I don't buy the small town argument regarding their attendance. They are all close enough for a reasonable drive from metro areas. The 2 most remote, CMU and Ohio, normally do relatively well. 6 others are in metro areas of over 1,000,000. Toledo is over 600,000. Bowling Green is in the Toledo metro area. Not sure about Kalamazoo, but there are 240,000 just in the county. Many of the BCS schools in the SEC and Big 12 are in small towns. Hattiesburg is hardly a major metropolis and certainly wasn't one before gambling hit the nearby MS coast. I think the schools have a habit of explaining why they can't instead of just doing it.

Perhaps part of their problem is that they didn't grow with the rest of college football during the 20 years from 75-95, turning them as you said, into I-AA schools officially in I-A. They are in the same place in terms of attendance. The MAC regularly had ranked teams from the mid-60s through mid-70s, then went 20 years without a ranked team (probably not coincidently right about the time they added CMU, EMU, NIU and Ball St.). They were pretty much on the same level as the Missouri Valley schools at that time (UL, UC, Memphis) and USM, as well as ECU. In terms of polls, they weren't way behind the ACC and NBE. They were ahead of the MWC.

Too many teams in the same area is the reason I was concerned when they admitted Marshall. I thought they were just adding another team to recruit the same players. However, Marshall still tends to recruit the Southern Conference area. The rest of the MAC doesn't get too many recruits from NC, SC, TN and VA. Marshall drew attention to the MAC and was one of the best moves they have ever made. And the MAC may have improved enough since Marshall joined that, ironically, they can benefit from losing Marshall.

The Marshall move to the MAC was almost one that didn't happen. Marshall applied for CUSA membership in 1995. At the time Marshall was a premier Division 1-AA program averaging 21,000 a game in a 27,000 seat stadium. Marshall lost out on CUSA by one vote, with Louisville voting against.

Once Marshall moved to the MAC, and won MAC championships in 4 of its first 4 seasons in Division 1A while bumping its attendance to 28,000 and expanding its stadium to 38,000, CUSA realized its mistake. In 2001, CUSA offered membership to Marshall. The only problem was this membership was football only, and the MAC only has all-sport members. Marshall tried its best to find another Division 1 league that would take their other sports but because of their location their wasn't any takers. So Marshall stayed in the MAC and Central Florida decided to join the MAC because they needed a conference and the MAC offered a low entrance fee while USF blocked them in CUSA.

If the ACC had not expanded turning the division 1A world on its ear, by 2005 UCF would more than likely be an all-sport member of the MAC. Little did anyone know what was to follow in 2003 when the ACC's overtures became public.

How long will it take for Louisville to decide that it's "too good" for the BIG EAST? Anyone?

Louisville is to be commended for its fine accomplishments in both fb and bb. However, particularly in fb, it cannot be assumed that they will have extraordinary seasons year after year. If they do, dandy for them, but don't bet on it. One does not have to go back that long ago and see struggling seasons for Louisville. There are cycles for most.

Based on some web sites (www.thenewbigeast.com), it's already happened.

You can't judge a school today by the state of the program 20 years ago. Louisville now has a top shelf facility in Papa John's Stadium. Having a annual series with Kentucky has bolstered UL's image as a top notch program. They've only had 2 losing seasons in the last 12. With the UL in the Big East it will advance the football program even more.

Louisville is more than satisfied with Big East membership. The basketball will be par none in the Big East. Nice geographic rivals. The Big East football could use a little work that is agreed. It is much better than CUSA was in football. Most CUSA schools average 25k at home. Most of the Big East is at 40k.

Louisville has no shot at the Big 10, ACC, or SEC. They've always had a shot at the Big East and in CUSA they always thought they were the last ones left out of Big East Football.

about 2 years, when the BE get kicked out of the BCS
Lou will whine, but, they made their bed when they single-handedly prevented Metro football 20 years ago - they were too good for Florida State, let's not forget.

Don't forget they had Miami on the ropes last year. I think they can play with the big boys now.