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After countless hours of observing what is happening to the college landscape again I think I've come with a rational prediction for what the fate of the Big East holds (On a side note, I should really work on a different hobby other than Bearcat Sports).
Football Side
I think it is all but written the Big East football side will be finished off soon (possibly as early as July when the new format for the BCS is revealed). Once this format is revealed I see Clemson, FSU, Miami, Va Tech and NC State bolting for the Big 12 and SEC. This will be due in large part to money and the belief that being in one of the 'Big 4' conferences guarantees you a seat at that playoff table should they win it. With four defections from the ACC this creates an opening of 4-6 teams. My belief being they will go 16 to bolster the ranks. These four teams will most certainly all be BE teams. They would go UConn, Rutgers, Cincinnati, and UL. Now this is assuming all the teams from the BE would actually go to the ACC. There is a very good chance the B10 would be proactive and grab Rutgers and ATTEMPT to gain ND.
This would result in a basketball powerhouse in the ACC. We thought the BE was the best thing ever seen when it was reformed in 05. This new ACC would make that Big East look timid. On the football side it wouldn't be half bad either. The football side would be the little brother who is constantly being a thorn in the side of the Big 4 football conferences. Also, it would be a GREAT Fit for UC and would leave us a better shot at actually making a BCS playoff.
The new ACC would be-Duke, UNC, WFU, Maryland, BC, Pitt, Cuse, Ga Tech, Virginia and either Miami/NC State. Throw in UL, UConn, Rutgers, UC, and possibly USF and another.
Basketball Side of Things.
This is where I've noticed things getting interesting. The A10 has bolstered itself the last few weeks adding VCU and Butler. This makes them much stronger in numbers and I believe they have added these teams for several reasons. The first is money (I know, I know...stunning observation), other is to bolster the conference for the NCAA's. The real reason I believe they have been so proactive and have dominated realignment on the basketball side of things is for one huge reason....
They are getting ready for the final destruction of the Big East
When the Big East gets robbed of its football schools (and its happening...I have no doubt in my mind. The question has gone from if to when) the basketball schools were going to be left behind. The basketball schools by themselves aren't nearly as attractive without their football brethren, but still an attractive lot nonetheless. The A10 surely would have been poached as it is the best 'Mid Major' conference in the Eastern US and offers promising teams such as Xavier, Dayton, St. Louis, St. Joes, (formerly) Temple, and even Richmond. Xavier, Dayton, SLU and St Joes would have been on the short list of the remaining Big East basketball schools. Throw in Butler and VCU..suddenly you have a top notch private school basketball league.
With the A10 grabbing VCU and Butler they have flipped the script with the soon to be Basketball Only Big East. They have an enticing league with solid teams. Not to mention they'll be playing a conference tournament in NYC at the Barclay's center starting next year (And I'm the first to admit I laughed when I heard the A10 moved the conference tourney to NYC. I thought they planned on giving away free tickets).
So now what the A10 can do is go to schools like Marquette, Villanova, and Georgetown and go after them instead of it being vice versa.
There are so many scenarios that can play out. But I think the A10 has clearly had a proactive concept (proactive...a word that is foreign to the Big East front office) and saw that when the Big East meets its demise and the football schools break off, the BE Bball schools would come to poach the A10. Now the A10 has a very real chance at putting a final dagger in the Big East or pulling off a merger of sorts.
Bottom line...It's about to get crazy. The Florida State president was too late and was to clueless sounding to calm the waters. The conference realignment drums have begun beating again.
Football Side
I think it is all but written the Big East football side will be finished off soon (possibly as early as July when the new format for the BCS is revealed). Once this format is revealed I see Clemson, FSU, Miami, Va Tech and NC State bolting for the Big 12 and SEC. This will be due in large part to money and the belief that being in one of the 'Big 4' conferences guarantees you a seat at that playoff table should they win it. With four defections from the ACC this creates an opening of 4-6 teams. My belief being they will go 16 to bolster the ranks. These four teams will most certainly all be BE teams. They would go UConn, Rutgers, Cincinnati, and UL. Now this is assuming all the teams from the BE would actually go to the ACC. There is a very good chance the B10 would be proactive and grab Rutgers and ATTEMPT to gain ND.
This would result in a basketball powerhouse in the ACC. We thought the BE was the best thing ever seen when it was reformed in 05. This new ACC would make that Big East look timid. On the football side it wouldn't be half bad either. The football side would be the little brother who is constantly being a thorn in the side of the Big 4 football conferences. Also, it would be a GREAT Fit for UC and would leave us a better shot at actually making a BCS playoff.
The new ACC would be-Duke, UNC, WFU, Maryland, BC, Pitt, Cuse, Ga Tech, Virginia and either Miami/NC State. Throw in UL, UConn, Rutgers, UC, and possibly USF and another.
Basketball Side of Things.
This is where I've noticed things getting interesting. The A10 has bolstered itself the last few weeks adding VCU and Butler. This makes them much stronger in numbers and I believe they have added these teams for several reasons. The first is money (I know, I know...stunning observation), other is to bolster the conference for the NCAA's. The real reason I believe they have been so proactive and have dominated realignment on the basketball side of things is for one huge reason....
They are getting ready for the final destruction of the Big East
When the Big East gets robbed of its football schools (and its happening...I have no doubt in my mind. The question has gone from if to when) the basketball schools were going to be left behind. The basketball schools by themselves aren't nearly as attractive without their football brethren, but still an attractive lot nonetheless. The A10 surely would have been poached as it is the best 'Mid Major' conference in the Eastern US and offers promising teams such as Xavier, Dayton, St. Louis, St. Joes, (formerly) Temple, and even Richmond. Xavier, Dayton, SLU and St Joes would have been on the short list of the remaining Big East basketball schools. Throw in Butler and VCU..suddenly you have a top notch private school basketball league.
With the A10 grabbing VCU and Butler they have flipped the script with the soon to be Basketball Only Big East. They have an enticing league with solid teams. Not to mention they'll be playing a conference tournament in NYC at the Barclay's center starting next year (And I'm the first to admit I laughed when I heard the A10 moved the conference tourney to NYC. I thought they planned on giving away free tickets).
So now what the A10 can do is go to schools like Marquette, Villanova, and Georgetown and go after them instead of it being vice versa.
There are so many scenarios that can play out. But I think the A10 has clearly had a proactive concept (proactive...a word that is foreign to the Big East front office) and saw that when the Big East meets its demise and the football schools break off, the BE Bball schools would come to poach the A10. Now the A10 has a very real chance at putting a final dagger in the Big East or pulling off a merger of sorts.
Bottom line...It's about to get crazy. The Florida State president was too late and was to clueless sounding to calm the waters. The conference realignment drums have begun beating again.
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