POTENTIAL BIG EAST MERGER IN WORKS ...

[NavyCrimson]

If this happens, it could possible hurt our chances GREATLY since the bcs would then have the majority votes 'again' against the non-bcs schools ... i would be willing to bet the bcs is very-very involved with this whole damn merger aspect for that very same reason ... the backdoor dirty-dealings are going on for sure!!!!!!!!!

<A HREF="http://www.owlzone.com/cgi-bin/webbbs/webbbs_config2.pl?read=50811" TARGET=_blank>http://www.owlzone.com/cgi-bin/webbbs/webbbs_config2.pl?read=50811</A>

WAC BOARD:

POTENTIAL BIG EAST MERGER IN WORKS
by Henry Hinton
7/3/2003

ECU facilities could be key

Just as many suspected it would be, it’s been a busy week in the college football world. Miami’s move to the Atlantic Coast Conference has set off a flurry of closed door meetings and conference calls that are every bit as frantic as people thought they would be once the dominos started to fall. In the mix are Army’s impending departure from Conference USA and discussions between The Big East and C-USA (or a faction inside) for a potential football merger.

We reported on radio and television Monday that Army intends to leave Conference USA. In fact, sources tell us that they did indeed send their resignation to Commissioner Britton Banowsky in the Chicago office on Monday in order to escape higher exit fees. Notifying the conference of their departure by the end of June allowed them to take advantage of a small $200,000 exit fee.

However the response from the conference was to ask Army to reconsider and an extension of the lower exit fee for a thirty day period. Army now has until the end of July to make a final decision. In fact that exit fee has been extended to all league schools which made us start to wonder about a few things.

Why is the conference adamant about keeping Army aboard even if it is just for the short term? We have learned that there is a discussion between Conference USA or a group inside the conference with the Big East. A proposal is in the works for a merger of the two groups with a potential outcome being a 12 team football super conference. That would allow the new league to take advantage of the year end championship game and it would make a strong case that would allow the new schools to keep the current Big East access to the BCS.

There are some unanswered questionw, of course. Exactly who is making the proposal? Is it the conference itself or a faction inside the league. We believe Banowsky and Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese are in discussions about it so there is at least some league office involvement. Which six teams would make it and which ones would be sent packing? What would the factors be for the teams that make the grade? Geography? Television market? Tradition? Facilities? Basketball?

Oh yeah, basketball. What happens to basketball? That is another question that must be resolved if this football-driven merger were to take place. Would this new league be just a football league or would the twelve teams form an all sports conference while the basketball only schools in each conference form their own new league?

Lots of questions. Few answers for now.

East Carolina would seem to be a natural if this proposal flies. Not only do the Pirates bring the right geography, but the ECU program could deliver the entire state of North Carolina media market in such a league. Even though the Greenville-New Bern-Jacksonville Neilson market is teetering just outside the nation’s top 100 keep in mind that the two contiguous markets are much larger.

ECU has 50,000 alumni in the state of North Carolina and many live in the Wake County area. The All New Big East would receive a lot of attention in the Raleigh market as well as the Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News-Hampton market, which the Big East is now losing with Virginia Tech’s transfer to the ACC.

And if you are one of the many who have contributed to the upgraded Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Williams Arena or Murphy Center projects in recent years, you may soon see the positive results for which you have been hoping. Facilities could also play a major role in this discussion and East Carolina’s willingness and ability to upgrade has been timely.

So, hold onto your hat. It is a little early to pop the champagne corks but this Miami thing may yet make East Carolina a domino that falls in a positive direction.

henryh@gopirates.com