Boise Reconsidering Big East

[Bearcat22]

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...1#.T61KquhSRvw

[Rational Cat]

also this:

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports...big-east-move/

This article also discusses the fact that Louisville has made it clear to the rest of the Big East that they want out; either to the Big 12 or ACC. UConn, as we know also wants to be in the ACC, though the ACC doesn't want them.

The sands are shifting again, and I have a bad feeling that Conference USA redux is coming our way again- this time disguised as the Big East.

[Thegreatone]

Dont look too much into those. Boise isnt going anywhere. Would be a huge finacial hit to go to a gutted MWC. They are just not sure where their other sports will be able to go.

Louisville has no where to go. Big 12 will be looking at big fish and U of L isnt big enough.

Alot about nothing guys. Boise inparticular.

[Mtn_Cat]

The Gordon Monson (SL Trib columnist) show on radio in SLC just did an hour on this topic, capped by an interview with McMurphy. They only put on one caller, a Boise fan, who covered team-by-team how the BE was much better then SL announcers say (how often can these SL guys say that the MWC is better?), and said he thought Boise was just trying to get the BE to help with other sports. He wanted no part of staying in the MW.

The MW tv contract just ended, and some people out here think that they're going to get enough money in the new contract to get Boise to stay.

[Binturong05]

Dont look too much into those. Boise isnt going anywhere. Would be a huge finacial hit to go to a gutted MWC. They are just not sure where their other sports will be able to go.

Louisville has no where to go. Big 12 will be looking at big fish and U of L isnt big enough.

Alot about nothing guys. Boise inparticular.

I caution being so cavalier about Louisville and the Big XII. Sans Notre Dame, Louisville's athletic budget is the largest in the Big East at $87.7 million. UConn, the next highest at $63 million, trails Louisville by $24 million - this gap is almost 2/3 of UC's entire athetic budget of only $37 million.

I think the thing to keep in mind here that puts this all in perspective is WVU made the jump to the Big XII with $30 million less in athletic revenues than Louisville. When you consider the numbers one has to admit Louisville looks like a decent addition to any conference.

http://businessofcollegesports.com/2...ents-big-east/

[GoUC11]

Here is what I see coming. I may be completely off, but I follow the realignment stuff pretty regularly.

First big dominos to shift are FSU and UL going to the Big 12. This is sets off a flurry of action. At this point I believe the Big 12 would grab Clemson, Va Tech shortly thereafter which then creates a 14 team conference. I believe eventually they would get to 16. We may or may not be in that group. The others I've heard are schools like Maryland or Ga. Tech.

Depending what happens I eventually see the Big East traditional football schools (not the new additions) joining forces with the ACC leftovers to make some sort of conference looking like this.....

1. UNC
2. NC State
3. BC
4. Miami
5. Virginia
6. Maryland
7. Duke
8. Pitt
9. Cuse

I see remaining Big East strongholds joining in to create the 'little but very tough brother' to the Bigger 4 conferences This would be....

10. UConn
11. Rutgers
12. Cincinnati
13. USF
14. Temple/Memphis (if Louisville gets swept up by the Big 12 first)

You could also throw in Notre Dame joining up with them as well and being a non-football member

It all seems crazy and feel free to write me off on this bc I probably am way off. But I think if the football powerhouses of the ACC bolt to be in one of the Big 4 conferences it's the only way the Big East and ACC survive and have a collection of teams strong enough to garner any kind of attention for a Final 4 type tournament.

[RedRocker]

Here is what I see coming. I may be completely off, but I follow the realignment stuff pretty regularly.

First big dominos to shift are FSU and UL going to the Big 12. This is sets off a flurry of action. At this point I believe the Big 12 would grab Clemson, Va Tech shortly thereafter which then creates a 14 team conference. I believe eventually they would get to 16. We may or may not be in that group. The others I've heard are schools like Maryland or Ga. Tech.

Depending what happens I eventually see the Big East traditional football schools (not the new additions) joining forces with the ACC leftovers to make some sort of conference looking like this.....

1. UNC
2. NC State
3. BC
4. Miami
5. Virginia
6. Maryland
7. Duke
8. Pitt
9. Cuse

I see remaining Big East strongholds joining in to create the 'little but very tough brother' to the Bigger 4 conferences This would be....

10. UConn
11. Rutgers
12. Cincinnati
13. USF
14. Temple/Memphis (if Louisville gets swept up by the Big 12 first)

You could also throw in Notre Dame joining up with them as well and being a non-football member

It all seems crazy and feel free to write me off on this bc I probably am way off. But I think if the football powerhouses of the ACC bolt to be in one of the Big 4 conferences it's the only way the Big East and ACC survive and have a collection of teams strong enough to garner any kind of attention for a Final 4 type tournament.

That's a kind of along my line of thought although I think the B12 will grab FSU and Clemson first to get to 12 which will drop the ACC back to 12. I don't think GA Tech is going anywhere, but I could see the B12 adding UL and Houston to get to 14.

I like the ACC as a better fit for UC and could see UC, Rutgers, UConn and USF going to the ACC if the B10 doesn't grab Rutgers and/or Maryland.

Frankly, we haven't seen the last of realignment un til the B10 and SEC are at 16 each and the B12 at 14 or 16 also.

The remnants of the BE FB schools and the ACC will form the fifth super-conference.

[RedRocker]

Don't look now, but FSU ain't too happy with the ACC's new TV deal:

http://floridastate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1364755

[bobestes]

There is no way the academic bluebloods of UNC and Duke are going to be in a conference with USF or Cincinnati.

[richard k.]

There is no way the academic bluebloods of UNC and Duke are going to be in a conference with USF or Cincinnati.

But they might with UofL?

[GoUC11]

There is no way the academic bluebloods of UNC and Duke are going to be in a conference with USF or Cincinnati.

Also if you haven't noticed..UC is no academic slouch like it used to be. We are on the verge of cracking the AAU. And no matter what they say, $$$ and survival will trump academics.

[bearcatd]

We are on the verge of cracking the AAU.

Have we been invited or heard that we are being invited? My understanding is it's a fairly secretive process. I know Nebraska was recently kicked out and Syracuse left. I'm just curious if there are any reference articles for this or if it is just speculation. It would be good for UC if it is true.

[bobestes]

Have we been invited or heard that we are being invited? My understanding is it's a fairly secretive process. I know Nebraska was recently kicked out and Syracuse left. I'm just curious if there are any reference articles for this or if it is just speculation. It would be good for UC if it is true.

I can't see OSU And the big ten letting it happen. They have a ton of sway.

[Binturong05]

I can't see OSU And the big ten letting it happen. They have a ton of sway.

9 of 61 are members of the Big Ten per my count for 14.75% of the AAU members. While no doubt a large percentage to hail from a single "big six" conference (most other members are not so athletically focused) it is not enough to effectively block UC. 75% of members must affirmatively vote to admit a new member school so even if the Big Ten were to theoretically gang up on UC they couldn't block the admission without forming a supra-conference coalition.

Note that according to one prominant credit rating company UC is one of 109 US universities that satisfy the definition of national research univeristy as follows - U.S. colleges, universities and university systems that report more than 10% of operating revenues from grants and contracts and generate more than $500 million in total operating revenues. This definition is broader than, but overlaps with, other definitions which are based on different criteria (e.g.: the number of research citations or the number of PhDs generated). The largest research universities belong to the American Association of Universities (AAU), an association of the largest 61 research universities in the US and Canada.

Looking at the admission criteria on the AAU website it appears UC would be on the short list of the remaining 50 US universities to be considered for membership.

[cpawstoney]

Boise State, which has been in recent talks with the Mountain West Conference about staying in the league instead of leaving next year, has reaffirmed its commitment to join the Big East....

The Broncos have to find a new home for the rest of its sports programs after the WAC was nearly gutted after defections to the Mountain West, Sun Belt and Conference USA left the WAC with only four remaining members for 2013 -- Denver, Seattle, New Mexico State and Idaho.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...-official-says