Big East needs to return to basketball roots, rather than crumbs

[Harry]

When the Big East was formed in 1979, the western-most school among the seven members was Syracuse. When the league expanded a couple of years later, it went way west — adding Pittsburgh (and also Villanova). That gave the league nine members, just three of which — Syracuse, Boston College and Pittsburgh — played in college football’s top division.

As it turned out, it was the perfect basketball conference: built on major TV markets and Hall of Fame coaches.

By 1985, the conference had won two national titles and had been represented in the Final Four five times, with three schools — Georgetown, St. John’s and eventual champion Villanova — in the 1985 semifinals. Two years later, two more schools — Syracuse and Providence — reached the Final Four. Two years after that, it was Seton Hall. A year later, Connecticut emerged as a power and just missed the Final Four.

Then came football — and chaos.

Wednesday’s announcement that Louisville will leave the Big East for the ACC in two years makes one thing crystal clear: It is time for the real Big East schools to return to their roots. It is time for the league’s basketball schools to abandon the pretense that they can be part of a football conference and go back to the brilliant concept the late Dave Gavitt brought about more than 30 years ago.

read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/big-east-needs-to-return-to-basketball-roots-rather-than-chase-football-crumbs/2012/11/28/9de56016-3975-11e2-8a97-363b0f9a0ab3_story.html

[H-towngreen]

If the basketball schools breakoff that will just be one more nail in the BE coffin

[UNTLifer]

The Big East is starting to remind me of the 16 team WAC when it started bleeding teams left and right. Look where the WAC is now. I see this as the future of the Big East, with football at least.

[island eagle]

The Big East is in clear danger of turning into the Big Least. More defections will occur and UH and SMU will be wondering what happened?

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

The Big East is in clear danger of turning into the Big Least. More defections will occur and UH and SMU will be wondering what happened?

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Hope so (for SMU).

[FroggyStyle]

The Big East is in clear danger of turning into the Big Least. More defections will occur and UH and SMU will be wondering what happened?

They are two of the most sought-after non-AQs. They both will find some place to land should the Big East implode.

[adman]

The Big East and the ACC will cease to exist as conferences sooner rather than later.