Now What?

[cpawstoney]

Evidently, the Big East has been withholding expansion announcements for the past few weeks waiting to introduce all new teams at the same time. The whole process was stalled by BYU who demanded exclusive TV rights for home games.

It is today being reported that negotiations with BYU have completely broken down and are severed. (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/cougars/52973619-88/byu-east-football-source.html.csp)

Boise State won't accept the invitation to the Big East until some other team in their time zone agrees at the same time. Does the Big East go after SDSU who has already made overtures? Is there some other team acceptable to both the Big East and Boise State?

[Lobot]

This is true. BYU is out.

[Big B]

This is crazy. It appears all CUSA teams have agreed, and may even be signed. They are waiting to announce with Boise, who also has agreed but may not have signed yet. Needing a partner from west coast to come along with Boise and they will announce. Then theres Air force who has somewhat agreed but won't say yes until they know for sure Boise in, but either way not announcing until after their final game Sat. And Navy doesn't know what they want but if Air Force is in then their in. Which leads us to SDSU who said weeks ago if they ask, we're in like a disparate virgin being asked to the prom by the high school QB. Feel like I'm in a winter series of 24. So now maybe all this crap comes to a end Monday!!!

[JDBEARCAT]

BYU has a Notre Dame mentality & it's not deserved anymore. Let those 2 stupid schools
have their own 2 team conference. That way they can play all the down & out teams they want to be bowl eligible.

[Rational Cat]

Conference USA v 2.0

Might as well bring in Memphis, too.

[cpawstoney]

SDSU: 'Nothing new' with Big East

Last week, Boise State football coach Chris Petersen said in an interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune that SDSU “absolutely, no doubt” would make a good western partner for his team.

SDSU Athletic Director Jim Sterk was out of town this week on a family matter but relayed a message through a spokesman that there “is nothing new” regarding the Big East. Only preliminary matters were discussed a number of weeks ago. No invitation has been discussed.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/nov/22/sdsu-nothing-new-big-east/

[JohnFrancis]

Stay classy, San Diego...

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/29532522/33518727

[#41]

Stay classy, San Diego...

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/29532522/33518727

The scraping sound you heard was, in fact, the bottom of the barrel.

[Rock]

I think UC should come to the realization that, if they want to remain viable in football, they must consider working with Louisville and West Virginia and get their butt in the Big 12. This Big East thing is dragging on way too long, and will be tentative at best even if it gets done. This may be the shot that UC needs to pump some enthusiasm into the whole program. You don't get anywhere by sitting on your rump!

[mjv780]

I think UC should come to the realization that, if they want to remain viable in football, they must consider working with Louisville and West Virginia and get their butt in the Big 12. This Big East thing is dragging on way too long, and will be tentative at best even if it gets done. This may be the shot that UC needs to pump some enthusiasm into the whole program. You don't get anywhere by sitting on your rump!

UC has no leverage right now... They are at the mercy of the college football powers-that-be, and I don't think the powers look to favorably on UC. UC just doesn't have the reputation as a big-time college football program, and mostly because of reasons that have nothing to do with on-field performance (attendance, stadium size, tradition, etc).

[shadyo]

I think UC should come to the realization that, if they want to remain viable in football, they must consider working with Louisville and West Virginia and get their butt in the Big 12. This Big East thing is dragging on way too long, and will be tentative at best even if it gets done. This may be the shot that UC needs to pump some enthusiasm into the whole program. You don't get anywhere by sitting on your rump!

I was in Athens, GA for Thanksgiving and my dad shared some articles he pulled form papers in the South. They look at UC as being much more appealing than the newspapers in the Midwest and the Northeast. They cite academics, on-field performance and the success we have had selling tickets to our BCS Bowl Games. Not that this means a whole lot but it was nice to see a favorable light shed on our program by a newspaper whose constituents have no particular concern about the Bearcats.

[bearcatpat]

was in Athens, GA for Thanksgiving and my dad shared some articles he pulled form papers in the South. They look at UC as being much more appealing than the newspapers in the Midwest and the Northeast. They cite academics, on-field performance and the success we have had selling tickets to our BCS Bowl Games. Not that this means a whole lot but it was nice to see a favorable light shed on our program by a newspaper whose constituents have no particular concern about the Bearcats.

Alex Chisum, Ralph David Abernathy and some other freshmen prove we do well there.

[coach]

I think UC should come to the realization that, if they want to remain viable in football, they must consider working with Louisville and West Virginia and get their butt in the Big 12. This Big East thing is dragging on way too long, and will be tentative at best even if it gets done. This may be the shot that UC needs to pump some enthusiasm into the whole program. You don't get anywhere by sitting on your rump!

I'm not sure what you consider "working", but the best answer would be for the public to buy tickets for fball and bball games. Unfortunately, the work is on the side of the inviter, not the invitee. The big 12 has now desire to open up it's collective wallet any more than they choose to, and the numbers are not there for uc or louisville to sell it otherwise. That's why only wv was invited.

[DMoney1080]

Get to the BCS and win the BCS game, and all is forgotten. If we want to the B12 to take notice, that is what we need to do. Unfortunately, WVU will have something to say, but if you want people to notice, you take care of business.

I do believe that other conferences hold us in higher regard than what is publicized. ESPN cannot stand us, but ESPN is not the world. At UT, most of the fans, thought we were heading in the right direction and had a lot of positive things to say. Considering their year they have had, and what changes lie ahead, it might be a blessing in disguise. Moral victories aside, if we can get to the BCS, we have to win the BCS game to make a statement.

Both Va Tech and Clemson are beatable, would love to play Clemson more than Va Tech right now, so it is possible. Win and we get noticed. 3 BCS games in 4 years....regardless of whether or not, we should go, we would have gone. How many teams could say that....

[cpawstoney]

Mountain West Conference not dead yet

Boise State as well as Air Force and San Diego State have given the Big East Conference a close look because all three are interested in Bowl Championship Series automatic-qualifier (AQ) status and increased TV revenue.

But when the final BCS standings are released Sunday, the Mountain West is expected to have stronger numbers than the Big East, which has AQ status. The Mountain West will use those statistics in its argument for a two-year AQ waiver.

With the Big East losing members, there also is little guarantee it will retain its AQ status. Louisville reportedly is telling football recruits it is headed to the Big 12, and Connecticut and Rutgers have made it an open secret they prefer to leave.
http://www.lvrj.com/sports/mountain-west-not-dead-yet-134737023.html

[raymo]

Get to the BCS and win the BCS game, and all is forgotten. If we want to the B12 to take notice, that is what we need to do. Unfortunately, WVU will have something to say, but if you want people to notice, you take care of business.

I do believe that other conferences hold us in higher regard than what is publicized. ESPN cannot stand us, but ESPN is not the world. At UT, most of the fans, thought we were heading in the right direction and had a lot of positive things to say. Considering their year they have had, and what changes lie ahead, it might be a blessing in disguise. Moral victories aside, if we can get to the BCS, we have to win the BCS game to make a statement.

Both Va Tech and Clemson are beatable, would love to play Clemson more than Va Tech right now, so it is possible. Win and we get noticed. 3 BCS games in 4 years....regardless of whether or not, we should go, we would have gone. How many teams could say that....


Just winning a bcs game and taking fans to the game is not enough to get invited to a bcs conference, otherwise BSU would be fighting off BCS conferences left and right. It is does bringing in said school increase tv revenues enough that all schools in conference see an increase in revenues. We are in a tough spot as UC is probably not even the top draw in viewers in the Cincinnati TV market.

The only way we get an invite to Big12 is Big 12 wants to get to 12 and BYU turns them down again and Louisville is No 11. Tv network tells Big 12 Lousiville tv market is not big enough by itself to make numbers work, but if you throw in a combined Louisville and Cincy market that might make the dollars work. Frankly, dont see that happening. They might just jump over us and go get Rutgers (ny tv market). Remember BIG12 was interested in Pitsburgh before they went ACC.

I personally think our best bet is that some combination of SEC/BIG ten/Big 12 swipe 3 to 4 (ok 5 to 6) schools from ACC. I think we fit better in ACC than Big 12.

[raymo]

I'm not sure what you consider "working", but the best answer would be for the public to buy tickets for fball and bball games. Unfortunately, the work is on the side of the inviter, not the invitee. The big 12 has now desire to open up it's collective wallet any more than they choose to, and the numbers are not there for uc or louisville to sell it otherwise. That's why only wv was invited.

Personally I think the only thing holding louisville back is size of tv market. Its athletic budget and revenues are already in line with Big12 schools (ok not texas and oklahoma but the other schools.) Its adding Louisville itself just doesn't move the value of the tv contract enough.

Also, the perception that they are just a city school. Unfortunately having a school named after a city still has a negative connotation. We and even rutgers have the same problem. Rutgers is just seen as the school by NYC, even though in fact they are the state school for NJ.

Would louisville be perceived more positively nationally if they were named Kentucky State? rutgers if they were named University of NJ? Cincy if we were named Ohio U?

[CaptainProbasco]

Personally I think the only thing holding louisville back is size of tv market. Its athletic budget and revenues are already in line with Big12 schools (ok not texas and oklahoma but the other schools.) Its adding Louisville itself just doesn't move the value of the tv contract enough.

Also, the perception that they are just a city school. Unfortunately having a school named after a city still has a negative connotation. We and even rutgers have the same problem. Rutgers is just seen as the school by NYC, even though in fact they are the state school for NJ.

Would louisville be perceived more positively nationally if they were named Kentucky State? rutgers if they were named University of NJ? Cincy if we were named Ohio U?

Two comments:
1) I think that Louisville is also held back by the 8-20 record in Big East play over the past 4 years. They're bound to rebound, but if this were 2007 and they were coming off an Orange Bowl win, they'd have gotten the nod over WVU.

2) Some city schools do just fine, perception wise. For example: UCLA, Miami, Pitt, Syracuse, and Boston College. And if you're looking at academics, there's the University of Chicago. I would argue that Syracuse, Miami, and BC actually get more respect than they deserve based on their performance.

Names are a mixed basket. Plenty of schools have changed their name FROM a state name TO a city name to improve their perception (UW-Milwaukee is now University of Milwaukee, Indiana Central is now the University of Indianapolis, LSU-New Orleans is now the University of New Orleans). Also, there's plenty of "state schools" that get little respect in sports (Utah State, University of Idaho, either New Mexico school, Texas State).

At the end of the day, you're respected for what you do, not what your name is.

[kennh]

From Denny O'Brien who writes about ECU Sports.
Changing system lessens Big East’s appeal

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Changing system lessens Big East’s appeal
By Denny O'Brien
©2011 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.

Maybe the Big East will eventually announce its replacements for the schools that successfully escaped it. That moderately anticipated announcement was supposed to occur several weeks ago, only to get 86’d by the scandal at Penn State.

Big East football hardly registers nationally to begin with, and developments in State College would have shoved any mention of expansion to the back page of any sports daily.

Then it was supposed to happen a couple of weeks ago, once all the red tape with existing television contracts was cut through. Obviously the Big East wasn’t expecting to get BY-Used in the process.

So here we sit today with no official news on the Big East’s future plans. Only a six-pack of mediocre pigskin programs remains, with speculation of the programs that will join it. Included within that bunch are current Conference USA members Central Florida, Houston, and Southern Methodist, along with Mountain West delegates Air Force, Boise State, and San Diego State.

It’s perplexing that only one of those schools is in the eastern time zone.

If the Bowl Championship Series were to keep its current system in place, hopping a jet from San Diego to New Jersey makes perfect sense. The lure of AQ status within the current postseason structure would more than compensate for any financial hardship that might accompany cross-country travel.

But if Houston and friends are banking on the Big East — or anyone — maintaining AQ status, they are taking a short-sighted approach. It’s clear from the most recent BCS meetings that major change is on the horizon, and the elimination of AQ status could be the next route taken.

Should that occur, and many believe it will, what then for Houston and SMU? Will the television contract the Big East negotiates provide the necessary compensation for those schools to send their women’s volleyball teams to the Northeast several times per year?

And without AQ status, what’s the draw for Boise State to leave one league of perceived misfits for another? Especially when further exploration into the new merger between C-USA and the Mountain West could ultimately lead to more bowl and television revenue.

Considering Central Florida’s geographic location and rival South Florida’s existence in the Big East, it makes perfect sense for the Knights to accept an invitation. That’s not the case for most of the other schools being discussed.

For the non-eastern time zone schools, joining the Big East does not provide a decided competitive upgrade from their current conference scenarios. More importantly, there is no guarantee that a move will provide a better bottom line.

[richard k.]

From Denny O'Brien who writes about ECU Sports.


While what he says may well have more than just a modicum of truth - note which school he writes about - and which schools are being discussed for inclusion - and where his last football coach is now working.

[kennh]

While what he says may well have more than just a modicum of truth - note which school he writes about - and which schools are being discussed for inclusion - and where his last football coach is now working.

That is a good point but the people that I have talked to over the last couple of months who know something about college football have told me there just aren't many schools the Big East could add that would really help with the AQ status. On top of which I think there is something to the BCS changing the rules substantially in the next 2-3 years that would eliminate the AQ status altogether. And why hasn't the Big East announced something? People are dragging their feet. I would hope it is UC and they are negotiationg with the ACC or Big 12 to get us in. I prefer the Big East but I think it is dead.

[richard k.]

That is a good point but the people that I have talked to over the last couple of months who know something about college football have told me there just aren't many schools the Big East could add that would really help with the AQ status. On top of which I think there is something to the BCS changing the rules substantially in the next 2-3 years that would eliminate the AQ status altogether. And why hasn't the Big East announced something? People are dragging their feet. I would hope it is UC and they are negotiationg with the ACC or Big 12 to get us in. I prefer the Big East but I think it is dead.

Well you'd better call President Williams and talk to him about it - from everything Babcock is saying Williams is leading the charge (effort?) to save the Big East football side. It's really simple - if they actually can sign up UCF, SMU, & Houston for all sports, while adding Boise St., and some combination of SDSU, Navy, AF, etc., for football only, the conference is actually stronger then with the 3 who are leaving, certainly on the football side. If they can't - then BEast football is in the dumpster and Williams and Babcock either have to find an AQ (or whatever the equivalent will be) for UC, or resign themselves to UC going back to football irrelevance. All of it is easy to say - but hard to do - but, to use the old expression, that is why they pay the 2 of them the "big bucks."

[raymo]

Well you'd better call President Williams and talk to him about it - from everything Babcock is saying Williams is leading the charge (effort?) to save the Big East football side. It's really simple - if they actually can sign up UCF, SMU, & Houston for all sports, while adding Boise St., and some combination of SDSU, Navy, AF, etc., for football only, the conference is actually stronger then with the 3 who are leaving, certainly on the football side. If they can't - then BEast football is in the dumpster and Williams and Babcock either have to find an AQ (or whatever the equivalent will be) for UC, or resign themselves to UC going back to football irrelevance. All of it is easy to say - but hard to do - but, to use the old expression, that is why they pay the 2 of them the "big bucks."

Rutgers rivals board is alive with posts refering to announcement being made tomorrow. SD St, Smu, Houston, Boise st and UCF to big east.

[richard k.]

Rutgers rivals board is alive with posts refering to announcement being made tomorrow. SD St, Smu, Houston, Boise st and UCF to big east.

Hope they are correct - but we've heard this before - what would be wonderful would be if the football schools finally get control of the voting process in the BEast and start doing things that are beneficial to those schools as opposed to doing everything for the hoopsters. For example, would they finally be in position to say to Notre Dame - in or out! (A position Babcock seems to favor - at least in so far as taking a BEast bowl slot, unless ND was to play at least 3/4 BEast teams/year, including 2 away from the Golden Dome.)

[cpawstoney]

Three different news sources are saying Wendesday, tomorrow, but it could be they're all reporting on themsleves.

UH could join Big East as soon as Wednesday

The University of Houston could be joining the Big East as soon as Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the Big East expansion talks.

The league office is expected to announce the addition of UH, Boise State, Central Florida, San Diego State and SMU on Wednesday
http://www.chron.com/sports/cougars/article/UH-could-join-Big-East-as-soon-as-Wednesday-2348394.php

Sources: Boise State to Big East

The Big East is set to add Boise State, San Diego State, SMU, UCF and Houston as it begins to rebuild its league, with an announcement expected as early as Wednesday, sources confirmed to ESPN.com.
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/7323183/big-east-announce-boise-state-four-others-joining-conference

After two months of deliberation, the Big East will finally formalize its expansion plans with the addition of San Diego State, Boise State, Houston, Southern Methodist University and Central Florida, beginning with the 2013 season.
http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/extras/colleges_blog/2011/12/big_east_ready_2.html