This could be the end of the Big East

[WoolyBully]

So, how would this be a bad thing, 'cause I'm just not seeing it? Granted, my interests rests 95% with football, with the remaining 5% spread over not only USF but NCAA basketball as a whole. Actually, breaking away and creating a conference from other non-FBS schools does not sound like a BAD idea. I have no idea what that would do, media contract wise, but there's a part of me that says that football has eclipsed basketball as a driving force in the BE, and if the hoops-only schools think they're getting short shrift, maybe they would be better setting sail on their own. What I'm trying to say is that I don't see how splitting the non-FBS schools into Conference-X and retaining the FBS schools in Conference-Y is a death knell for the BE. Do those little Catholic schools really have substantive media weight* that would be crippling to the FBS wing of the conference, should they opt out?

* yeah, I know that dropping hoops - at any level - could shave some dollars from the OVERALL media contract, but is it a seismic event...really?

[crambone]

Just put us out of our misery already. This waiting game sucks.

[jvwvu]

There is 2 ways for BBall to do this

1. Out vote the other teams before July 1st when new teams come in

2. Leave together with 27 months notice (basketball has no buyout), (ND may pay to get out of 27 months)

In the long run adding 3 of those schools get each team $1-$1.5 mil for just basketball on ESPN where the BBall schools want to stay and save travel money.

Create a new league now (Killing BE) or just take out the BBall later and then get MSG deal for the new league.

USF has to concentrate on football being the ticket and need to battle the highs/lows (Taggart/BBall split) accordingly.

[Who'sYourData?]

So, how would this be a bad thing, 'cause I'm just not seeing it?

TV dollars. We don't have big TV dollars now. If we get stuck going back to C-USA or Sun Belt we'd go from $5-10mil per year to about $1-2mil per year. Independent would be worse. Try paying even Willie Taggart and anything resembling a decent staff on that.

[Skingraft]

Bullet anyone?

[TallyBull]

So, how would this be a bad thing, 'cause I'm just not seeing it?

TV dollars. We don't have big TV dollars now. If we get stuck going back to C-USA or Sun Belt we'd go from $5-10mil per year to about $1-2mil per year. Independent would be worse. Try paying even Willie Taggart and anything resembling a decent staff on that.

Just speculation but I very much doubt we'd ever officially go back to C-USA or Sun Belt. We're far more likely to keep the Big East name in a reformulated/restructured conference consisting of full membership or football only schools, including some or all of our recent additions..

[SRQ]

So, how would this be a bad thing, 'cause I'm just not seeing it?

TV dollars. We don't have big TV dollars now. If we get stuck going back to C-USA or Sun Belt we'd go from $5-10mil per year to about $1-2mil per year. Independent would be worse. Try paying even Willie Taggart and anything resembling a decent staff on that.

Just speculation but I very much doubt we'd ever officially go back to C-USA or Sun Belt. We're far more likely to keep the Big East name in a reformulated/restructured conference consisting of full membership or football only schools, including some or all of our recent additions..

I'm not sure this is true. If western schools return to MWC, the BE is dead without basketball schools.

[TallyBull]

So, how would this be a bad thing, 'cause I'm just not seeing it?

TV dollars. We don't have big TV dollars now. If we get stuck going back to C-USA or Sun Belt we'd go from $5-10mil per year to about $1-2mil per year. Independent would be worse. Try paying even Willie Taggart and anything resembling a decent staff on that.

Just speculation but I very much doubt we'd ever officially go back to C-USA or Sun Belt. We're far more likely to keep the Big East name in a reformulated/restructured conference consisting of full membership or football only schools, including some or all of our recent additions..

I'm not sure this is true. If western schools return to MWC, the BE is dead without basketball schools.

What do you mean by "dead"? If you're suggesting that the remaining schools couldn't retain the Big East name and continue with a "coalition of the willing," I don't consider that "dead." I only consider the Big East "dead" if the remaining schools have no other choice but to remain independent or join a smaller conference. But so long as you've got eight members, you've got a conference, right? Why would any of the following schools HAVE to go back to a smaller conference, instead of just continuing an association with each other? (I'm honestly asking the question - there may be an answer that I just don't know):

Connecticut

Cincinnati

Temple

South Florida

Central Florida

SMU

Houston

Memphis

Tulane

ECU

Edited December 11, 2012 by TallyBull

[TallyBull]

So, how would this be a bad thing, 'cause I'm just not seeing it?

TV dollars. We don't have big TV dollars now. If we get stuck going back to C-USA or Sun Belt we'd go from $5-10mil per year to about $1-2mil per year. Independent would be worse. Try paying even Willie Taggart and anything resembling a decent staff on that.

Just speculation but I very much doubt we'd ever officially go back to C-USA or Sun Belt. We're far more likely to keep the Big East name in a reformulated/restructured conference consisting of full membership or football only schools, including some or all of our recent additions..

I'm not sure this is true. If western schools return to MWC, the BE is dead without basketball schools.

What do you mean by "dead"? If you're suggesting that the remaining schools couldn't retain the Big East name and continue with a "coalition of the willing," I don't consider that "dead." I only consider the Big East "dead" if the remaining schools have no other choice but to remain independent or join a smaller conference. But so long as you've got eight members, you've got a conference, right? Why would any of the following schools HAVE to go back to a smaller conference, instead of just continuing an association with each other? (I'm honestly asking the question - there may be an answer that I just don't know):

Connecticut

Cincinnati

Temple

South Florida

Central Florida

SMU

Houston

Memphis

Tulane

ECU

I guess my point is this: we're obviously in "retreat" mode. I'm not sure that having "football" only schools like Boise and SDSU really helps with long-term stability, because those teams will split whenever the Big 12 or Pac 12 come calling. I'm generally in favor of keeping the BIg East an "eastern" conference with full membership schools only. Over time, we can rebuild the brand. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that the schools above, based on markets alone, should be able to get a decent TV deal.

[WoolyBully]

We might be talking past one another.

It is my contention that the conference - currently referred to as the Big East - is in fact CUSA-II. When we speak of 'going back to CUSA or the Sun Belt', we are, in my opinion already there, by virtue of removing the BCS moniker, we just haven't changed the logo. I don't care if the FBS conference is called the 'Big East', the 'Pan American', or 'The Next Best Thing', Once you peel off the wrapper, FBS wise, it is CUSA! And I would suspect that the media would be inclined to ink a deal that reflects our current position.

Now, am I to understand that we are so cash-strapped that losing the hoops-only schools would be a severe blow? Are they really the 'jewels' of this conference? Why would the conference - whatever name you give it - collapse, or even become more devalued, if the small basketball schools were to leave?