Comments on: Big East: “When is Enough, Enough?” and How CUSA Can Help

By: Big East | Wugez

Big East | Wugez — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:14:40 +0000

[...] big east collegesportsinfo.com [...]

By: If this story is true, C-USA shouldn’t throw the Big East a Life Ring | A Port of the Pirate Nation

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 09:14:02 +0000

[...] think there is wisdom to this blogger’s solution to the Big East dilemma, which is to give up and have the football schools beg C-USA to take them in and beg the BCS to [...]

By: jordang

jordang — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 06:00:55 +0000

So it now looks as if SMU, Houston, UCF, Air Force, and Boise State are going to join the Big East and that C-USA and the Mountain West will merge for football. Does this mean that Boise State and Air Force can remain members of the Mountain West for other sports and go east for football? It would seem as if Air Force might have the cache to pull that move. I don’t know about Boise State, but there is no way that either will join the Big East for all sports, so they have to land somewhere. This move seems to clear the way for both to remain members of the conference for other sports. This woulds seem to also open the door to sharing agreements for other sports. The Mt. West is weak baseball conference other than San Diego State and Fresno State. I think it would be helpful for both conference to merge for baseball. C-USA gets access to all that SoCal talent and Fresno and San Diego State get to play other competitive teams like Rice, ECU, and Tulane. It would be a 13-14 team baseball league, so it would seem doable. I like the idea of C-USA and the Mt. West becoming an umbrella conference of sorts. These are the two conferences with the most history outside of the big 6 and with 17 schools that don’t necessarily sponsor the same sports, it could really ease the scheduling for some non-revenue sports. I say both leagues expand by one to even up the numbers though. U Mass could be a nice addition to the Big East, especially with their football program making the jump to FBS. The Big East could add them for other sports and form a scheduling alliance with U Mass for football and then they will have another option for expansion if and when another member leaves for greener pastures. For now, making U Mass a non-football member could be a good investment. If nobody leaves the Big East in the next 4-5 years, they could go ahead and add U Mass anyway and look to expand their footprint even more. (San Diego State?) Also, C-USA/Mt. West should add one more school to even things up with two 9 team conferences. San Jose State, Utah State, and Louisiana Tech are potential options. If they go LA Tech, UTEP could make the switch to their more natural conference in the Mt. West, especially now that two of the three Texas schools they looked to align themselves with are likely headed to the Big East. It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out.

By: Big East: "When is Enough, Enough?" and How CUSA Can Help | UCF Sports | Scoop.it

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:46:23 +0000

[...] Big East: “When is Enough, Enough?” and How CUSA Can Help [...]

By: _sturt_

_sturt_ — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 03:49:18 +0000

I’d begun thinking along these lines about 10 days ago, but moreover, was thinking that there could essentially be a coalition of all three… that, it would be more difficult for the BCS to disregard the champion of a confederation of about 30 schools, several of which have had BCS success.

Now, I know that sounds outrageously big, particularly when it comes to dividing up shares, but it’s all in how you frame the agreement. Essentially, make it so that the schools of the division that actually gains a bid (i.e., 7-8) gain the largest portion, and the balance of the schools (21-24) get a marginal one.

And there’s an added attraction to this approach for the service academies, since it is entirely plausible that the structure could be made so that each academy circulates through each of the divisions, giving them all the “national schedule” that they prefer, if not demand (Army, in particular).

By: 10/12/2011 Evening Edition | collegefootballnewswire.com

10/12/2011 Evening Edition | collegefootballnewswire.com — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:06:32 +0000

[...] OPINION: WALLJASPER: Value Of The SEC Yet To Be Determined ESPN STAFF: Undefeateds Could Spark BCS Chaos TRAVIS: 13-Team SEC Schedule An Impossibility MANDEL: BCS Crisis & Mailbag GREENBERG: Ohio St. Staring Down The Barrel Of 5-7 MULHERN: The Lingering Effects Of Wisconsin’s 83-Point Game MEEK: Tuberville Says K. State Wins With Toughness, Not Star Power BUCHANAN: How Quickly A Heisman Dream Can Be Derailed MORGAN: Erickson, ASU Have Something To Prove At Oregon ATHLON STAFF: Florida Teams Struggling In 2011 PELOQUIN: “When is Enough, Enough?” And How C-USA Can Help [...]

By: Cupps

Cupps — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:40:51 +0000

Actually, with the likes of Boise St, Air Force, Houston, SMU, UCF, and East Carolina being lobbied about as Big East expansion candidates (with some reports saying UCF, Boise and Air Force are set to accept), we’ll see if that merge actually merits a BCS bid. These schools looking to jump ship to a shaky Big East tells me they don’t have much faith in this merger.

Look nothing makes sense in college football. You have 10 teams in the big 12, and 12 in the Big 10, the ACC spans from Boston College to Miami Florida, the Pac-12 was set to to take 4 teams from the central time zone last year. So your concerns about geography, while well meaning, hold no water in today’s college football landscape. At the end of the day, what we seem to being going back and forth about is not the creation of this league, but what to call it…Conference USA or the Big East. As somebody that does not want to see the creation of 4 superconferences,I just what to see whatever the Big East morphs into, to succeed. So call it what you want, add who you want, just make it sustainable. Create the best conference they can. And if that means 4 pods of teams stretching all the way from Connecticut to Boise, I’m all for it. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

By: Matt Peloquin

Matt Peloquin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:25:44 +0000

Why? Because at least it makes some sense in regards to geography and allows the Big East football schools to remain with the Big East basketball schools…in the ideal region. Divisional split for CUSA Football would further favor geography.

My point about the brand is that you’re implying that horse crap is better than dog crap…they are both less than ideal.

Meanwhile, you are entitled to your opinions. However, it appears you are dismissing the actual fact that CUSA and the MWC are close to finalizing their football partnership plans that DO include a BCS autobid. That’s a 22 school football conference (12 in CUSA with champ playing the 10 school MWC) with the champion getting a BCS bid. That’s a conference ranging from San Diego to Boise to Dallas to Orlando to Greenville, NC. And it’s set to be approved. What I’m proposing is a far more ideal situation with only 18 schools to split to pot with rather than 22…and it’s more appealing to networks because of the northeast TV networks.

As I said, you are entitled to your opinion. But in the coming weeks, the CUSA/MWC partnership will be finalized and it seems to me to be a worse setup than if CUSA and the Big East made a move to work together now.

By: Cupps

Cupps — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:09:44 +0000

First off the Big East brand is now and always has been a better brand than Conference USA. My only point is you seem to be saying why create such a mess by putting these teams together in the Big East, but you are essentially creating the same conference, but your calling it Conference USA. If this conference is laughable as the Big East, why is it suddenly a BCS worthy conference when they all go to Conference USA. A common problem with the MWC, and Conference USA is a lack of quality teams from top to bottom. So why mash all the Conference USA teams together with The Big East? If you want to create a BCS worthy conference, bringing all the crap together doesn’t make sense. Too many Conference USA teams (and MWC teams) bring no value. All 6 current Big East schools do. Their is a BCS conference there between Conference USA, the Mountain West and the Big East. Take the best of the three parts, create an east and west division, and maintain the Big East brand. This is in all 3′s best interest. In my opinion.

By: Matt Peloquin

Matt Peloquin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:50:18 +0000

But at what point do you accept reality? Come on, Boise St, Nevada, UCF, WVU, Uconn, Houston, SDSU, Rutgers, Tulsa in a conference together? Rules are rules need 8 all-sports members together for FBS status. So bigger might not be better, but you need 8 core members. And at some point, for what at BEST would be a Tier 2 or BCS AQ #6 conference, why create such a mess? Why do so if you have the opportunity to work with the BCS to make the Big East a better basketball conference while helping house the football schools? As for the Big East brand, if you think anyone thinks the brand is a positive for football, I will have to disagree. The Big East had it’s shot, it failed. The replacement candidates are worse than the current Big East schools…and these candidates are being considered “saviors”.