<<If the BE fails to keep its BCS bid, the MWC is not going to get the bid. They will have to earn access just like the WAC or Conf USA or MAC.>>

I whole-heartedly agree. The MWC fans who think they will replace the BE are delusional. The MWC's best hope is that the BE doesn't fall too much or improve too much. Then, if the MWC improves and is unarguably equivalent or better to the BE, it will be hard to keep them out. If the NBE/Big 5 gap stays as it is now (meaning UL,UC,USF,UConn don't step up being in a auto bid conference), the Big 5 will be glad to have only 5 autobid conferences. But they can't keep an autobid for the Big 5 and #7. That is the MWC's best hope.

The BE has a great tv market that the tv people will not forget.Getting rid of Temple certainly will not hurt.The arrival of the three CUSA teams will help.And do not forget the 9th football only school for the BE.Plus ND will be in the picture.

TS2, the BE may just add that 9th fb only school for schedule balancing. So no Temple anymore. However, the number of potential and acceptable schools that would accept that arrangement would be small. Army and Navy would be available. However, Army's experience with something similar in C-USA did not turn out well. Navy, assuming they would play 8 BE teams plus Army and Air Force (for certain), plus probable Notre Dame leaves them no room to play other OOC opponents each year. Navy, seem also to be comfortable with being fb independent. Last year and so far this year, they are having good fb success.
It is not certain even Central Florida would switch to BE for fb only, though that gives them better BE access and their sister school, USF, is already in there.

Two or more teams sharing one conference member "slot" for fb is not going to hold; at least in the context of a "9" team membership, and the allowance for a sharer to contend for the conference championship.

Obviously, the perfect solution for the BE is for ND just to agree to BE football. Since that is not going to happen unless there is a total surprise, the next best thing would be adding another "all sports" member or someone like Villanova moving up. Neither of those options seem realistic at this time either.

The bb expansion compromise in the NBE limited their immediate fb options. I expect the BE will wait on adding any more fb, and accept the 4-3 arrangement for awhile.

The BE will have 3 classes of members for football.
Class 1 8 members who will play 8 league games
Class 2(Army and Navy) each who will play 4 games against class 1 members,plus a game against each other and a game against ND 6 league games each
Class 3 (ND) who will play Army and Navy and play 2-3 games against class 1 members for a total of 4-5 league games
No one would say this is simple but this will be the NBE.
With the money enhanced football as well as other sports will remain.

Navy officials have already stated the school would be very interested in joining the Big East. I see the interest as a full football member and not a partial schedule.

With Navy's success so far (5 0), location in the Washington DC/Baltimore markets as well as Globablly, Army and Navy both would make the most sense for the BE to expand in the future.

Bringing Army and Navy in for football as full members playing an 8 game regular season schedule makes the most sense.

It would not impact the 16 all sports members and Army and Navy are both aligned correctly with the Patriot League for other sports.

With the 12 game regular season schedule and almost given at this point, the BE will need to have 8 conferences games to match the other BCS conferences to avoid having a need to 5 OOC games. It will be too difficult to schedule 5 quality OOC a year.

Navy would have four OOC games to continue playing Notre Dame and Air Force. Army would play Navy as a conference game and the only other regular game would be Air Force. BE football membership for both would work perfectly.

To crown a football champion, you simply can not have Army and Navy playing a partial schedule. It just is not logical and does not work, so Army and Navy will need to play a full schedule if offered membership.

Notre Dame will continue to help the football conference with bowl deals and play Pitt and Navy each year and possibly an occasional rotational BE team. This would provide a benefit to future TV contracts.

Army and Navy are both idea for the BE football TV footprint and do not impact the all sports. With the exception of South Florida, both are close for travel for the current Big East football schools.

With Army's new coach and Navy fastly improving, it is probably just a matter of time before both academies are full football members of the Big East.

I would not be surprised if discussions have not already taken place before and most likely reason Army left Conf USA.

Both Army and Navy were considered when the BE first had to deal with the possilbility of Syracuse leaving with Miami and BC, so the conference is not opposed to expanding with the academies.

So far this year, look at the potentail ranking if the BE were at 10 teams and the possible bowl partipants. The top 6 look primed to have winning seasons and would more than justify the BE having 6 bowl deals with Notre Dame in the mix.

1. WVU (4 0)
2. Louisville (4 0)
3. Navy (5 0)
4. UConn (4 1)
5. South Florida
6. Rutgers
7. Syracuse
8. Cincinnati
9. Pittsburgh
10. Army

Special deals and unusual set-ups are the normal for the BE.

Tigersharktwo, I agree that special deals are normal in the Big East, however, special deals can not allow non balanced schedules. It is not a matter of being unwieldily, conferences have to play the same number of conference games as it is due to mathmatics.

There is just no way the Big East is going to come up with some hokie method that is not fair to each team to reach the championship game and that includes Notre Dame. They may let Notre Dame have 8 home games, however, Notre Dame, Navy, Army would all have to play the same amount of conference games to qualify as the champion.

It just not possible to do it any other way. The BE is not a bush league and will play by normal conference standards. Besides there is probably an NCAA rule or would be if the Big East or any conference tried this type of scheduling method. I know the BCS would object.

Again there is just no way partial schedules will ever be allowed in the BE period and that includes Notre Dame. If you want proof, call the BE home offices for verification or check with your local team officals who have voting power. They will confirm you are incorrect on this theory.

I could see Navy and/or Army in BE for fb only, but playing a full slate. I don't think even this will happen anytime soon though.

A bowl agreement with Army and Navy is not far-fetched (see Notre Dame). A partial scheduling agreement seems logical. But any impact on the conference race of a partial schedule is simply not reasonable. They will simply have an agreement to schedule games to help both the academies and the conference teams get their home games.

Partial league schedules and bowl arrangements..Army and Navy may also become part of BE tv package.Membership definitions are certainly not standard in the BE.

Scheduling and "co-op" bowl agreements are one thing; playing a full slate of conference opponents on equitable terms, and competing for a conference crown, is another matter.

Lash RRe: South Florida in the Big East is as stupid as.
« Reply #50 on: Oct 1st, 2004, 12:14pm »

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Navy officials have already stated the school would be very interested in joining the Big East. I see the interest as a full football member and not a partial schedule.

With Navy's success so far (5 0), location in the Washington DC/Baltimore markets as well as Globablly, Army and Navy both would make the most sense for the BE to expand in the future.

Bringing Army and Navy in for football as full members playing an 8 game regular season schedule makes the most sense.

It would not impact the 16 all sports members and Army and Navy are both aligned correctly with the Patriot League for other sports.

With the 12 game regular season schedule and almost given at this point, the BE will need to have 8 conferences games to match the other BCS conferences to avoid having a need to 5 OOC games. It will be too difficult to schedule 5 quality OOC a year.

Navy would have four OOC games to continue playing Notre Dame and Air Force. Army would play Navy as a conference game and the only other regular game would be Air Force. BE football membership for both would work perfectly.

To crown a football champion, you simply can not have Army and Navy playing a partial schedule. It just is not logical and does not work, so Army and Navy will need to play a full schedule if offered membership.

Notre Dame will continue to help the football conference with bowl deals and play Pitt and Navy each year and possibly an occasional rotational BE team. This would provide a benefit to future TV contracts.

Army and Navy are both idea for the BE football TV footprint and do not impact the all sports. With the exception of South Florida, both are close for travel for the current Big East football schools.

With Army's new coach and Navy fastly improving, it is probably just a matter of time before both academies are full football members of the Big East.

I would not be surprised if discussions have not already taken place before and most likely reason Army left Conf USA.

Both Army and Navy were considered when the BE first had to deal with the possilbility of Syracuse leaving with Miami and BC, so the conference is not opposed to expanding with the academies.

So far this year, look at the potentail ranking if the BE were at 10 teams and the possible bowl partipants. The top 6 look primed to have winning seasons and would more than justify the BE having 6 bowl deals with Notre Dame in the mix.

1. WVU (4 0)
2. Louisville (4 0)
3. Navy (5 0)
4. UConn (4 1)
5. South Florida
6. Rutgers
7. Syracuse
8. Cincinnati
9. Pittsburgh
10. Army

eported:


Other than having Notre Dame..... This is the BEST SENARIO.....