Non-football schools splitting from Big East

[longtimefan]

Can you blame them though? Once the best basketball conference ever being watered down to conference USA? They do not benefit from huge mega-football dollars.

So they thought Tulane would hurt their RPI? Hmmm, but they had no problem with DePaul and Seton Hall? Hypocrites.

[bearcatbret]

Can you blame them though? Once the best basketball conference ever being watered down to conference USA? They do not benefit from huge mega-football dollars.

[bobestes]

I don't know about you guys, but the basketball schools leaving feels worse than the individual schools who have bailed for bigger conferences... it's almost like the basketball only schools are saying, "We don't have another option right now, but anywhere is better than being tied to you guys (UC, UConn, & USF)"
Really makes me sad for the state of UC athletics. UC IS A GOOD SCHOOL! Solid football, solid basketball, good academics. Our big problem is the small revenue stream. It really upsets me that money is the biggest downfall here.
Sick.

Well, the BB schools have to protect themselves or get left out in the cold. Honestly, if the rest of the league demonstrated the unity they do, we wouldn't be in this mess.

[Rational Cat]

Right - When UC is no longer in a conference, we're even more desperate, which makes it even less urgent for the ACC or Big XII to pick up UC. I'm just tired of UC getting treated like they have no value.

We are orphans. Need the ACC or Big 12 to throw us a lifeline.

[mjv780]

the fact our conference will dissolve.

Right - When UC is no longer in a conference, we're even more desperate, which makes it even less urgent for the ACC or Big XII to pick up UC. I'm just tired of UC getting treated like they have no value.

[Banter]

I really do not see how we are any worse today than last week. In my opnion as soon as the next defection occurs in either the ACC or Big12, options will be available. This is the same as last week.

the fact our conference will dissolve.

[ME80]

I really do not see how we are any worse today than last week. In my opnion as soon as the next defection occurs in either the ACC or Big12, options will be available. This is the same as last week.

[Banter]

I don't know about you guys, but the basketball schools leaving feels worse than the individual schools who have bailed for bigger conferences... it's almost like the basketball only schools are saying, "We don't have another option right now, but anywhere is better than being tied to you guys (UC, UConn, & USF)"
Really makes me sad for the state of UC athletics. UC IS A GOOD SCHOOL! Solid football, solid basketball, good academics. Our big problem is the small revenue stream. It really upsets me that money is the biggest downfall here.
Sick.

Its more that the three of us don't offer anything they can't obtain on their own. When we had Cuse, Pitt, Ville it was much different. Now we are watering down the conference with Tulane and SMU. The Shooty Hoops teams could probably make a very dominant league with the A-10 and be better than where they are now.

[mjv780]

I don't know about you guys, but the basketball schools leaving feels worse than the individual schools who have bailed for bigger conferences... it's almost like the basketball only schools are saying, "We don't have another option right now, but anywhere is better than being tied to you guys (UC, UConn, & USF)"
Really makes me sad for the state of UC athletics. UC IS A GOOD SCHOOL! Solid football, solid basketball, good academics. Our big problem is the small revenue stream. It really upsets me that money is the biggest downfall here.
Sick.

[RedRocker]

CBS Reports:

The NY Post reported that the split would be announced later Thursday.

But a source told CBSSports.com that no announcment is expected that soon.

What happens next is unclear.

"Lawyers are going to have to sort it all out," a source told CBSSports.com. "I don't think anybody knows exactly how this is going to happen. They just know it's time to separate."

"Everybody likes the idea of being in a conference with Connecticut, Cincinnati, Memphis and Temple, but what happens when Connecticut and Cincinnati leave one day?" said a source from one of the nonfootball playing schools. "It's not like this is over. Eventually, Connecticut and Cincinnati would be gone, too. So I think the opinion from our side is to just move on. And I think we're just tired of it. That's the bottom line. We're just tired of this because none of this is helping us."

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...ected-to-split

Waaaahhhhhh!!!!! I'd argue that the BB schools have been the problem all along by nixing expansion over the past few years and Marinatto not having the balls to stand up to them. They may be tired of it, but I, as a Bearcat fan, am just as tired of them and their self-importance. The blood of the BE is on their hands and Marinatto's.

[bg703]

Pete Thamel has a pretty good analysis of the situation on SI. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/col...2_a2&eref=sihp

[RedRocker]

Listening to CBSSports.com's Gary Parrish on with Tim Brando. Obviously said UC, UConn, USF in some trouble. But thinks SEC or Big Ten will grab 2 more ACC teams, which would pave the way for UC, UConn. ACC will look like old Big East.

That's been what I've been thinking all along. If GT and UVA go to the B1G, then UC and UConn go to the ACC and if FSU and somebody else go to the B12, then USF will likely get an invite too.

It will be interesting how the pile of money gets split up. I assume the BB schools will get nothing since they are leaving under the dissolution bylaw.

[cpawstoney]

1. Who receives the exit fees from Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville and Rutgers?
2. Who receives the NCAA basketball tournament revenue?
3. Who retains the Big East name? (this matters as the Big East has an agreement to hold the conference tourney at MSG through 2026)
4. Will CUSA schools such as Houston, SMU, Memphis, Central Florida and Tulane sue for damages as they agreed to come to the Big East, leaving CUSA and then there was no conference?

Are there contracts regarding all of this? Yes. But lawyers get paid to argue what those words mean and with millions of dollars at stake I expect the football schools will mount a legal challenge before any settlement is reached.

I would expect WVU, Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville and Rutgers to sue for the return of their exit fees. Their thought will be, "Why should we pay a penalty to a non-existant league. We just had the fore sight to get out when we could."

[cpawstoney]

Sources: Big East expected to split

CBS Reports:

The NY Post reported that the split would be announced later Thursday.

But a source told CBSSports.com that no announcment is expected that soon.

What happens next is unclear.

"Lawyers are going to have to sort it all out," a source told CBSSports.com. "I don't think anybody knows exactly how this is going to happen. They just know it's time to separate."

"Everybody likes the idea of being in a conference with Connecticut, Cincinnati, Memphis and Temple, but what happens when Connecticut and Cincinnati leave one day?" said a source from one of the nonfootball playing schools. "It's not like this is over. Eventually, Connecticut and Cincinnati would be gone, too. So I think the opinion from our side is to just move on. And I think we're just tired of it. That's the bottom line. We're just tired of this because none of this is helping us."

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...ected-to-split

[GoBearcats31]

Listening to CBSSports.com's Gary Parrish on with Tim Brando. Obviously said UC, UConn, USF in some trouble. But thinks SEC or Big Ten will grab 2 more ACC teams, which would pave the way for UC, UConn. ACC will look like old Big East.