USF/Big East Realignment Discussion Thread

[BULL2001]

The only way I see USF being fine is if Big 10, Pac 12 and SEC decide to go to 16 teams.  ESPN reporting  that UConn and Rutgers next in line for ACC creating the first 16 team conference. Big 10 adds Miizzou and possibly Notre Dame ( now that the Big East is  pretty much done) while SEC adds WVU, Texas A&m, USF and one other team. Of course this assumes PAC 12 goes to 16 with four teams from the Big12.

Yesterdays quote from Genshaft and Wollard made it sound like they were prepared for this and talking to one other conference, but who? 

[USF_Grouper]

I think most, if not all, of us are really overreacting.  Give the dust some time to settle and I think everything will be OK.  Pitt/SU is hardly a decent football program and they haven't historically held the BE conference.  If we pickup decent programs from Big 12, or move to Big 12, it may result in a stronger football conference.  Better yet, it will be a basketball conference that our program can grow in a bit better.

As far as legislature, Tampa area is a huge voting block, as is support for USF.  If you recall, UF wanted to push the differential tuition just for there institution and become a "flagship".  They didn't have the legislative clout to get it done.  Even with UF and FSU they couldn't get it done.  They had to add USF to the first tier before they could get legislative approval.  We have clout, we have an established football program, I think we will be fine...

[Joe]

That 27 month rule really made it impossible Mac...

Seriously though. I think the Big 12 survives, we NEED to buddy up with them. The SEC is not happening. Nor is the Big 10

[Raetus]

So do you think we go Big 12 or merge or what?

[Bull-by-Marriage]

we're screwed.

+10000000000000

[OrlandoBull]

It looks like the original newbee's to the BE (UL, Cinncy, us) are without a home. WV is most certainly going to the SEC. We now need the big12 to explode so we have a home somewhere.

[BaltoBull]

I'm starting to think this is the beginning of the end...

First, we will be uninvited / blocked from joining the SEC or ACC. I'm not at all certain how our geography makes us attractive to the Big10, BigXII (if there even is a BigXII).

Second, much of our improvement was based on getting and signing better recruits once we had the BCS tag. Now that the dominos are falling, how can we expect players to commit to a school that has no idea where they are going, or in fact downgrading conferences and in the eyes of public perception?

Third, how much longer can we expect Holtz to stick around if we are cast off to the Conference USA / Leftover conference?

I'm afraid if were knocked out of the race during this realignment, we're never getting back in.

This *****!

[macphisto]

That 27 month rule really made it impossible Mac...

Seriously though. I think the Big 12 survives, we NEED to buddy up with them. The SEC is not happening. Nor is the Big 10

It didn't make it impossible and I never said it did.  I also have yet to see how long Pitt and Cuse will have to wait.  It is negotiatable, but how much will they have to pay to get out?  I said that any conference that wanted to grow NEXT YEAR might think twice because the remaining Big East schools might not be too willing to let the others leave more quickly without a big payday.

The going rate from the Big XII and the ACC is $20M.  If I'm the Big East schools remaining then I demand $20M from all leavers to waive legal rights and allow them to leave early.  That is something they can attempt to do.  Certainly the exit fee has to at least be doubled if they want to get out sooner.  

[bullwark]

It appears that the remaining members of the Big 12 will combine with the remaining football members of the Big East following the ACC raid of the Big East, Pitt, Cuse, UConn, and Rutgers.  This new conference will have WVA, USF, Cincy, L'Ville, TCU from the BE and KU, KState, Texas Tech, Baylor, Missouri, and Iowa State.  This new conference will look to add another team from the east to get the conference to 12 and provide some geographical balance.  Now this of course could change if the SEC can poach VaTech from the ACC, then the ACC will look to add another Big East  Team or complete the North Carolina portion of the conference by adding ECU.

[Apis Bull]

One thing all of you should have learned by now is that we really don't know what's going to happen.  The only two things that I'm pretty confident won't happen is that we end up in the Big 10 or the PAC 12.  Other than that, none of us know.  All this hang wringing about it is not going to change what happens to us.  Judy has already come out and said they been monitoring this and having discussions with conferences for the last 18 months.