USF/Big East Realignment Discussion Thread

[macphisto]

The legislature will not help. They're a bunch of UF and FSU grads. Why would they take up the cause of a team that is a threat to their own?

If we want anyone on our side, it's the Board of Governors and Governer Scott. Scott doesn't have any emotional ties to Florida and the Board of Governors is obligated to see to the interests of it's members.

Moreover, Chancellor Frank Brogan was president of FAU. You think he wants to see his old team get marginalized? I guarantee he has some emotional ties back to FAU.

We want to save USF, we have to go to these guys. Don't bother with the legislature, they'll be of no help.

Because USF brings further exposure to Florida, especially to one of the major metropolitan areas.  It also helps the medical and technology based structure at USF grow, something that the Tampa Bay voting bloc will be well aware of.  

Do you really think Florida has a vested interest in going back down to three automatic BCS qualifiers?  

It helps us that we're playing well right now.  As we climb up the rankings, we help ourselves.  We're also upgrading our facilities - another help.

I could imagine that a move to a more traditional conference will require a stadium commitment from USF, though.  Talked to a bunch of Gator fans yesterday and they all basically said, "We should just have USF join the SEC."  So the sentiment might not be too negative (though once we beat the Gators that story changes).

[ncentonze]

we are screwed.

[Joe]

Dude, the SEC is not bringing in USF...

[macphisto]

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.

+1

And remember that going down to four conferences will require a lot of mods on the BCS agreement.  

We also don't know if the PAC-12 will even accept Oklahoma.  Their public stance has been that they're not keen on adding a member.  I think if they were then it would have already happened, just like it happened so quickly with Pitt and Syracuse.  Oklahoma might be taking their time because they may not have the options they're looking for.

I think the Big Ten really isn't interested in growing again right now.  The SEC obviously is wanting to add A&M, but they would have also probably already landed #14 if it were that easy.  

Looks like the ACC wanted to make a pre-emptive move, as did Pitt.  But the ACC will still look like a fairly weak football conference, no better than what the Big East has been overall with the exception of being pretty good at top with FSU and VT.

[Apis Bull]

I could imagine that a move to a more traditional conference will require a stadium commitment from USF, though.

I've seen this posted here before, but I've never seen it anywhere else.  Where do you get this from?  I'm not saying you're wrong.

[Atlanta Bull]

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.

This is the way we need to go. Get the hell away from the BE and Marinatto. This is a decent conf. that we could have a chance of winning every year in Football, hoops would be good. WVU is going SEC so that leaves 10 members. I would invite BYU and Houston to join. If they say no invite UCF. This conf. will be the weakest AQ but at least it will be AQ, for a while at least.

[Rizman]

Dude, the SEC is not bringing in USF...

Nope, Florida will not allow it.  Our hope is that FSU leaves ACC and we get their spot.  or East/West conference is created from the remnants of the BE and B12

[macphisto]

I've seen this posted here before, but I've never seen it anywhere else.  Where do you get this from?  I'm not saying you're wrong.

No where, just an assumption.  Granted, Pitt will now be an exception for the ACC, but that stadium was built with them in mind.  But the three places we could possibly go in the BCS:  ACC, SEC, Big XII are loaded with on campus stadium schools.  The conferences like the pomp surrounding the buildup on a campus and Bucs logos for televised games might not be their favorite thing.  The Big East was flexible enough not to care about it.

Maybe it's viewed differently because we're metro.  

[Atlanta Bull]

If the B12 doesn't implode they could be looking to fill three spots to get back to 12. Assuming WVU is off the table, they will look at BYU, UL, TCU and probably USF. That would be a better conference than the old BE, fingers crossed.

[Joe]

The SEC has their pick of whatever school(s) they want. USF won't even get a look.