Expansion at 11, till next year?

[jdm]

http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2011/11/03/bmurphy/kustra_address_state_board_education_phone_todays_meeting

Boise State meeting agenda

[jdm]

This guy is live tweeting the meeting

efrandsen Eric Frandsen

Kustra: I know of one in the west, I'm not at liberty to discuss it

efrandsen Eric Frandsen

Kustra: SMU, Houston, Boise and Air Force named as targets. Another team would need to take the place of West Virginia

[jdm]

efrandsen Eric Frandsen

Idaho Board of Education passes motion to allow Boise St to accept an invitation from Big East conference

[Who'sYourData?]

Did Kustra forget UCF?

[keith S]

I have read that BYU is seriously trying to work out being a football only Big East team. The only reason they couldn't go Big 12 is because the Big 12 wanted all in and BYU would not agree to play other sports on Sundays.

I have also read that Air Force and Navy want the Army to be in the same conference.

[bull2saintleo]

Fox13 said the divisions are as follows. This could change depending on where Team #6 is located.

East

USF

UCF

Navy

Rutgers

UConn

Team #6

West

Lville

Cincy

SMU

Houston

Boise

Air Force

[BullFan98]

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.

wow...that is some conspiracy theory. I think with an invite from the ACC and an acceptance from Pitt and Syracuse, they aren't coming back to the BE. The only way I see this happening is if the ACC is raided with FSU and another team leaving for greener pastures. And if this happened, we would have a good shot at an ACC invite, along with another team and the BE would be in the same predicament.

[macphisto]

wow...that is some conspiracy theory. I think with an invite from the ACC and an acceptance from Pitt and Syracuse, they aren't coming back to the BE. The only way I see this happening is if the ACC is raided with FSU and another team leaving for greener pastures. And if this happened, we would have a good shot at an ACC invite, along with another team and the BE would be in the same predicament.

Money talks. Notice how TCU bailed on the BE before they joined. If we do get more money than the ACC then Pitt and Cuse won't go anywhere. I think WVU has burned their bridges. But it seems like Pitt and Cuse are not protesting the 27 month waiting period to leave. We've heard nothing from them.

If they stay for that length of time then they'll actually be under the new TV deal for one year. If we average $18M per football school and the ACC sticks at $13M with no guarantee that ESPN will give more then why would they leave for the ACC?

I think WVU will leave after this season as long as one of the incoming teams can move in next year. If Navy, for instance, can step in quickly then we'll let WVU leave. I think it's more likely that Boise State and Air Force come on board first because they are from conferences and don't have to deal changing their whole schedule like Navy and BYU would have to. Navy would have eight games to cancel.

BYU makes more sense to join next year because their 2012 isn't full yet. They'd only have two games to cancel or move to future dates. So we might see Boise State, BYU, and Air Force all join next year. WVU would exit with a larger buyout and we'd be up to 10 teams. In 2013 we'd have UCF, Houston, SMU, and Navy all coming on board. That will be the first year of a new TV deal for first tier rights.

[Doc]

I still think they lump us with the Texas schools in a western division. Louisville (and Cincinnati) will certainly argue to remain with the northeastern teams.

How would your opinion of the proposed expansion change if our division rivals were UCF, SMU, Houston, Air Force, and Boise St, because that's what I think will happen? We'll host the likes of Louisville every four years or so (unless a fixed cross-division rival).

[charsibb]

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

I think this is the most appropriate. The 3 Outsketeers should have to pay the penalty of a tough travel schedule