Expansion at 11, till next year?

[Who'sYourData?]

I agree that we are probably holding at "11" for now while the exit of the Tiresome Threesome is worked out.

[Paisa el Toro]

11 ? No way we will have 14 ! :lol: Don't for get the 27 month agreement. Really - what would happen if the BE actually tryed to hold cuse,Pitt & WV. What could they do ? Especially WV since they sued the BE.

It will be risky to keep WV, PITT and SYR. What if they win all of the conference titles from now till 2013. You can kiss the AQ goodbye.

Will the concept of Automatic Qualifying Conferences even be relevant come 2014? I think all this reshuffling is going to cause the creation of the 16-team super conferences, which will cause the re-evaluation of the BCS system.

[BDYZR]

Do the three ______________ still get votes on conference matters?

[Bull94]

11 ? No way we will have 14 ! :lol: Don't for get the 27 month agreement. Really - what would happen if the BE actually tryed to hold cuse,Pitt & WV. What could they do ? Especially WV since they sued the BE.

A lawsuit is the only way for them to leave early. Notice that Pitt and Cuse have not made any noise about leaving early at this point. WVU will have to get the courts to allow them to break the contract. If they try leaving without court action then they will be liable for a lot more than $20M.

The problem WVU has is that they clearly were in contact with outside conferences and not committing to the Big East. So how can they make a legit claim that the Big East ignored its fiduciary responsibility?

As for Pitt and Syracuse, I have this crazy idea in my head that they might have actually played the ACC and ESPN.

What if Pitt and Syracuse ARE the 13th and 14th members? So much will depend on the TV deal next year. With Pitt and Cuse on board, the TV deal for the ACC goes down to $11M or so per school. Let's say that the Big East bids out two different deals - one with Pitt and Cuse and one without. If a 14 team Big East with Pitt and Cuse nets $18M or more per season per school, do you think the two schools decide to stay or bolt, sacrificing their exit fee and $7M per year in TV revenue?

I'm thinking more and more that Pitt and Syracuse, two proponents of expansion to 12 teams in the past, may have initiated this in order to force the Big East to expand. They would always have the option to leave for the more stable ACC if it did not happen, but next year they will know what the new TV deal is worth and will get a chance to choose the best outcome for themselves.

So, I'd suggest that Pitt and Cuse both fully intend to wait through the 27 month window to see where the best place for them to land is.

I thought the BC AD basically said that if the ACC added Pitt & Cuse, espn had told them they would rework their tv contract, so I'm not really sure the TV money would be less.

I don't think they get to bid it out or renegotiate.

I think they will pay them 2 additional shares of what they currently pay the ACC per team.

we were close to where the ACC is with espn's first offer. going to the open market would have brought more per team than the ACC especially with those three. it's unfortunate because pitt and cuse blinked first. espn got them to do exactly what they wanted them to. they weakened the BE and they only had to pay cuse and pitt a couple of million to do it. it would have cost them much more if the BE went to bid for their tv rights with cuse , pitt, and wvu.

[JB]

Currently we do have 14 teams... Cuse, WV, and Pitt can't leave for 27 months... WV is wasting their money and time by trying to intimidate the Big East into letting them leave early. The 27 month clause is iron clad and there is no way in hell that WV is leaving the Big East prior to 2013.

From now until the end of the 2013 football season here is the New Big East:

Big East "Eastern Division"

- USF

- UCF

- Syracuse

- Pitt

- UConn

- Rutgers

- Navy

Big East "Western Division"

- Boise State

- Cincinnati

- Louisville

- SMU

- Houston

- Air Force

- West Virginia

After 2013 we will lose Pitt, Cuse, and WV and will only have 11 teams...

Big East "Eastern Division"

- USF

- UCF

- Syracuse

- Pitt

- UConn

- Rutgers

- Navy

Big East "Western Division"

- Boise State

- Cincinnati

- Louisville

- SMU

- Houston

- Air Force

- West Virginia

By this time I can see the Big East with the help of Navy, Air Force, and the Pentagon talking Army into joining... outside of Army I don't know who else we would add... obviously we need a deep west team to help bridge the gap between Idaho and Colorado...

If I was the Big East commish I would add Army and either Tulane, Southern Piss, or ECU in the East... I would not move Louisville or Natti to the East since those two schools have a very heated rivalry with one another.

In the West I would add any of the following, starting of course with Idaho since they are Boise's main rival... my theory is that by adding Idaho it lessens the chance that an outside conference could steal Boise in a few years because no one is going to add Boise and Idaho which would become a joint deal if Idaho was added. Outside of Idaho I would add BYU assuming that they are still IND, Utah State, Colorado State, Tulsa, Memphis, or Wyoming.

There is not many Western teams that are great additions... so its a crap shoot in the west... Idaho would lock Boise into the Big East... Tulsa would be good for the Texas teams since Texans and Oklahoman's hate each other... Utah State might be a good add if BYU is still free and not willing to come in right now, they could be used to sway BYU when or if the Big East ever goes to 16 teams... Colorado State would be a good fit for Air Force since they are rivals... Memphis and Wyoming are just warm bodies...

Don't think Idaho would be a legit option to bring into a BCS conference. Boise has already decided to stop playing them in the future--and they have one of the smallest stadiums in FBS. Unless we need Idaho to help lock down that Idaho TV market ;-)

[crambone]

Isn't Idaho's stadium indoors?

[TBBull717]

^ Correct. Kibbie Dome. Roughly 16K permanent seats.

[macphisto]

I thought the BC AD basically said that if the ACC added Pitt & Cuse, espn had told them they would rework their tv contract, so I'm not really sure the TV money would be less.

The problem is ESPN could not have put that in writing or even done a handshake deal because of the implications for the ACC and ESPN. How would a lawsuit filed by the Big East go if it was found out that the ACC and ESPN raided the conference because ESPN promised more money? That also wouldn't help the ACC much with their fanbase as a lot of them, especially the big academic schools, feel they are above the money issues.

ESPN promised nothing that they can be held to. Even now there's quite a bit of doubt about CBS and ESPN opening up the contract with the SEC.

Let's face it. Why did the SEC expand? Because they saw what the Big XII, Big Ten, and PAC-12 got and wanted more. They negotiated a long term deal early, drove up the price, and then got seller's remorse.

Same for the ACC. ESPN came and offered them a deal just like they offered us and they were suckers, so they took it. I'm sure ESPN told them they wouldn't get a better deal anywhere else, that they really weren't very good as a conference, etc.

Sounds like just how they attack the Big East and use their talking heads on TV and radio to do it. Drive down perception so you can get better value.

But I doubt ESPN renegotiates with the ACC until Pitt and Cuse are on board for at least a year.

So if the Big East deal is for more RIGHT NOW per school with Pitt and Cuse included - and by at least $5M per year - then do Pitt and Cuse leave or stay?

I think if a $18M a year deal comes down that they bail on the ACC and stay here.

[BurghBull]

No Point in giving Pitt and Syracuse an easy trave schedule.

Big East "Eastern Division"

- USF

- UCF

- Syracuse Louisville

- Pitt Cinncinati

- UConn

- Rutgers

- Navy

Big East "Western Division"

- Boise State

- Pitt

- Syracuse

- SMU

- Houston

- Air Force

- West Virginia

[BULLfreak]

I would be shocked regardless of travel if UCF is in the eastern divison.