USF/Big East Realignment Discussion Thread

[BurghBull]

Make it stop.... Now reports are emerging that OU and OSU might stay in the Big XII with if certain concessions are made:

http://newsok.com/article/3605958

So where does this leave the Big East and the ACC....

If the only move ends up being A&M to the SEC which caused the ACC, Pitt and Cuse to jump the gun.... what does Big East Football do?

I say leave the bball schools behind and try to still merge all of the football schools with the BigXII if A&M is the only one to leave. It would be nice if the Big East could reach out to the Big XII and make this suggestion which would bring back a play off. No mater what happens, the Big East should be making moves now like the ACC did.

What I would not want to is TAMU Pitt and Cuse be the only moves and the big east sits at 7. BigXII might not agree to a merge, but it would make for a strong conference. Why doesn't Texas want TCU again?  

That makes 16 teams, pretty simple. But it wouldn't long before more dominoes fall. How are OU, Texas and Baylor going to have any unity?

I could the conference of 9 just adding1 to replace A&M and stopping there. That would leave the Big East in a really tight spot.

If this were to happen, I can't imagine the B12 not wanting to get back to at least 12 schools and generate money from a conference championship game.

I read the article, not sure  what adjustments the TLN will have to make but OU is really making Beebe and Texas  out as the bad guys.

I think that USF and Big East brothers could fit in

[Bulls1181]

Navy was in the mix

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/29532522/32135950

[Gismo]

Here is another report that the Big XII may hold together at 9 teams (led by Mizzou):

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1267981

So... to keep this discussion at light speed....

What should the Big East do if the BigXII holds at 9 teams. I think if the BigXII stays together they will stay at 9 or add 1 to get back to 10 (Boise or BYU). I don't think they'll want to merge but merging with the Big East is the smartest move the two conferences could make to try and ensure future self preservation.

If there is no merge, The Big East should add UCF, Houton, and ECU to get to ten (assuming ND stays indy) and add some geographical sense. I think all of these schools would explode on the scene just like USF did to make for a strong conference.

Then up our buyout like the ACC did and sign a TV deal with the new teams.

For comparison I am going to use total electoral votes of the states within each conference as a way to measure the value of a conference TV Network (makes sense, it's population based).... and this is where it gets really interesting....

Big East:   134 (with ECU and Houston added, ND excluded)

SEC:        140

ACC:        152

Big XII:     87 (With the remaining 9)

Pac 12:    100

B1G:        116

Merge Big East XII:  183 (WOW look at that, next closest is behind by 31)!!!

You see, if you merge the BigXII with the Big East, the merged conference would total 183 (Texas overlaps)... the most of any of the conferences... In this scenario then a merged BigXII and BigEast would probably have the most lucrative Television Network if they cold get one launched because of how many subscribers would carry it.

Even without merging, if the Big East could add UCF, Houston, and ECU and launch a network it would possibly only be behind the ACC and SEC in subscribers, and not by much. You just need large fan bases so the cable carries in that state decide to carry the network. this is why I think a merge between the 9 left in the BigXII and 7 left in the Big East actually becomes stronger than any of the existing conferences from a TV network perspective. It's also why the SEC made a play on TAMU so the SEC network would be picked up in that state.

If the SEC makes a move on Missouri, that would bump the SEC up to 150, 2 below the ACC and would drop the BigXII to a measly 77, but it would only drop to 173 and still be the largest even if Missouri left. This conference could actually take a few losses without losing too much network coverage according to in the electoral map.

[TheBullies]

If the B12 stay at 9 -- the BE should push to merge to be ahead of the curve... Good for both conferences.

[Gismo]

Here is another report that the Big XII may hold together at 9 teams (led by Mizzou):

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1267981

So... to keep this discussion at light speed....

What should the Big East do if the BigXII holds at 9 teams. I think if the BigXII stays together they will stay at 9 or add 1 to get back to 10 (Boise or BYU). I don't think they'll want to merge but merging with the Big East is the smartest move the two conferences could make to try and ensure future self preservation.

If there is no merge, The Big East should add UCF, Houton, and ECU to get to ten (assuming ND stays indy) and add some geographical sense. I think all of these schools would explode on the scene just like USF did to make for a strong conference.

Then up our buyout like the ACC did and sign a TV deal with the new teams.

For comparison I am going to use total electoral votes of the states within each conference as a way to measure the value of a conference TV Network (makes sense, it's population based).... and this is where it gets really interesting....

Big East:   134 (with ECU and Houston added, ND excluded)

SEC:        140

ACC:        152

Big XII:     87 (With the remaining 9)

Pac 12:    100

B1G:        116

Merge Big East XII:  183 (WOW look at that, next closest is behind by 31)!!!

You see, if you merge the BigXII with the Big East, the merged conference would total 183 (Texas overlaps)... the most of any of the conferences... In this scenario then a merged BigXII and BigEast would probably have the most lucrative Television Network if they cold get one launched because of how many subscribers would carry it.

Even without merging, if the Big East could add UCF, Houston, and ECU and launch a network it would possibly only be behind the ACC and SEC in subscribers, and not by much. You just need large fan bases so the cable carries in that state decide to carry the network. this is why I think a merge between the 9 left in the BigXII and 7 left in the Big East actually becomes stronger than any of the existing conferences from a TV network perspective. It's also why the SEC made a play on TAMU so the SEC network would be picked up in that state.

If the SEC makes a move on Missouri, that would bump the SEC up to 150, 2 below the ACC and would drop the BigXII to a measly 77, but it would only drop to 173 and still be the largest even if Missouri left. This conference could actually take a few losses without losing too much network coverage according to in the electoral map.

I just wanted to add that the real safey net is for the two conferences to merge 9 and 7 to 16 so that when the other conferences make power grabs for their own networks there are two outcomes both of which ensures all of the schools survice.

1. The conference is so strong that nobody can be enticed to leave, so it stays together and the ACC ends up being the conference that is picked from

2. Teams do leave the conference, but even if 6 teams bolt you are left with 10 teams, still a viable conference with the option to add more fron CUSE or Boise, to get back to a viable conference quickly. Hopefully the AQ stays intact but that depends on the 6 that bolted.

It seems like a win win all around.

[Mama_Bull]

So who is lying, Brett's unnamed sources or this unnamed source?  ;D

UPDATE: WVU Official says ACC, SEC Rejection is an "Outright Lie"

Posted: Sep 20, 2011 12:29 PM EDT

Updated: Sep 20, 2011 5:52 PM EDT

Posted by Scott Grayson - email

Football More>>UPDATE: WVU Official says ACC, SEC Rejection is an "Outright Lie"

MORGANTOWN - UPDATE: A WVU official told WVi the report about West Virginia University being rejected by the SEC and ACC is an "outright lie."

http://www.wvillustrated.com/story/15505888/report-wvu-rejected-by-sec-and-acc

[79 Bull]

If the B12 stay at 9 -- the BE should push to merge to be ahead of the curve... Good for both conferences.

Agree.  Just merge and have 16 (9+7) teams - that way if 2 or 4 are poached in the future, it's still a decent league with a championship game.

[Doc]

Ugly scenario if things break a certain way.  The BigXII at 9 to pick up 3 and leave out USF (as the sore thumb geographically, we could very well get passed over in favor of UL/UC/WVU). I know, Florida market, recruiting, and all that stuff... we still don't have the "brand" and very few in BigXII country even know we exist.  This is why I want the Pac16 to happen.

[Gismo]

Navy was in the mix

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/29532522/32135950

So I presume Pitt and Cuse had to have known these talks were going on and they still bolted?

[Rocky Style]

Navy was in the mix

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/29532522/32135950

So I presume Pitt and Cuse had to have known these talks were going on and they still bolted?

Interesting.  Navy would have been cool.  Nothing like Pitt and Cuse flipping the bird on their way out.