IMO, the day after Pitt and Syracuse announced that they were leaving the Big East, UofL and UC both should have paid the $5M (at the time) and gotten out of the conference. They should have applied to the Big 12, SEC, or the Big 10. With Pitt and Syracuse gone, the quality of football, which wasn't extremely high to begin with, dropped off significantly. The move also effects the quality of basketball in the conference.

 

I think it is mainly Jurich and the President of the University faults. Even before the departures of Syracuse and Pitt, they should have had some type of contingency plan since it is now the "cool thing to do" to be conference jumping. Epic fail on their end!!

Just because they would've applied doesn't mean they would've been accepted by any of those leagues, all of which could take them now if they wanted.

 

Then Louisville would find themselves without a league and on the way to Conference USA, and you would be blaming that on Jurich, too.

^ Absolutely. This was never Louisville's call to make. Look at the five AQ conferences that remain; it was clear before any of this started that Louisville wasn't going to get an invite to the Big Ten, ACC, Pac-12 or SEC. That left the Big XII with all the power over the remaining Big East schools looking to keep that AQ spot. It isn't a good situation, but I don't believe its one that could have been altered anytime in the last few years (save for what could be severe collusion on the part of Pitt and ESPN during the last TV negotiation).

 

I actually like Louisville's play here. Publicly, Pitino and the university are squarely behind the Big East, making recommendations and doing whatever else is necessary to keep the Big East viable. If Louisville doesn't make the move, it'll keep them in a strong position within the conference and that continued support will keep the league moving forward. Privately, as the McConnell discussions and the Big XII's flirtation with an offer reveal, Jurich and Ramsey are machinating behind the scenes to make sure that they do whatever is best for the university and for the athletic department.

 

You can call the league laughably bad, you can call it a debacle, but I'll still watch whatever reconfigured Big East Louisville is going to be playing in for the foreseeable future. Louisville is going to do what they have to do and there are some smart, hardworking people making sure this gets taken care of.

I may have missed it but what is the thinking now for UL as far as a conference? UC?

I may have missed it but what is the thinking now for UL as far as a conference? UC?

 

My guess is that Louisville and UC will both ultimately get Big XII invites if/when Missouri ultimately bolts for the SEC. For now, they're making the right play and working to keep the Big East viable, even if it seems a Sisyphean task at this point.

My guess is that Louisville and UC will both ultimately get Big XII invites if/when Missouri ultimately bolts for the SEC. For now, they're making the right play and working to keep the Big East viable, even if it seems a Sisyphean task at this point.

 

Don't think they go past 10 for a few years at this point. They will once again cave to Texas and wait for a new TV deal to expand to 12 as things sit right now...

I may have missed it but what is the thinking now for UL as far as a conference? UC?

 

Hanging tight in the Big East until this mess kicks back up again in the spring...

Don't think they go past 10 for a few years at this point. They will once again cave to Texas and wait for a new TV deal to expand to 12 as things sit right now...

 

Makes sense to me. Any rumblings about when offers/acceptances for an expanded Big East might be forthcoming?

Makes sense to me. Any rumblings about when offers/acceptances for an expanded Big East might be forthcoming?

 

Things should get moving tomorrow...