FriarFan,

Agree completely, but I'm interested whether Louisville & Cincinnati still support their old rival Memphis now that they're "in".

Otherwise, UMass, Delaware, Army & Navy look most likely over the next decade. ECU is just a wannabe.

Westwolf, nice game for Wyoming. Could the Pac 10 be overrated as usual. USC was lucky to escape Va Tech in the opener and Va Tech was very lucky to beat WVU at home and WVU tied three other Big East teams. The ACC would have major egg on its face if WVU would have beat Va Tech and Va Tech wins the ACC.

These scenerios are precisly why the BCS Presidents do not want a playoff because they all know deep down they will not be able to continue and keep the small conferences down in football. Basketball is a bit different as teams can reload more quick than football. The big boys such as Syracuse, UConn, Duke, Kentucky can all fall back and recover very quickly. Football teams that fall behind such as Nebreska, Penn State, have a much harder time getting back to top form. U of Florida will be a good test to see if the team can overcome FSU, Miami and U of South Florida. Had to through USF in to stir up things.

My predication for future Big East will have Dame joining for football some day. Big East can provide perks with money such as Miami was provided to allow Notre Dame to continue with current revenue.

Basic reason Notre Dame was going to go with the football schools if a split occured last year. If you look back at the South Bend papers this can be confirmed. Just the fact that Notre Dame considered going with the Big East football schools should be enough to put off the arguments that Notre Dame would join the Big 10 football before the Big East.

So, if the football schools get desperate in a few years, Notre Dame would have to provide more support to Big East football.

For now, it does not look like the BCS is going away regardless if the AP poll is gone (yuk! really want a 16 team playoff in my lifetime). The Big East is not going to lose its BCS automatic bid not matter how folks outside the BCS conferences would like that to happen.

So --- unless a split occurs and Notre Dame does not go along, Memphis or other southern teams may get a shot in joining.

I really dont see a split in the Big East due to lots of reasons. We all can debate and speculate however the facts dont lend it self to a split. Less look closer.

For now the Big East does not need a 9th football member.

When time comes to really need a 9th members, Notre Dame will be ready. If not, there is no reason the Big East can not take a 17th all sports member regardless if everyone thinks 16 is twice enough.

At that time, UMass would be great to replace BC position in the Big East if Notre Dame for some reason decides to move to the Big 10 which I dont see likely to occur.

Final prediction as of today is the 16 team conference will survive and thrive and challege ACC Fox, ESPN basketball contracts and replace as top basketball conference for national TV purposes. Lots of potential revenue as the new Big East markets are far larger than the new ACC 12 team basketball alignments. Markets are everything and the Big East is primed to overtake the ACC in basketball as primary reason for the 16 teams that are part of the new conference.

The only missing piece is the 9th football member and Notre Dame or Villanova could easily take care of this in the 16th team alignment.

The Big East already knows all this and reasons to not force Notre Dame to do anything as the BCS is not going away.

Some of us like the thought of a split due to simplicity of a 8, 9, or 10 team alignment. Currently no BCS conference is aligned in a good way except possibly the Pac 10 and money has driven each of the 6 BCS conferences to the current state of membership.

Again do not see a split of the 16 team BE now, 2009, or far into the future. Sorry Memphis as you would be my first pick in a all sport conference.

The BE's confederated appearance and apparent willingness to allow ND to maintain a considerable amount of its revenue and TV priviledges, may be appealing to ND if they realize playing conference fb is in their long term best interest. This incentive may or may not outweigh the merits of Big10 participation.
Advantages to ND:
BE - more flexibility with revenue, scheduling, easier path to BCS bid (usually), already in conference for bb and some other sports; help solidify the BE, geographically reasonable
Big10 - stable, traditional, highly respected conference; both academically and athletically, excellent well-rounded and diverse programs; geographically ideal; common rivalries; excellent bowl tie-ins

If Notre Dame is to be lured, the Big10 has greater appeal. Notre Dame's long term assurance for having independent TV deals that are lucrative enough to surpass the security of conference revenue sharing, is no sure thing a few years from now.

How far is Rentschler from Storrs?

Wasn't the original stadium idea a home for the New England Patriots? Then, when Massachusetts came over the top of that plan, they downsized and went with this idea... right?

I know UConn has drawn well there. I'm still surprised a couple of the money people didn't propose a hedge and go after Major League Soccer for Hartford. I know Rentschler hosted one of the Champions World matches last summer... is there much other business there?