Katz on BE/Expansion

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This is probably not what the UC administration wants to think about, but what happens if the Big East's nightmare comes true, and the Big Ten pilfers three of its teams? Say, the Big Ten takes Syracuse, Pitt and Rutgers and leaves the Big East with exactly five football-playing schools? What then?

Can UC football survive and keep playing at the highest levels? It's a fair question, especially as conference realignment continues to get major play in national newspapers, magazines and web sites.

Continued..

 

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(I just don't see Notre Dame letting go of its independence. Yes, it'd make more money by joining the Big Ten for football, but I'm not sure its hubris is worth an additional $10 million.)

I didn't think so either, but I don't think they have a choice in the matter. The choice is to stay independent, and left on the outside with every sport other than football. Or, the four super conferences go large, leave the NCAA, and form their own NC in football and hoops. ND would be left out, regardless of it's record (as would UC at this point).

By joining the Big10, they have leverage to get concessions. If they choose to stay an indie, they would lose bargaining power, forced to beg to get into the mix. Not a good position to be in. I'm thinking the planning to join the Big11 has already begun, just not announced as of yet.

 

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Expansion talk hurting BE recruiting?

Feldman asked McReynolds how Big Ten expansion talk is affecting his recruitment. Here is part of his answer:

"The Big East basically is not going to be a football conference any more unless there is a chain reaction of all the CAA 1-AA teams moving up to Conference USA and Conference USA moving to the Big East. From there, the Big East teams are going to the Big Ten. Some are going to the SEC. Some are going to the ACC. To me, football is football. It doesn't really matter what conference you're in. You're all trying to accomplish the same goal and get to the national championship."

Later, Feldman asked McReynolds if coaches were telling him things about expansion:

"Right now, out of the schools that are recruiting me, I know Arkansas [is] going to remain in the same place. I know that Ohio State is always going to be in the same place. Oregon, same place. USC, same place. Pittsburgh, they're probably going to move. I see them as a program that's moving up and they're probably going to be in the Big Ten.

I have nothing against the Big East. I think change is good, but that's also something that could shy a lot of players away from the Big East schools."

Now, McReynolds doesn't know what's going to happen, and the coaches he's talking to probably don't either. The one man holding the cards is Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany. But it's fascinating to consider how Big East coaches are going to sell themselves to recruits with this uncertainty hanging over everybody. And how many recruits are going to take that into account?

Schools like Rutgers and Pitt should be fine, since they figure to wind up in a good spot. One would think a school like Louisville might have a hard time since its future would be affected by a Big East collapse, but Charlie Strong has racked up more early commitments than any other league school.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast