Lets make a couple assumptions first.

1) The non I-A football schools split away from the Big East and form their own conference.

2) Notre Dame joins the new non football league

3) UCF (close to USF and building new 10k bball and 45k fball stadiums on campus, great market) and Memphis (facilities are already there, great market, fball and bball teams are already top 25) are in.

4) The new Big East will want to add THREE to get to 12 and have divisions and a championship game.



Who is the best choice for the 3rd member?

While there is a possibility of BE split,the news of this split is based primarily on the begging of cusa east team fans for membership in the BE.The only other sources that have made comments on the need for split are the hc of bb at both UCONN and Syracuse.(these are basically 2003 comments updated).
The need for a 9th football member is based upon a myth .Games with ND/Army/Navy and 1AA make the need for a 9th game a total myth.Also to break even point for the added team would require an increase in the BE pot by 15%.The only two feasible teams in rank order are CFLA and Memphis . Any other cusa east school would be a pure downgrade.Furthermore if there is a split the possibilty of a playoff based upon a 12 team all sports group is without any basis since it would lower BE profitability.If there is a 12 team league it will consist of,ND the 8 football BE schools,Villanova and Georgetown and either St Johns or CFLA.

Sorry but there were assumptions already made. Those assumptions include ND, Nova, Gtown, and St Johns all in the new non football league.

That leaves rut, syc, wv, so fla, louv, uconn, pitt, cincy in the BE.


I actually thought there were 9 for some reason but there are 8. So they'd actually have to add 4 to get to 12. No matter.

Memphis and UCF are in.


I honestly thing that UAB and ECU would be the best additions. Marshall probably wouldn't have a realistic shot at getting in as WV is already in the league.

Yes all the BE schools want send part of their fixed BCS checks to cusa east teams.These teams may bring a bowl if they are Memphis or CFLA,but their tv contribution is marginal.Yes lets expand and have less income.

You're forgetting about the championship game.

Have it at the Medowlands.


Big bucks.

Read a Nov. 7, 2005 ECU news release. Their OCC games through 2016 look like an audition for the ACC rather than trying to schedule games with the BE where they have a strong desire to be. Out of 26 games through that period only 4 are scheduled with a BE opponent (West Virginia). Two games are scheduled with independent Navy and 20 games are scheduled with ACC teams (Vir. Tech 9, N.C. State 6, N.C. 3, and Virginia 2). Shouldn't they be playing teams from the BE if they want to try and get into the BE.

They are playing regional foes and that keeps travel costs down and makes it easier for their fans to follow them. However if you want to join a conference I would think that you would schedule as many games with that conference to prove that you belong there. Since things are so tight lipped in the BE, and it would be easier to switch conference foes rather than reschedule OCC games may be something is going on behind closed doors. Nothing will happen with the BE for a few years with the BCS slot in hand and they are watching their new 16 team BB league play through this year. But maybe a deal is in the works for a #9 FB only somewhere down the road to balance the FB home and away league schedule as the BE continues to transition with their conference as is or makes slow calculated changes. UCF rejected FB only once but is also positioning themselves for 2010 when major changes are thought to happen.

Food for thought. Ideas and rebuttals welcomed as we wait for next season and continue to watch the BE sit as is and then slowly evolve into something else. This conference still has the greatest potential to start the dominoes rolling again.

scknights

the problem with taking a cusa east team for football only is where are they going to put their other sports? the a10 is at 14 so i doubt they would want another one, especially one that is not too competitive and would drag down the rpi, which all but memphis and uab would do. i guess ecu could join the southern for awhile, i really doubt memphis would tolerate the socon and ucf and uab are too far away, but they really want a 9th 1aa football school. the caa is not going to take them, they are trying to build longterm. sunbelt has 13, so i guess they could take a temp. member, but that would really make them look inferior considering they sponser 1a football.

I wonder if Memphis would put all of its other sports in the MVC? Football in the BE and all other sports in the MVC, they would also help their hoop team since the Valley is the 6th rated conference this year.

Memphis and CFLA turned down a BE offer of football only in 2003.Before the 2003 split Louisville turned down such an offer.The idea of a 9th team has been shot down by MT in 2005.Army ,Navy and ND will do fine.

thats good plan for memphis as it would benefit both bball and fball. would the mvc go for that? i dont see why they wouldnt.

Hey now, this is my thread.

I specifically made assumptions that there was a split between the DI-A football schools and the rest.

None of this FB only crap.

Tigershark, what's your source for this? I've never seen this before & I find it incredibly hard to believe that either of these schools would turn down BCS membership & the paycheck that goes with it.

No offer was made to Memphis check the BE minutes posted on this board. USF was chosen over UCF at the request of L'ville, and Cinn. when they entered. They were more comfortable with USF and thought that they were a better fit after playing with them in Cusa. I do believe that UCF balked at the FB only offer at first when it was offered and by the time they could think of reconsidering the USF deal was a done deal.

Trust me, he isn't. BE championship game with this line-up would probably garner $3-4M from TV, $1M more from sponsors and gate sales. Not enough to warrant the extra mouth to feed.

You're just grabbing those numbers from thin air.


No reason to think the Big East champiohship game (sponsered by Dr. Pepper, no doubt) wouldn't do the same numbers as the Big 12, SEC, and ACC games.