BE, less Miami & VT, may actually survive

[Water Pony]

Connecticut writer argues for calm, if Miami leaves with VT. This is a better discussion than the sky is falling rhetoric.

I love the "conjecture as fact" line.

<A HREF="http://www.theday.com/eng/web/newstand/re.aspx?reIDx=44D5A389-E2CE-4487-92F4-9451D55674ED" TARGET=_blank>http://www.theday.com/eng/web/newstand/re.aspx?reIDx=44D5A389-E2CE-4487-92F4-9451D55674ED</A>

[Corso]

Further fallout (from Matt Hayes of sportingnews.com):

"Expansion talk has forced some smaller schools to look for protection. For example, officials from SMU, Rice, Tulsa, Army and Navy met recently to discuss forming a new league should ACC expansion c ause a domino effect among minor conferences. A similar idea was floated a few years ago, but a private-school league led by Vanderbilt never picked up steam. Now, Vandy won't leave the SEC's gravy train unless it's forced out. With the league's public p e rception so shaky, that won't happen."

----------------

Interesting - I hadn't heard Vanderbilt involved in these discussions before. And I don't even recall Vandy's effort to start a private-school league in years past. Seems to me they'd be a good fit for the proposed league that is being tossed around.





[This message has been edited by Corso (edited 06-30-2003).]

[Water Pony]

Vanderbilt will never leave the SEC, just like Duke, Northwestern, Baylor, Stanford, Wake Forest, etc. will never leave their specific conferences. They are forever, the fortunate few private schools, who can ride the coattails of a BCS conference. In the cases of Northwestern, Vanderbilt and Baylor, it is truly a free ride. Why put yourself at risk. They are not Temple and will not get kick-out, so why assume this is even a remote possibility. They won't commit suicide.

[Water Pony]

Another article on how the Big East could survive and prosper after ACC expansion with Miami and VT.

The scenarios make sense for a Big East to regain visibility and strength, but (with no assurances on anything) most of the current options, including adding Louisville, etc. don't answer the question of continued BCS participation/viability.

<A HREF="http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-3/1056867956262980.xml" TARGET=_blank>http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-3/1056867956262980.xml</A>