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If ACC takes 3 teams from BEast, then that conference is through (where would LOUIS go?).

CUSA could expand to 14 teams like the ACC, and secure a BCS bid. They will need at least 3 teams if there are no defectors, such as Louisville (where to at that point, though), or USF to ACC.

14 is better than 12 in CUSA, strength in numbers means a better opportunity to get the BCS bid (representing more teams).

14 also allows a more fluid 2 team divisional alignment. EAST and WEST.

Although CUSA could certainly grab 3 or 4 teams from the BEast, they need to be concerned with market share and balanced geography for regional matchups.

Proposed:

N/EAST:
Army
UAB
East Carolina
Louisville
South Florida
West Virginia
Pittsburg

S/WEST:
Cincinnati
Southern Miss
Tulane
Houston
TCU
Memphis
SMU

If ARMY/UAB/USF goes/drops from 1-A, then shift Cincy then Memphis to EAST and pick up Tulsa/Rice/LaTech in that order.

Throw in NAVY/Marshallas a possible team (though I don't think you want FB only members anymore).

Rutgers/Temple/UConn can drop football and play basketball with the CUSA BBAll only + BEast teams.

WAC West splits to join MWC and W-SunBelt

Keep dreaming...

Pitt, Rutgers, UConn and West Virginia have way too much equity in the Big East brand to join CUSA.

Besides, even if the Big East, or whatever conference you want to put them in, kept Syracuse and Boston College, plus added the top 5 non-BCS conference schools, it still would lose its BCS membership... no Miami, no BCS.

AP newswire report- source within Pitt AD offices has confirmed that Pitt, Rutgers, UConn and WVA will seek to form partnership with Louisville, Cincinnati, Memphis, South Florida if ACC 13 goes through and the Big East basketball schools split.

Source confirmed that a ninth school would be considered with UCF as the leading candidate, and Marshall and East Carolina also given consideration.

Source said first mission is to stop ACC expansion; second is to keep Va Tech if ACC expansion goes through; third is to keep Big East brand name.

An article on CBSsportsline also talks about this...

the problem with that thinking is that the Big East bball schools are going to be the majority of what's left and since they will own the voting majority, they are not going to give up the Big East brand. If Big East football survives, it will be in the form of a Big East Alliance group with 8 football/8 bball, or possibly 9/9 with some creative revenue sharing agreements.

TCU will try to ride out the changes in the C-USA if they come. The frogs are not going to switch to the unstable WAC, nor are they going to join the consultations with SMU, Rice, Tulsa, Tulane, Army & Navy. UNT is stuck out and can quit dreaming of stepping up into a group with SMU.

I think the BE will try and grab as many good dual basketball/football schools in the mideast/east to try and make themselves into a premier basketball conference and try and retain their lucrative basketball contract. They also need schools that have all sports to compete in baseball, track, etc. To that end, I suspect they will invite Louisville, Memphis, Cincy, as well as Marquette and Xavier (and maybe DePaul). I'm not sure that USF or UCF make that cut, but they might. That would give them a great basketball line-up with Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's, Rutgers, UConn, and those mentioned above. I think East Carolina would nudge out the other teams because their basketball team is better than others mentioned.