While it will not become official until November 6, the Big East will add Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette, Depaul to bring the conference to 16.

This is an all but done deal with many reliable sources reporting the four Conf USA schools will become new Big East members.

**There will be high exit fees for leaving**

How should the conference align the 16 basketball schools?

Since the conference is planning to remain together, the schools will most likely not be aligned by two 8 team divisions along fb bb lines.

What about four divisions including each division team playing round robin and one game each with the other 12 schools for a total of 18 conference games.

Division: Boston College, Providence, UConn, ND

Division: Syracuse, Georgetown, WVU, Pittsburgh

Division: St John's, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Villanova

Division: Louisville, Cincy, Depaul, Marquette

Top two from each division make the Big East tournament in NYC.

Yours makes more sense than the split mentioned (West-4 CUSA + ND, Pitt, WVU, Villanova). The problem is that there are 9 eastern schools, 2 mid-east (Pitt has strong eastern ties) and 5 mid-west. Alignment could scuttle the whole deal, especially if they try to insist on double round robin in the 2 divisions.

For basketball, one division with 16-18 games or two with 18 games makes more sense. And you would play everyone once + 1 to 3 other schools twice. Especially if there is thought of eventually splitting in two, all the schools should maintain scheduling ties with each other.

put all FB schools in one division and all BB schools in another so everyone can remember who is where. One of the downfalls of the 16-member WAC was no one could remember who was in what division.

Lash, I think it's premature to align divisions because all of the dominoes have not yet fallen. Notre Dame & BC remain uncommitted members, so their memberships are tenuous at best. And it's still possible to have a surprise with other members - or prospective members. It has been reported that the new contract will have a substantially increased exit penalty, so this is definitely decision time to either commit or get out.The next two months should prove to be very interesting.

However, your idea is fun :), so here goes:

My first preference would be for a football division & a bb-only division to build rivalries. Gavitt's suggestion of an early season challenge natch-up between the 2 halves of the "alliance" could provede 2 additional games for a 16 game schedule & would provide a connection between the 2 halves.

I like your idea as a second choice because it builds a sense of "conference" among all schools. If the long term plan is to stay together, this would be my first choice.

I have no interest in the 2 8-team divisions other than it keeps the original Big East members together. Vilanova gets screwed in this "geographic set-up.

Friarfan, not sure this alignment is premature. The decision is already made baring any more defections.

First things first, Notre Dame moving to another conference would be a blessing in disquise. Notre Dame is not going to leave a good thing so the BE is stuck with the school. Any football or basketball school could easily replace Notre Dame and add as much value as Notre Dame without full football.

Maybe the ACC consideration of Notre Dame for all sports except football is a way to pay back the Big East for all the trouble they have caused. Taking Notre Dame off the Big East hands would really help the conference. Back to reality, Notre Dame stays in the BE.

Either make BC sign the high exit cost requirement form this month or replace them with South Florida as all sports member.

If the ACC needs and wants BC. let them have the school. Adding South Florida would create the same foot print as the ACC stretching from New England to Florida. Really think all conferences including the ACC is going looking at geography as the glue that unite and hold conferences together.

Not sure what BC will do if the ACC came calling. If they go to the ACC, the school could become another Penn State and lose geographical identity. If the ACC want another Big East team they better hurry or help pay millions of dollars in exit fees. Fool me once shame on the ACC fool me twice shame on the Big East.

Regardless, South Florida will probably become the 9th football member as 9 teams work great for football with 4 home and 4 away. If BC leaves add South Florida for all sports and Central Florida for football only for 9.

At this point losing BC or Notre Dame or both is not going to hurt the conference since either will not guarantee to keep the BCS bid and neither is no Miami including Notre Dame.

Back to basketball alignment. In a perfect world, aligning by fb and bb in 8 team divisions would be smart, however, really believe the conference is tying to make a future that does not include an eventual split.

Friar fan, a couple of modifications to the four team divisions that may make Villanova a little more happy. Having four divisions should not be bad for any school as each school would play the other 15 members at least once. This is very important for long term stability.

div 1: Depaul, Marquette, Louisville, Notre Dame

div 2: Pitt, Villanova, WVU, Cincy

div 3: Syracuse, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Rutgers

div 4: St John's, UConn, Providence, BC (or South Florida)

football:

Syracuse
UConn
Pittsburgh
UConn
WVU
Cincinnati
Louisville
South Florida (all sports or football only dep on BC)
BC (or Central Florida as football only)

Lash, the more I think about this issue, the more important I think it will become.

The Big East is attractive to new members because of its premier teams. If new members can't be assured that they will get a chance to play the premier programs, they may become former members before they even join.

Many have said that this will be the best basketball conference in the country. It will be attractive to TV as such only if the top teams play each other during the regular season.

The Big East is attractive to Notre Dame because it gives them a presence on the East Coast to stage reunions for alums & to offer games "back home" for recruits. If Notre Dame is stuck in a midwest division, the Big East will quickly become a lot less attractive to them.

Your 4 division format looks better & better to me. I think that the first division will be Notre Dame & whatever 3 partners they want. ;)

Most of the alignment stuff is done,Now the full-scale bickering over exit fee level,NCAA money is beginning.The 9th team will be Temple for football.CUSA wants both CFLA and CFLA for their eastern division .Both of these schools only want full memberships not associate membership for football only.Good old Temple will accept what ever is given

Tigershark2, what are the results of the alignment decisions? I've heard complaints out of Villanova, Pitt & Notre Dame.

As of today 4 football schools in east plus 4 bb schools and in the west and 4 football schools 4 bb schools..The only other could be an extension of the old 7/7 divisions they had last year which was replaced by 1 division of 14.For example Cincinnati and Louisville could replace Miami and VOTECH and DePual could join 1 group and marquette the other.