Non-football schools splitting from Big East

[bg703]

Big East remains after Catholic 7 leave and current expansion targets join:
UC, UConn, USF, Temple, Houston, SMU, UCF, Boise State, SDSU, Tulane, Navy, Memphis, ECU

Proposed new conference lineup:
UC, UConn, USF, Memphis, Temple, Boise State, SDSU, UNLV, New Mexico, BYU and UCF

The new conference trades out Houston, SMU, Tulane, Navy and Memphis for UNLV, New Mexico and BYU.

It appears that the new conference may only be slightly better than the Big East leftovers.

I think it's at least a better basketball conference than one with Houston, SMU and Tulane in it. UC, UConn, Memphis, USF, Temple, SDSU, UNLV and New Mexico were all in the NCAA tournament last year. Clearly they have to come up with something that makes travel workable for the schools. You'd have a conference that has some good size markets in Cincinnati, Memphis, Tampa/St. Pete, Philadelphia, San Diego, Las Vegas and Albuquerque.

Boise State would be the marquee football program. The question is how many schools would you want? 12 or 14 would make more sense but that means you have to slice the TV pie up more ways.

[bearcatbret]

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20121213/SPT0101/312130065/Report-Big-East-members-split

Publicly, Cronin is not concerned.

As for an earlier post about DePaul and hypocrites, If I recall, DePaul came into the league with UL, Marquette, and UC (not a bad pick up of basketball schools for the BEast). Also, DePaul does have a history.

[bg703]

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2...-members-split
Publicly, Cronin is not concerned.

As for an earlier post about DePaul and hypocrites, If I recall, DePaul came into the league with UL, Marquette, and UC (not a bad pick up of basketball schools for the BEast). Also, DePaul does have a history.

You forgot USF, which is completely understandable.

[jkwuc89]

When you get a chance, read the column at the link below:

http://www.courant.com/sports/other/hc-jacobs-1214-20121213,0,639077.column

[bearcatbret]

That poor, poor Jonathan the Husky. It sounds like NC and Duke have agreed to be a packaged deal in future moves. Too bad that UL and UC could not have that solidarity.

[richard k.]

When you get a chance, read the column at the link below:

http://www.courant.com/sports/other/...,639077.column

Aside from the poor old UConn emphasis this guy is spot on. A number of us could never understand why the football schools hadn't left earlier.

Currently the only public saving grace is Cronin's comments that he is privy to what is going on behind the scenes and he appears to be fairly sanguine about UC's future. Of course it would be difficult for him to say much negative in public, but his comments do seem to indicate that there is a goodly amount going on and we fans need to back the teams and see what actually transpires.

[1977 BearCat]

Aside from the poor old UConn emphasis this guy is spot on. A number of us could never understand why the football schools hadn't left earlier.

Currently the only public saving grace is Cronin's comments that he is privy to what is going on behind the scenes and he appears to be fairly sanguine about UC's future. Of course it would be difficult for him to say much negative in public, but his comments do seem to indicate that there is a goodly amount going on and we fans need to back the teams and see what actually transpires.

What comments and when? I missed them.

[richard k.]

What comments and when? I missed them.

From yesterday's Enquirer:

"'There's things I know about that everybody doesn't know about,' Cronin said. 'I also know what's talked about, discussed, behind the scenes things."

My only take on all this is that it is hard to believe, with TT coming on board, with a guy from FSU taking over as the OC, and with Cronin at least publicly commenting that there are things brewing, that UC is going to be left without anything positive in this whole thing.

[True Bearcat]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8749700/seven-schools-decide-leave-big-east-pursue-new-basketball-framework

Done deal

[RedRocker]

Don't let the door hit ya' where the good lord split ya'!!!

Good riddance. They were always part of the problem and not part of the solution. They got what they deserved. Big East leadership (i.e. BB schools, namely the Providence mafia) was always short-sighted and were always in denial about FB driving the bus. Their self-importance doomed the conference from the day they denied Penn State admission and started sponsoring FB just to appease the FB schools.

I hope they choke on it along with X.

[True Bearcat]

Don't let the door hit ya' where the good lord split ya'!!!

Good riddance. They were always part of the problem and not part of the solution. They got what they deserved. Big East leadership (i.e. BB schools, namely the Providence mafia) was always short-sighted and were always in denial about FB driving the bus. Their self-importance doomed the conference from the day they denied Penn State admission and started sponsoring FB just to appease the FB schools.

I hope they choke on it along with X.

They held back the additions of Central Florida whom West Virginia wanted because they were worried about UCF's basketball. The 7 schools destroyed the BE because they didn't want to or couldn't grasp the fact that football is king.

South Florida came to their senses about UCF but were slowed by the 7. The 7 cost the BE West Virginia.

[cmm27]

Not just West Virginia, but TCU as well. Had the seven basketball-only schools been more supportive, the Big East football side of things could have been expanded to 12 teams, without having to have lost any teams (or at least with those teams significantly less likely to be willing to just bolt). Oh well, we will just imagine what could have been.

[Lobot]

Note they did not dissolve the league or vote the football schools out. The have withdrawn from the conference. To me that says they don't get to keep the BE name and will have to pay the exit penalty. They will have an AQ for the NCAA's.

[RedRocker]

What's the exit fee for the BB schools? Same as FB? Plus early exit will cost them more I'd think.

Press conference should be starting now.

[RedRocker]

Note they did not dissolve the league or vote the football schools out. The have withdrawn from the conference. To me that says they don't get to keep the BE name and will have to pay the exit penalty. They will have an AQ for the NCAA's.

They couldn't vote the FB schools out because UL, SU, Pitt, RU plus USF, UConn and us still have full voting rights. They would never have a majority to do any such action because Temple, SMU, Houston, UCF and Memphis gain full rights 7/1/2013 just as SU and Pitt leave.

Again, don't let the door hit ya' on the azz on the way out boys!