Does the Big East need to expand?

[RowdyRedRam]

The Big East is currently the smallest BCS conference with only eight football playing schools. With other conferences having 10 (Pac-10), 11 (Big Ten) and 12 (SEC Big12) members, some argue that it isn't fair. Some Big East members are pushing for the expansion of a single team to ease scheduling issues that arise from having only seven conference games.

 

Should there be a minimum number of teams for a BCS conference?

 

Should the Big East expand?

 

What teams should the Big East go after if they do expand?

[gchs_uk9]

The Big East is currently the smallest BCS conference with only eight football playing schools. With other conferences having 10 (Pac-10), 11 (Big Ten) and 12 (SEC Big12) members, some argue that it isn't fair. Some Big East members are pushing for the expansion of a single team to ease scheduling issues that arise from having only seven conference games.

 

Should there be a minimum number of teams for a BCS conference?

 

Should the Big East expand?

 

What teams should the Big East go after if they do expand?

 

Until (and this is a big if) the Catholic, basketball-only schools break off and form a new conference, the Big East's hands are tied. They can't add any more teams because any team that's added for football will want to be added for basketball (money reasons, obviously) and the conference can't do that.

 

If those non-football schools left, the Big East would then have eight teams. I would imagine Army and Navy would be potential targets because they are both tradition-rich schools who would draw well. Marshall, East Carolina, Central Florida and Memphis would be possibilities, but none of them are really big markets and truthfully they haven't show the ability to consistently win in Conference USA.

 

I think the Big East is sort of stuck right now, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[RowdyRedRam]

Until (and this is a big if) the Catholic, basketball-only schools break off and form a new conference, the Big East's hands are tied. They can't add any more teams because any team that's added for football will want to be added for basketball (money reasons, obviously) and the conference can't do that.

 

If those non-football schools left, the Big East would then have eight teams. I would imagine Army and Navy would be potential targets because they are both tradition-rich schools who would draw well. Marshall, East Carolina, Central Florida and Memphis would be possibilities, but none of them are really big markets and truthfully they haven't show the ability to consistently win in Conference USA.

 

I think the Big East is sort of stuck right now, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Let me start by saying that I don't want any change. I like the freedom that five OOC games gives you. I do realize that it is hard to get enough opponets and that may mean playing a few to many Divison II or Sun Belt teams, but I'd rather play a lot of different teams rather then a lot of the same teams.

 

I don't think a football only member is out of the question? Do you really think a team like Marshall, ECU or Southern Miss would or could pass up BCS money to hold out for basketball? I think every one of those would jump at the oppritunity for football only membership. But the next question is what if anything do these teams add to the conference? IMO not much. I wouldn't be for any addtion of C-USA teams.

[RockPride]

No...because they have 16 (or something like that) basketball schools, any other schools coming in, would have basketball as well.

[BoondockSaint]

No...because they have 16 (or something like that) basketball schools, any other schools coming in, would have basketball as well.

Right on, and I think 16 is just about to many. If we expanded to be a bigger football conference I think they would have to drop some basketball only schools to make it work.

[pigman]

Notre Dame should come in as a football school, and push for one of the basketball only schools to play football.

[AverageJoesGym]

Let me start by saying that I don't want any change. I like the freedom that five OOC games gives you. I do realize that it is hard to get enough opponets and that may mean playing a few to many Divison II or Sun Belt teams, but I'd rather play a lot of different teams rather then a lot of the same teams.

 

I don't think a football only member is out of the question? Do you really think a team like Marshall, ECU or Southern Miss would or could pass up BCS money to hold out for basketball? I think every one of those would jump at the oppritunity for football only membership. But the next question is what if anything do these teams add to the conference? IMO not much. I wouldn't be for any addtion of C-USA teams.

 

The problem with that is if they ditched their current conference for the Big East in football there is NO WAY the remaining conference members would allow them to continue to play in basketball and since the Big East is full when it comes to basketball they'd be over a barrell to find a conference that would accept them in one sport only.

[RowdyRedRam]

The problem with that is if they ditched their current conference for the Big East in football there is NO WAY the remaining conference members would allow them to continue to play in basketball and since the Big East is full when it comes to basketball they'd be over a barrell to find a conference that would accept them in one sport only.

Not if they were football only, all other sports would be in the other conference. It would be similar to what Notre Dame does with the Big East.

[bugatti]

Not if they were football only, all other sports would be in the other conference. It would be similar to what Notre Dame does with the Big East.

But Notre Dame is not fighting with a different conference in football since they are Independent... not really burning any bridges, so to speak. It would really put a strain on C-USA to come up with more teams... I cannot ever recall an instance, although I may be wrong, when a team is in one power conference for football, and another for basketball.

[AverageJoesGym]

Not if they were football only, all other sports would be in the other conference. It would be similar to what Notre Dame does with the Big East.

 

What I'm saying is there is no way that C-USA would allow one of those schools to leave the conference in football and continue to play there in basketball. You're talking about a unique situation with Notre Dame, they are allowed to do so mainly because there are so many small, Catholic basketball schools in the Big East. They certainly wouldn't have been allowed to do it in the Big Ten. Southern Miss, ECU, and Marshall certainly don't mean enough to C-USA to allow them to stay just for basketball. If they leave in football the conference would most likely give them the boot in all sports.

[RowdyRedRam]

But Notre Dame is not fighting with a different conference in football since they are Independent... not really burning any bridges, so to speak. It would really put a strain on C-USA to come up with more teams... I cannot ever recall an instance, although I may be wrong, when a team is in one power conference for football, and another for basketball.

Temple did in the old Big East. ECU used to do it with C-USA. UK plays soccer in the MAC I think. Some of the current Big East teams have division II football teams, that obviously play in other conferences.

[bugatti]

Temple did in the old Big East. ECU used to do it with C-USA. UK plays soccer in the MAC I think. Some of the current Big East teams have division II football teams, that obviously play in other conferences.

 

Temple is in the A-10 in hoops, which is not part of Division 1 College Football.

ECU, not a power conference situation.

UK does play in the MAC, but I was referring to Bball and Football.

[AverageJoesGym]

Temple did in the old Big East. ECU used to do it with C-USA. UK plays soccer in the MAC I think. Some of the current Big East teams have division II football teams, that obviously play in other conferences.

 

He said power conferences. The Atlantic 10 that Temple was in for basketball didn't have a Division 1 football conference. ECU was also in a basketball conference that didn't field a D-1 football conference. And Soccer, are you serious???? It isn't anywhere near the same situation, a lot of schools don't even field scholarship soccer teams to help with Title 9, that's why UK is in the MAC. The only way that the Big East could do something like that is if they found a school that is just joining D-1 in football and needs a conference affiliation or if they get someone like Temple or ECU in their old situations where they want to field a D-1 team but play in a baseketball conference whose members don't play D-1 football.

[RowdyRedRam]

He said power conferences. The Atlantic 10 that Temple was in for basketball didn't have a Division 1 football conference. ECU was also in a basketball conference that didn't field a D-1 football conference. And Soccer, are you serious???? It isn't anywhere near the same situation, a lot of schools don't even field scholarship soccer teams to help with Title 9, that's why UK is in the MAC. The only way that the Big East could do something like that is if they found a school that is just joining D-1 in football and needs a conference affiliation or if they get someone like Temple or ECU in their old situations where they want to field a D-1 team but play in a baseketball conference whose members don't play D-1 football.

Temple USED to play football in the Big East and Basketball in the A-10. My point is that it wouldn't be unprecedented for a school to play different sports in other conferences. The implication that it can't happen is factually wrong.

And yes I was serious, UK plays soccer in a different conference, I didn't think that was so controversial, I feel like I offended you.

[bugatti]

Temple USED to play football in the Big East and Basketball in the A-10. My point is that it wouldn't be unprecedented for a school to play different sports in other conferences. The implication that it can't happen is factually wrong.

And yes I was serious, UK plays soccer in a different conference, I didn't think that was so controversial, I feel like I offended you.

 

I understand. But, the A-10 did not exist for Division 1 College Football. So it would be undprecedented.

 

Again, I am not sure of any instances when a team played big boy college bball in one conference and big boy college football in the other. Only one close to it is ND and they are Independent on the gridiron.