Big East looks to expand

[South_Florida_Flip]

The worst thing the league could do would be to expand to 12 teams.

[BullTide]

here is a good article i found online that breaks down all the potential big east expansion candidates.  The article is a little old but nonetheless is still a good read. however some of the candidates are a little far fetched but the article does a good job of breaking down all schools(stadium size, enrollment, academics, etc...) and making a case for and against each university in its slide show.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/424308-schools-on-the-big-easts-expansion-radar-and-some-that-probably-shou#page/1

[Oldsmobull]

The Big East football schools should just tell the Big East Conference to go jump in a lake and split off to a new conference, add Houston and TCU to get big Texas market, add UCF to strengthen Florida market and add another college from NE.  Course that won't happen, but I do like Houston, TCU, UCF and pick another school to bolster Big East football.

[The Great 8]

Adding Houston, TCU, and UCiF are actually pretty good moves. If we're only adding 1 to even out the scheduling though it needs to be TCU or Houston as they're completely new markets. UCF isn't expanding the demographic watching the Big East much.

[BleedGreenAndGold]

I hate the idea of going to 12 teams. Everyone playing everyone is great.  You always get your shot.  That said, The Big East not only has to keep pace with other conferences team-wise, they can't be caught flat footed in case of a raid.  I'd like to see TCU, Houston, and UCF invited, in that order, to join the conference.  IF we have to go 12 then invite ECU or Memphis I guess. Does it really matter at that point? It's not like you can really further tarnish the football image of the conference anyway.  Either school would make the conference footprint look (slightly) less ridiculous, not that I care all that much.

[Guest nybullsfan]

here is a good article i found online that breaks down all the potential big east expansion candidates.  The article is a little old but nonetheless is still a good read. however some of the candidates are a little far fetched but the article does a good job of breaking down all schools(stadium size, enrollment, academics, etc...) and making a case for and against each university in its slide show.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/424308-schools-on-the-big-easts-expansion-radar-and-some-that-probably-shou#page/1

Nice find, thanks for the link. This is actually a series of 5 articles, with 2 prelims. Here are all the links, in chrono order, for posterity...

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/328299-will-notre-dame-ultimately-cost-the-big-east-their-bcs-bowl-bid

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/405683-it-is-time-for-the-football-big-east-to-break-away

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/414193-where-the-big-east-stands-after-the-near-implosion-of-the-big-12

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/416556-problems-that-must-be-addressed-for-a-successful-big-east-expansion

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/417140-creating-a-strategy-to-build-a-better-big-east

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/424308-schools-on-the-big-easts-expansion-radar-and-some-that-probably-shou#page/1

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/426168-final-conclusions-on-big-east-expansion

He's got some interesting ideas, especially in terms of the Coastal / RustyFrog split. Having one dominant conference and one weaker conference (like the Big 12 has/had) would seem to solve part of the image problem. It could inflate wins in the weaker conference, and inflate rankings on the stronger one. Interesting point.

Personally, I think 9-team conferences would be ideal. 4 home, 4 away, 4 OOC every year. But it would have to be mandated by the NCAA, and that's never going to heppen 

[Guest nybullsfan]

looks like moving this one off the main board was a bit premature, LOL

[RickUSF]

I dont have a good feeling about adding Villanova.  They are so small.  Granted, UConn made the jump from 1-AA to BCS level and have proven to be the fastest ascending program in the history of CFB (1-AA to Big East Champions in 10 years), they have an entire state backing them.  Villanova is like adding University of Tampa to the Big East.

Everyone is afraid of Temple because of bad attendance figures.. it's not like we had great attendance before we joined.  Hell, we don't have great attendance now.  I bet even tonight the lower bowl wont be full.

[macphisto]

The two obvious choices if we're just talking making Big East (or a renamed conference) football look a lot more attractive are TCU and Boise State.  Imagine if those two end up facing off in the BCS title game after announcing they're going to the BE or whatever the conference would be called?

If I'm in charge of the conference then those are my targets.  If the basketball school want to split because of this then I let them and go up to 12, possibly adding Houston (if TCU agrees) or even trying to lure schools from other BCS conferences in (probably ACC - Georgia Tech would be a nice prize as would Clemson). 

But TCU and Boise State are where you start.

[Apis Bull]

Boise State will not be considered.  It is way too difficult to travel to there from any of the current Big East cities.