I realize I am way behind the curve on this - did not realize that ECU was not an all sports invite to the BE. Where are they parking their other sports?
I realize I am way behind the curve on this - did not realize that ECU was not an all sports invite to the BE. Where are they parking their other sports?
As of right now, Conference USA. However, East Carolina is looking to find an "equally exciting and competitive environment for the 18 sports other than football.”
http://www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/articl...-big-east-2014
I'm with Champ and parialex on this. The BE dissolves, basketball keeps BE name, remaining football schools get waiver from NCAA for "new" conference, new conference raids CUSA, CUSA picks off a few more sun belt teams, and sunbelt goes away. There will be a few teams left to fend for themselves with no conference... Likely ULM, ULL, Idaho, etc.
I am inclined to disagree. I think the barriers to forming a new D1 conference are so onerous as to be prohibitive, and I dont believe the NCAA will waive them.
Now ... will the NCAA determine that dissolving a conference and immediately reforming it (with the same name, no less) still counts as a new conference? If they do, the Catholics might think twice about taking that action. But if a reformed BigEast were allowed to pick up right where the old one left off, I think you'll see a 24 team CUSA sooner than later.
And I'll have a new hat.
Okay, I finally found the much-vaunted barriers. It essentially says that you don't get AQ into any of the playoff structures, don't get grant money, and don't get to vote as a conference until such a time as you are recognized by the NCAA as a conference. There are no formal requirements for recognition but a vote. Under these circumstances, I if the remaining eight schools hang together, I have a hard time seeing the NCAA recognizing the basketball conference but failing to recognize the football conference. Given that the basketball conference was officially disbanded, they'd have to apply as well. If they don't allow the basketball schools to form a new conference, or signal their willingness to do so, then the basketball schools aren't collectively going anywhere.
Keeping in mind, the current set of rules was written in part to give the WAC a chance at survival.
The biggest threat to all of this would be the eight schools not hanging together. If UH and SMU bolt to the MWC and UConn and Temple/Cincinnati go to the MAC, then you're left with just four schools. Either teams go off to different conferences or Conference USA has to successfully play the schools off against one another. It's possible, but I just don't see it as likely.
And, of course, should the NCAA prove to be recalcitrant, there are other possibilities that seem more likely to me. For example, all eight schools going under the MWC's tent, adding more, and creating a megaconference that spans from coast to coast rather than a megaconference in two time zones (plus UTEP).
University of Houston '01. Any references to "we" or "us" likely refer to UH. Cheers!
The 7 Catholic schools are leaning towards leaving the Big East. Announcement is expected in the next couple of days.
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...st-sources-say
It appears as if Tulane was extended an invitation without a vote or even input from the Big East membership.
From the latest ESPN story:
"A Big East source from a football-playing school told ESPN on Sunday, "The basketball schools are not thrilled with Tulane" and "would have fallen off the ledge if we would have added East Carolina as a full member."
Marquette AD Larry Williams acknowledged he was "not pleased" specifically about adding Tulane.
"I was not pleased that we issued an invitation on to Tulane without any diligence to what effect that would have on our basketball product, the draw on our RPI and other such things," Williams told 540 ESPN Milwaukee. "I was disappointed that I wasn't able to participate as a member of the conference in the deliberation that went into adding that."
Williams added that the Big East's other non-football schools felt the same way.
"Part of this is just everybody's uneasy with all these questions that everybody's got"
Wonder if they stay as a group and add 2-3 good basketball only schools or if they join the A-10 en masse?
So much for Memphis basketball moving up to better conference. Basketball in the FB BE will be good (Memphis, UConn, Temple, etc.), but not great. And will this allow the FB schools to make ECU a full member?
I found this in the CSNbbs boards:
If they really didn't do any diligence our seek consensus on Tulane, I think Aresco may unseat Bensen as the worst commissioner in college sports. To add marginal value to the TV contract he killed it and the conference.
Big East dissolved. As quickly as 24-48 hours.
I expect an announcement in the next day or two. I expect it to be more vague than that, though, with regard to dissolution, split, or whatever. There are a lot of things the Catholic schools don't know and will have to figure out about what's in their best interest.
Or maybe they will announce intent to dissolve in order to increase their leverage in the event that they want to choose a lesser option. If the football schools are smart, they will do whatever they can to say "Look, if you agree to just leave, we'll waive all exit fees, let you keep the name, and so on. Otherwise, expect lawsuits and a lot of them."
University of Houston '01. Any references to "we" or "us" likely refer to UH. Cheers!
But who keeps the auto-bid? That's a big deal, because the NCAA hasn't been crazy about the idea of adding new conferences in the past. And you'd be giving up a lot of money since they'd probably make you go a year or two without one even if they decided to allow it.
Not to mention the argument about whether the tournament units stay with the name or not.
The Catholic schools are one of the few groups who could make it w/out the auto-bid. No less than two and probably more would be in each year. They'd build up units in a hurry.
It wouldn't surprise me for the NCAA to give an exception to these teams regarding the current units or even an auto bid, but I've thought all along they'd be willing to give up the units if they want out bad enough.
Why can't they just a split the baskeball units based on who earned them and give the Catholic schools an auto bid since the tournament has increased in numbers. It's really pretty simple. Then let the Big East Football Conference rename and expand to 12.