a football member), and one other team would be kicked to the curb ( I know that's harsh but it is something that the BE will have to do sooner or later! This is very unlikely to happen though!

[callmesuperman]

This article came out before the Rutgers report from the Big Ten but it sounds like what I have been thinking about. It may have been posted elsewhere.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/344617-memo-to-the-big-east-go-west-young-man

If the league were proactive, you could have:

South Division

USF

TCU

Memphis

Houston

UCF

ECU (one of these five is a replacement for Rutgers)

North Division

Cincy

Louisville

UConn

Syracuse

Pitt

West Virginia

Would be a better version of the top teams in old CUSA with Pitt, WVU, SU & UConn. Big media markets, still a good basketball conference. Would get a championship game.

Great article and yes that would not be a bad set up. But I would include Louisville in the South Division and add Temple to the North Division. UCF in my unbiased opinion has no business being in a BCS conference at this point.

So you would have:

South Division

USF

TCU

Memphis

Houston

Louisville

ECU

North Division

Cincy

Temple

UConn

Syracuse

Pitt

West Virginia

But what about the current non football members? Would they be kicked out in this set up? I hope not since teams like Georgetown and Villanova bring tremendous value to the BE!

I think other current BE members such as Georgetown, Villanova, Providence... could still be in the conference for other sports to have perhaps up to 18 members (although that # would probably be a little high). DePaul, Notre Dame, (unless they join as a football member), and one other team could  be kicked to the curb ( I know that's harsh but it is something that the BE will have to do sooner or later! This is very unlikely to happen though!

[usf97]

I think the premise of the article is to expand like this, the 8 or 7 football schools (assuming one team is poached by the Big 10) would need to leave the Big East and go form their own conference. The 8 basketball only schools would still be called the Big East and would be a separate league.

The basketball only schools would never expand like this, they probably like things as they are. It is in their interests to keep the 16 team basketball conference as it is. Otherwise, they lose big name basketball schools like UConn, SU, West Virginia, Pitt, Louisville and Cincy. You take those away, you still have a solid conference with Villanova Georgetown & Norte Dame but they would definately be weakened. The TV contract with the league would change significantly.

[callmesuperman]

Personally I would hate to see the football schools break away from the basketball schools and form a new conference. I enjoy seeing us play big time basketball programs like Georgetown,Villanova, Marquette, St Johns, Depaul,... every year. Also these programs while not having football bring value to the BE in other sports as well; like for example St Johns in men's soccer.

I'm hoping that the BE is able to stay put or at worst only lose Rutgers, and then maybe add one or two more programs.

[BullsFanInTX]

TCU.  they are closer to some BE schools than USF is.  Don't give me this nonsense about being west of the miss. river.  DFW is one of the largest markets in the country, and has one of the best airports in the country.  3X bigger than the Orlando market UCFers like to brag about.  DFW is a monster market.  DFW is less than 200 mi. west of Shreveport Louisiana so they aren't that far west.  Since they weren't included in survey, I picked ECU (my 2nd choice).