Big East APPROVES to evaluate expansion options

[RickUSF]

Do you people realize that Villanova has no place to play?  They can't play at the Linc... Temple has a lease with the Linc that means they have ultimate control of the field on Saturdays.

[BleedGreenAndGold]

Are there people actually suggesting So Miss or UAB should get an invite over UCF? I can't believe I read that. OK, I can, but still.  USM? Oh. God. No. There are many USF faithful who wouldn't piss on USM if it were burning to the ground.  Also there's the little matter of UCF being a much better add by just about any measure.

[South_Florida_Flip]

Do you people realize that Villanova has no place to play?  They can't play at the Linc... Temple has a lease with the Linc that means they have ultimate control of the field on Saturdays.

They can play in the brand new soccer stadium in Philly, which had been mentioned previously.

[usf97]

The more I read about this expansion and think about it.....the more I think we will see Nova take one slot and then a "football only" membership will be added to someone who will take it.

I have a hard time seeing TCU going for a "football only" membership. Mind you, if someone were to accept a football only membership....that gives them an in if and when Rutgers/Pitt/SU are raided by another conference.

I just don't see the basketball schools going for a 17 or 18 member basketball conference. It is obvious those schools don't care what football does as long as it doesn't affect their "coveted" basketball.

[Guest nybullsfan]

Do you people realize that Villanova has no place to play?  They can't play at the Linc... Temple has a lease with the Linc that means they have ultimate control of the field on Saturdays.

Unlike USF, Nova already has an on-campus stadium. Granted it will need to be expanded as it only seats 12,500 now, but since they already have the space, money can solve the expansion problem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villanova_Stadium

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=40.033269,-75.336687&sll=40.033595,-75.336599&sspn=0.03023,0.055189&ie=UTF8&ll=40.033735,-75.337265&spn=0.003779,0.006899&t=h&z=17

[Danm1983]

For those wondering if any basketball schools can be kicked out - stop tossing around names of charter members who have been there since 1979. Those won't get booted. You can only hope they decide to drop dead-weight DePaul, and while Marquette has been great in hoops, sacrifices must be made. That gives you at least two spots open, and might piss off Notre Dame enough to pack its bags and take its non-football sports to the A-10 or something.

[UsfGoose]

No C-USA teams? So we maybe get TCU, and then look to the SunBelt? Gotcha...

The BE is what it is. We're not getting other BCS teams, and the only one that has even a 1% chance is BC.

LOL, UAB? USM? You might as well invite Western Kentucky and North Texas.

1) ECU - best overall candidate in terms of fan base, tradition, and program

2) Nova - already in the Big East but will need to build a fan base

3) TCU - would jump to another conference in a heartbeat if the conference met its geographic footprint

4) Temple - already was a member maybe a second try

5) Houston - if people in your own city call you Whooston, then that is a major problem

I left UCF off this list for various reasons: 1) it would actually hurt our recruiting, 2) they cannot get 40,000 people in their stadium, 3) they have never won a bowl, 4) it would be much like the ACC with Miami and FSU = mediocrity, having two teams in the same state really does more harm than good unless you are in Alabama, Texas, or California and most of those schools are spread out over hundreds of miles and UCF is just down the road. 

1. UCF wouldn't hurt our recruiting. Not any more than Rutgers, West Virginia, UConn, Louisville already do since they have plenty of Florida-based players. So does Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Clemson, Purdue, and others. UCF and USF will obviously fight hard for a few recruits in common, but we both have our own areas to recruits. Holtz will use his magic and turn the Tampa Bay area into a recruiting haven for USF, and he'll start to get guys that would otherwise head to UF or FSU, and hopefully he'll dip into Polk County some more (which USF has many of, but the better ones currently head to UF and Miami). UCF recruits heavily in their own metropolitan area, as well as along the east coast (space coast and treasure coast) from Jacksonville to Palm Beach, and with their coup of Miami Northwestern kids this year like Godfrey, they'll have an IN down there to get some more. Both teams can survive on FL talent, and the only recruiting I see it hurting is those of out of state teams who come in to usurp the good talent already leaving.

2. UCF does need to get its stadium more packed, but it's not much better or worse than TCU at this point though TCU is going to start a stadium expansion soon. UCF has packed the house on some occasions, but playing UAB and Rice aren't much better than USF playing WKU and FAU.

3. Neither had USF when we got the invite. This is irrelevant since they can win this year or in the future. It's not like C-USA teams have the luxury of being pitted in bowls that play MAC teams and bottom rung C-USA squads like the Big East does. C-USA winner usually gets to face an SEC team, and even a mid or lower level SEC team is far superior to C-USA teams. It would have been nice to see them hang with Rutgers in last years' bowl game, but oh well.

4. Miami and FSU being in the same state and conference has nothing to do with their recent ebb of success. Like I've mentioned before, Pitt and West Virginia don't seem to mind being 90 miles away (though they do recruit two different bases usually), and it seems to work out well for UCLA and USC, or Cal and Stanford, or KU and KSU. Most of those teams are close and seem to fare alright. I dunno about the rest of you, but I'd like to actually attend an away Big East game sometime. And not have to fly to get there.

Maybe I'm a sympathizer, but UCF should get their chance. I know it's hard to convince people of "potential" though. There will be a point where UCF beats USF in football (and maybe basketball) and yes it will suck when their fans rub it in our faces that they finally got that elusive first win. In fact, it may be a necessary evil in order for USF to get crackin' on that on campus stadium...or ramping up recruiting, or for a complacent booster to step up with a big donation. USF has the Athletic Village working right now, and the OCS is surely in the plans for sometime this decade.

I don't think UCF should be the first, or even 2nd choice, but I think they're as deserving of a shot as ECU would be, and definitely hold some edge over possible busts like Temple or 'Nova.

I really don't know who or how they should invite - but at least the BE talking heads are finally doing something.

From a business standpoint, I think it would be TCU, Houston and UCF (interchangeable).  This would give the Big East a footprint in Texas and Florida.  So either they want a bigger one in Texas or they want just one school with a bigger footprint in Florida.  

It would hurt USF in recruiting.  They're recruiting class is almost dead even with ours and they are not even in a BCS conference.  Their campus is a resort (full liquor bar, resort pool, a quad for crazy tailgating, another restaurant pub, and an on campus stadium).   Plus they can throw a rock at all the bars that are within the perimeter of the campus.  It feels like Jersey Shore by their campus.  So if you are a recruit, would you rather go to a school that has more of lively atmosphere or go to university that is more of a city college.   It's obvious why USF is developing their athletic facilities at such a rampant pace (they plan to renovate the Sun Dome as well).     UCF already had a student center like ours 6 years before we did and their athletic facilities are still ahead of ours.  I'm hoping USF will catch up soon.   So by the time UCF does get invited, we can still recruit well because we will have a better football program and a more attractive college experience.  

[Guest nybullsfan]

The more I read about this expansion and think about it.....the more I think we will see Nova take one slot and then a "football only" membership will be added to someone who will take it.

I have a hard time seeing TCU going for a "football only" membership. Mind you, if someone were to accept a football only membership....that gives them an in if and when Rutgers/Pitt/SU are raided by another conference.

I just don't see the basketball schools going for a 17 or 18 member basketball conference. It is obvious those schools don't care what football does as long as it doesn't affect their "coveted" basketball.

Perhaps.

I see it more as a defensive move - preparing for the day when the Big 10 steals RU or Cuse, so I predict only full members, not football-only members. We'll see. Hopefully soon.

[2000bull]

The more I read about this expansion and think about it.....the more I think we will see Nova take one slot and then a "football only" membership will be added to someone who will take it.

I have a hard time seeing TCU going for a "football only" membership. Mind you, if someone were to accept a football only membership....that gives them an in if and when Rutgers/Pitt/SU are raided by another conference.

I just don't see the basketball schools going for a 17 or 18 member basketball conference. It is obvious those schools don't care what football does as long as it doesn't affect their "coveted" basketball.

I hope your wrong, but now I'm starting to have a felling that this is some how going to get screwed up 

[Dogma]

I'm also starting to think they will be football only invites

However.

I would be pretty satisfied if TCU and ECU were added in (ECU has admitted they would be happy with a football only invite.)

I think those two team would definitely add football value and support to the B.E.