Big East Considering Becoming Even Bigger

[JasonS]

Big East Still Considering Becoming Even Bigger
By Adam Zagoria on September 09, 2011, 10:12AM

With the Big 12 potentially on the verge of collapse, the Big East Conference is once again looking at becoming still bigger.

According to multiple reports, the Big East is considering adding Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri should the Big 12 falter. That, in turn, would bring the Big East to 12 football teams and 20 — that’s right, 20, — basketball teams. (TCU joins the league in 2012.)

These reports mirror an SNY.tv report from a year ago saying that the Big East would have targeted the aforementioned three schools, plus Iowa State, had the Big 12 disbanded in 2010.
“Obviously we’re monitoring the landscape,” Big East commissioner John Marinatto told The New York Post. “We’re very aware of the situation and will continue to do what’s in the best interests of the Big East Conference.”

The Post reported that the league is targeting Nov. 1, 2012 as the date by which it hopes to present a 12-team football league to TV networks with an eye toward securing a package similar to the $4 billion deal recently signed by the Pac-12.

Under that scenario, the league would have two 7-team divisions, with Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Cincinnati, Louisville and TCU in the West Division, and UConn, Rutgers, Syracuse, Pitt, South Florida and West Virginia in the East, the Post reported.

The division winners would meet in a conference championship game, similar to what the SEC and other leagues now have.

The huge basketball league would then have four five-team divisions. Each team would play a home-and-home with every team in its division, plus crossover games with teams in other divisions. Some teams would not play other teams in a given year.

All of this is still in flux, however, and depends on whether Texas A&M ultimately leaves the Big 12 for the SEC.

But with the Pac-12 potentially expanding down the road to a Pac-16 that could include Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and perhaps two Texas schools, a 20-team basketball league doesn’t seem wildly crazy.

Meantime, ACC commissioner John Swofford quashed reports that Texas, Syracuse, UConn and Rutgers were heading to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“I need to read more to see what we’re doing,” Swofford said to CBSSports.com. “That’s news to me.”

http://www.zagsblog.com/2011/09/09/big-east-still-considering-becoming-even-bigger/

 

[JasonS]

Quite frankly I like this idea. You don't want to be the conference to act last or some of your teams are bound to get left out in the cold. Imagine the quality of basketball in this league by adding the likes of Kansas, Kansas St. and Missouri to the fold. My guess is the 4, 5 team divisions would break out like this.

West: TCU, Kansas, Kansas St, Missouri, Depaul
Mid West: Cincinnati, West Virginia, Marquette, Louisville, ND
East: Providence, St. Johns, Cuse, UCONN, Pitt
South: Georgetown, South Florida, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Villanova

As if the Big East isn't already studly in basketball!

As for football, adding Kansas, Kansas St. and Missouri along with TCU solidifies the conference and also allows for a Championship game which means more money. A West division of TCU, Kansas, Kansas St, Missouri, Louisville and Cincinnati is good and one where UC has a legit shot to compete every year. The fact that we would play TCU every year will open up Texas as a recruiting area for UC too. I like it. Get it done Big East!

 

[psax889906]

That would be the most desirable (and realistic) scenario I've seen for the Big East... lets hope it (or something similar) comes to fruition.

 

[Bearcat_NTS]

Since I am a basketball fan first, I'd like to see the SEC pick apart the ACC and the Big East and ACC have some sort of merger. Keeps the region still somewhat in tact. Think of Duke and UNC playing a Big East type schedule.

 

[JasonS]

Since I am a basketball fan first, I'd like to see the SEC pick apart the ACC and the Big East and ACC have some sort of merger. Keeps the region still somewhat in tact. Think of Duke and UNC playing a Big East type schedule.

As nice as that seems, I don't see that being a realistic option. If the SEC picks off ACC teams, the thought is they would go after the Duke and UNC types to bolster their weak basketball conference.

 

[Bearcat_NTS]

As nice as that seems, I don't see that being a realistic option. If the SEC picks off ACC teams, the thought is they would go after the Duke and UNC types to bolster their weak basketball conference.

The ACC schools that have been thrown around the most with the SEC are Florida State, Virginia Tech and Clemson.

They don't give a damn about basketball

 

[JasonS]

The ACC schools that have been thrown around the most with the SEC are Florida State, Virginia Tech and Clemson.

They don't give a damn about basketball

That's not true at all. They care about money and adding FSU, VT and Clemson do nothing for their football footprint. Blacksburg is not a big enough market for VT to be a huge draw for them. If they can get UNC and Duke, they will have a power house basketball league too. The SEC will look at basketball as an option. Mark it down.

 

[Bearcat_NTS]

That's not true at all. They care about money and adding FSU, VT and Clemson do nothing for their football footprint. Blacksburg is not a big enough market for VT to be a huge draw for them. If they can get UNC and Duke, they will have a power house basketball league too. The SEC will look at basketball as an option. Mark it down.

Dude you are clueless about expansion. Duke would never go to the SEC because of their academic snobbyness. North Carolina far down on the wish list behind VT, FSU, Clemson, even NC State. Assuming they want to go to 14 with addition of A&M I'd say their top two targets are VT and WVU.

Duke just doesn't fit in with the rest of them, only Vandy is similar being an affluent private institution.

 

[JasonS]

Dude you are clueless about expansion. Duke would never go to the SEC because of their academic snobbyness. North Carolina far down on the wish list behind VT, FSU, Clemson, even NC State. Assuming they want to go to 14 with addition of A&M I'd say their top two targets are VT and WVU.

Duke just doesn't fit in with the rest of them, only Vandy is similar being an affluent private institution.

No man, you are clueless. Expansion has NOTHING to do with academics. Never has and never will. Expansion is all about MONEY. The SEC can offer Duke and North Carolina way more money than the ACC can. That is what this is about. If it was about academics, Nebraska wouldn't be in the Big 10. If you look at academic rankings, Nebraska is the worst of all the Big 10 schools and it's not even close. Expansion is all about money and recruiting foot print.

 

[UCBearcats]

Jason, I think you're wrong about the basketball thing. Expansion does have to do with money but football is where the money is at. Schools are not making a ton of money off of their basketball programs.

From a conference perspective you are looking to increase your footprint and add more households to your potential viewing audience when you sign a new TV contract. Conferences are making far more money off viewership for football than basketball. A move to the SEC would make no sense for Duke or UNC and I doubt it would ever be considered unless the ACC were to fall apart. I'm sure the SEC would be much more interested in brining schools like Clemson and FSU on board before Duke or UNC.

Academics do come into play as well. A school like Duke makes far more money every year off of its prestigious alumni than it would stand to make from a move to the SEC. I don't think Duke would ever make a decision that didn't have the full backing of it's academic boards. It has also been widely reported that the Big-10 has no interest in the possibility of brining OU into the fold since they do not live up to the academic standards of the rest of the Big-10 schools. Remember that sports are not the only money makers for Universities and most sports programs are funded by the alumni who graduate from those schools.