Big East Looking To Add 9th For Football

[MeanGreen61]

More off season chatter & clutter

BIG EAST

Big East Looking To Add 9th Football Team

Published: Jul 17, 2007

NEWPORT, R.I. - Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said that although his league is interested in adding a ninth football-only member, there isn't a viable option available.

Tranghese said his league has had recent discussions with Army and Navy, but "there just isn't any interest on the other side."

"We've talked about a ninth member," Tranghese said. "I think our league members would strongly consider it if there was a ninth team that would make us better. But we don't see it out there right now."

The Big East's dream team, of course, is Notre Dame. But the Fighting Irish, who are Big East members in all other sports, remain content as an independent.

DAVID VS. GOLIATH: Every Big East team except Syracuse and West Virginia will play a Division I-AA team this year. Because league teams need five non-conference games, Tranghese said he doesn't have a problem with league members scheduling I-AAs.

"People are playing I-AA teams because they can't fill their schedules out," Tranghese said. "I'm hoping our schools will schedule some quality non-conference games."

This is the sixth consecutive season Syracuse has not scheduled a I-AA team. Of the six BCS conferences, the Pac-10 has the fewest games against I-AA teams (one), while the SEC and Big 12 (eight each) have the most.

Here is the breakdown, by percentage, of the number of teams in each BCS league with scheduled games against I-AA: Pac 10 (one team, 10 percent), ACC (six teams, 50 percent), Big Ten (seven teams, 64 percent), Big East (six teams, 75 percent), Big 12 (eight teams, 75 percent) and SEC (eight teams, 75 percent).

Brett McMurphy

LINK TO ARTICLE

http://www.tbo.com/sports/bulls/MGBR893S74F.html

Edited July 17, 2007 by MeanGreen61

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---A 9th member, if not already a basketball member of the Big East, would likely mean the Big East would have 17 basketball playing teams....and way too large... This is league headed for self destruction eventually in my opinion. Too many teams and too many that don't play football that will get crossways with those that do.

-- If it comes apart that could mean big changes in CUSA and the Sun Belt and maybe even the WAC losing LaTech.

[MeanGreen61]

---A 9th member, if not already a basketball member of the Big East, would likely mean the Big East would have 17 basketball playing teams....and way too large... This is league headed for self destruction eventually in my opinion. Too many teams and too many that don't play football that will get crossways with those that do.

-- If it comes apart that could mean big changes in CUSA and the Sun Belt and maybe even the WAC losing LaTech.

Article indicates they want a FOOTBALL ONLY member.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Article indicates they want a FOOTBALL ONLY member.

--That is hard to fill... unless there is a university that is already a member of a good basketball conference and is a football independent or playing !-AA football. There are almost no football independents. which leaves a second class football team to pick up. Not too likely... This will cause problems as the football members get tired of the basketball-only people. Eight football teams mean only seven conference games and five games with non-conf. teams which most of them do not really like and... makes scheduling decent teams rather difficult since most teams don't have that many dates available.

[Mad Hatter]

I got it! We can join the Big East on Football only, and stay in the Sunbelt for all other sports. Rick V. make the call!

I'm sure they'll take us.

[GreenN'walinsVet]

I got it! We can join the Big East on Football only, and stay in the Sunbelt for all other sports. Rick V. make the call!

I'm sure they'll take us.

I could see a team like Memphis possibly doing that so that their football team could get into a BCS conference.

[ADLER]

Two simple words....East Carolina

That is the epicenter for the next conference shuffle. ECU has been posturing for Big East membership since Louisille first started inquiring. ECU has been pumping loads of money into facilities and their athletic director recently announced that he had a dream that they would put another $100 million into facilities by 2020.

ECU is willing to take 'football only' membership and place all their other teams in the Atlantic 10 or another eastern conference. The football move now will insure that they are included in a BCS conference if/when the Big East splits and goes to 12 members. Memphis, Marshall, UCF, and Southern Miss all could easily be as attractive as ECU to the Big East at that time, and one of those could edge ECU if the Pirates are not proactive.

What will it mean? After all the dust clears there will probably be one less Division 1 conference.

[DeepGreen]

The Big (I still don't think it's a BCS conference) East should go after either Memphis, ECU, or UCF. It pains me to mention UCF, but let's face it, they are in the hot market. The article mentions that no program out there is attractive, but I have to ask, "what the hell is UCONN and USF doing in the Big East"? If the BE is good enough for those two programs, it's good enough for UCF, Memphis, or ECU. I know UCONN is one of the basketball powers of the conference, but doesn't Memphis bring a lot to the table too?

[CMJ]

The Big (I still don't think it's a BCS conference) East should go after either Memphis, ECU, or UCF. It pains me to mention UCF, but let's face it, they are in the hot market. The article mentions that no program out there is attractive, but I have to ask, "what the hell is UCONN and USF doing in the Big East"? If the BE is good enough for those two programs, it's good enough for UCF, Memphis, or ECU. I know UCONN is one of the basketball powers of the conference, but doesn't Memphis bring a lot to the table too?

First off...how the Big East not a BCS league? Their champion has won their last 2 BCS games...The Sugar 2 years ago, and Orange last year.

Secondly, Memphis is a basketball power, but they aren't UCONN. Connecticut has 2 national titles in the last 10 years. They've put numerous players into the pros. They're arguably the premiere program in college basketball right now(even over Florida because I'd argue they've been more consistent).

Edited July 17, 2007 by CMJ

[UNTflyer]

First off...how the Big East not a BCS league?

They get an automatic BCS bid.

[UNTflyer]

The Big (I still don't think it's a BCS conference) East should go after either Memphis, ECU, or UCF.

Technically, every conference is eligible for a BCS bid. Only six (including the Big East) get an automatic bid.

[DeepGreen]

I just happen to think that when the ACC raided the Big East a few years ago, it watered down the league. I'm talking football, BTW. It is a solid basketball conference, no doubt. But football? It's simply watered down. And I don't care what Rutgers did. What have they done previous to last season? The Big East is not a BCS football conference. It's just that the Eastern media keeps them at that level.

[CMJ]

They get an automatic BCS bid.

Yes, I was arguing for them.

[CMJ]

I just happen to think that when the ACC raided the Big East a few years ago, it watered down the league. I'm talking football, BTW. It is a solid basketball conference, no doubt. But football? It's simply watered down. And I don't care what Rutgers did. What have they done previous to last season? The Big East is not a BCS football conference. It's just that the Eastern media keeps them at that level.

I didn't mention Rutgers. West Virginia beat a highly thought of Georgia team 2 seasons ago and Louisville finished in...like the top 6 or 7 last year after beating the ACC Champion Wake Forest last year.

[PlummMeanGreen]

This with the Big East all comes much sooner than we really needed it to for our own alma mater's sake.

It appears this Big East expansion will be quick and that CUSA may (just as quickly) need another member to take whichever CUSA team goes eastward; but the ominous dark cloud that still hangs over our school is that we still have Fouts Field setting out there to (still) show CUSA officials this time around (once again).

Folks, how many more of these "this time arounds" are we going to keep having with Fouts Field still standing out there like a giant boil on the nose of whoever UNT's prettiest co-ed would be ? When in the wide world of sports are we ever going to start being in the right place at the right time with completed major athletic facilities in Denton, Texas, America? This is all beginning to seem like a cruel joke with the joke always continuosly and non-stop being on us, ie, the University of North Texas. (FWIW, we just can't keep showing CUSA officials blueprints of a projected new football stadium, ya' know)?

Edited July 18, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

[NT80]

Article indicates they want a FOOTBALL ONLY member.

I can see Temple jumping up and down "me, me, ...take me!". Top picks would have to be Memphis (for Louisville), ECU (for all-around) and UCF (for location). The big risk for them is where to put all their other sports? SunBelt? (ha!). Any grab from CUSA is good for UNT.

[UNTflyer]

The Big East's dream team, of course, is Notre Dame. But the Fighting Irish, who are Big East members in all other sports, remain content as an independent.

I never understood this about ND. Wouldn't a program want conference titles to stick in their cap? Being an Independent like Notre Dame, it's either a National Championship or nothing.

[untbowler]

I never understood this about ND. Wouldn't a program want conference titles to stick in their cap? Being an Independent like Notre Dame, it's either a National Championship or nothing.

Notre Dame will never join a football conference...why..... $$$$ from NBC with an exclusive contract for ND only, why have to share the pot when you can be on TV every week.

[galojah]

Temple could easily be a football-only member. They are football-only member for MAC now with their other sports in the A-10. Another option would be if Villanova decided to move to I-A. They are already I-AA and play in the A-10 for football and their remaining sports are already in the Big East.

Edited July 18, 2007 by galojay

[galojah]

Notre Dame will never join a football conference...why..... $$$$ from NBC with an exclusive contract for ND only, why have to share the pot when you can be on TV every week.

And, they have contractual access to the BCS bowl games. It's quite amazing actually.

[UNTflyer]

And, they have contractual access to the BCS bowl games. It's quite amazing actually.

Yup. Nobody gets special treatment quite like the Irish, but my point was that it would be even BETTER for ND to join a conference so that they can win conference titles rather than the all-or-nothing situation they are in today.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---Their attitude is "fooey on conference championships, they want the entire thing". Besides the money they get for the NBC contract is obscene, gets them on TV EVERY week and they share it with no one. While recruiting this is big deal also because they can claim "You will be on NATIONAL TV EVERY WEEK. They are not about to give this up.

[greenminer]

Yup. Nobody gets special treatment quite like the Irish, but my point was that it would be even BETTER for ND to join a conference so that they can win conference titles rather than the all-or-nothing situation they are in today.

No, it wouldn't better. The money they are afforded through their NBC contract and BCS tie-ins is ridiculously more than having to split $ year-in-and-out with conference contracts. Once they'd join, they'd have to give up all their current affiliations.

And I don't think all-or-nothing is entirely accurate? As long as they are bowl-eligible, the bowls would be stupid to not pick them up and that huge subway fanbase.