Big East In serious trouble of being carved up (link)

[Mama_Bull]

Beginning of the end for the Big East?

April, 19, 2010 Apr 191:15PM ET

By Brian Bennett

Not to overdramatize things, but this week could eventually be seen as the beginning of the end of Big East football, at least as we now know it.

The Big Ten's timetable for expansion, which originally was slated to last 12 to 18 months beginning last December, has accelerated. Big Ten officials planned to discuss expansion over the weekend in Washington D.C., and the BCS meetings this week in Phoenix could see major developments on that front. The Big Ten's coaches and athletic directors meet May 17-19 in Chicago.

Colleague Adam Rittenberg has a good breakdown of the potential timelines. Pac-10 blogger Ted Miller will be reporting on-site from those BCS meetings.

It looks more and more as if the Big Ten will add multiple teams, with Rutgers, Pitt, Syracuse and UConn as potential targets. As I went around to many Big East schools this spring, expansion was naturally the hot topic. Like most of the rest of us, the schools were nervous and anxious about what might happen, and basically just waiting to find out what the Big Ten would do. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney has promised to notify leagues that may be affected before talking to possible expansion candidates.

If the Big Ten does call on a Big East school, I expect the conversation would go something like this:

Delaney: Would you be interested in ...

Big East school: When can we start?

The schools that are the most nervous right now are West Virginia, Louisville, South Florida and Cincinnati. None appear to be serious candidates to join a supersized Big Ten, and unless the SEC or ACC want to grow, they could find themselves in trouble, at least for the immediate future. A Big East that loses two or even three teams will have a difficult time finding new members that will allow it to hold onto its BCS status.

Fans who want to see the Big East stay as is should root hard for Notre Dame to do a U-turn and join the Big Ten. That may be enough to satisfy the Big Ten's expansion ambitions alone.

If not, then it's likely that seismic changes are coming. And we may look back on this week as the beginning of the end for the Big East as we know it.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/9173/beginning-of-the-end-for-the-big-east

[Raetus]

I was just reading an article about all of this on a Chicago-based site and read something interesting that I hadn't read before. This might be common knowledge to most but I didn't know that all schools that leave the Big East are required to give a 27 month notice to the league. I knew about the $5 million fee owed to the league, but I had no idea bout the 27-month notice.

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/04/source-big-ten-has-yet-to-contact-expansion-candidates.html

[The Great 8]

Look who's calling the kettle black, lol. What was that you said about me, cutting brake lines if someone gives me a bad cup of coffee?

1. Debating whether I'm a hypocrite has no relevance to whether Sunburned was being condescending.

2. With regards to your discussion of you cutting brake lines, you're the one that was trying to justify McMurphy trying to take down USF repeatedly because Jim didn't play nice with him. Curiously you disappeared after others debunked your theory. You seemed to forget McMurphy has targeted Stan Heath as well. So, unless he also didn't play nice with him, he just had/has a vendetta against USF for some reason. (Maybe Judy didn't play nice with him?) Regardless, that's in the past as far as I'm concerned.

[Joe]

Slick,

quit living in a dream world. The BCS being dissolved goes back to the old way where even open invitations will center around big schools only. Congress can't force a system only  make the current one illegal

As for USF being small...I was referring to our impact on college football.

[USFMikeB]

Cut the bickering guys, and get back on topic...

[TyBull]

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/9173/beginning-of-the-end-for-the-big-east

here is another link about expansion.  I have to agree with the cinci fan that commented on the blog.  The left over teams should merge with the mountain west.  first they would have to add a couple teams to make it 8 again.  That way they keep there bcs auto bid.  They can even name the divisions the mountain west and big east. I don't see the acc or sec expanding.  that would be the only way usf would keep there bcs bid.  All that would depend on who the big 10 takes of course.

I am in no way an expansion expert But, would not the BCS need to keep in all current BCS members to keep their voting majority over the non-BCS schools?

In other words it is up to the BCS schools to find the "leftovers" new homes?

[Bull-by-Marriage]

Slick,

quit living in a dream world. The BCS being dissolved goes back to the old way where even open invitations will center around big schools only. Congress can't force a system only  make the current one illegal

As for USF being small...I was referring to our impact on college football.

I may be the only one on this board, but I like the "old way" better than the system we have now. Now, if there are more than 2 undefeated teams, only 2 of them have a shot at the BCS title. Using the old way, gave all undefeated teams, at least a sliver of hope, #4 beats the living snot out of #3, #2 barely beats #1, why should #4 be locked out? All of the major bowls on New Year's day, drama, suspense ending with the Orange Bowl. None of this January 10th BS.

[Joe]

Slick,

Congress, the Supreme Court, and the President cannot force playoffs. People may want it but the School presidents are the only ones to push it through.

Regardless of what congress does the POWER conferences will rule football forever and ever.

If the Big East falls out and we're not picked up we could be in trouble.

[TyBull]

There is one thing that I know:

We do not want UCiF in the Big East...........

[Guest Sunburned]

There is one thing that I know:

We do not want UCiF in the Big East...........

Yep! He's wearing the wrong color gold!!!