BE to Invite UL and Cincy (Source NY Post) . . .

[PonyTime]

I trust this source a lot better than our Froggie friend who posted the crazy a** 16 team conference. When you read their posts on Killerfrogs - and post their mythical conferences on this board - Just remember that a lot of our purple friends are still in the denial stage . . .


From NY Post

2nd BIG EAST EARTHQUAKE

By LENN ROBBINS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 10, 2003 -- The Big East as we know it is over.
Less than 10 days after Miami and Virginia Tech bolted to join the ACC, the athletic directors and presidents of the remaining Big East schools that play Division I-A football met on Tuesday and yesterday and are strongly leaning toward forming their own league for all sports, several sources told The Post.

Boston College, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse and West Virginia will likely break away from the league - leaving Georgetown, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's and Villanova to comprise the nucleus of a Big East that will play in the shadow of the new conference.

Sources said Notre Dame was leaning toward joining the first group of schools in all sports except football.

"I wouldn't be shocked," Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim said yesterday at the adidas ABCD basketball camp on the campus of FDU. "Considering the recent events and the importance of football from a revenue standpoint, it would make sense."

The new conference would add Conference USA members Cincinnati and Louisville to form an eight-school Division I-A football conference that expects to retain the Big East's slot in the BCS.

The name of the new conference, where it will play its league basketball tournament, and its staff have yet to be decided.

"[The formation of the league has] basically been decided," said one source who spoke under condition of anonymity. "There's a reason the Big East is the only major hybrid conference in the country. Football and basketball have different priorities."

Sources said that Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese attended the meetings at the Newark Airport Marriott and that the basketball schools were kept informed of the contents of those meetings. The athletic directors met Tuesday and most of the presidents met yesterday. A formal vote could come within days.

If those football schools leave, the basketball schools would likely reach out to Marquette, Xavier, DePaul and Dayton, or Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Temple. That would leave Conference USA and the Atlantic 10 to look for replacements.

"For me, strictly from a personal standpoint, it would be a great thing to go back home to my roots," coach Rick Pitino said of Louisville joining an Eastern league.

"From a professional standpoint, I like Conference USA. The basketball league is up and coming with programs like Marquette and Memphis. But the reality is, we've been to three straight [football] bowl games and we've lost money every year."

In recent weeks, St. John's athletic director David Wegrzyn and Seton Hall AD Jeff Fogelson told The Post that the non-football members of the Big East have been meeting for years in anticipation of such a scenario unfolding. Certainly a basketball-driven league that includes those schools as well as Georgetown and Villanova is viable but not nearly as sexy as a league that boasts Syracuse, Louisville and Connecticut.

The Big East signed an 11-year deal with the Garden to play its conference tournament in the world's most famous arena. Representatives at the conference and the Garden said they did not know if the deal allowed for the Garden to host an additional conference tournament.

"We have had an extremely positive, longstanding relationship with the Big East over the years," said Joel Fisher, the Garden's senior vice president for sports. "They have become an integral part of the Garden family. Until we speak with them directly, it would be inappropriate to comment."

[Red+BlueDude]

And this from Thursday's Baltimore Sun:



Louisville might be on ACC's wish list
If league wants 12th team, Cardinals willing to bolt

By Christian Ewell
Sun Staff
Originally published July 10, 2003

If the Atlantic Coast Conference is still looking for a 12th team to round out its expansion, Louisville could be the best immediate fit and seems to be there for the taking.

But will the ACC choose to stand pat?

The need to expand to a dozen schools depends on who's talking. After the league introduced Miami and Virginia Tech as its newest members, Georgia Tech president G. Wayne Clough said: "We're not in any rush at any point. We need a little time to bring them into the fold."

But after the league passed on Big East schools Boston College and Syracuse last month, Florida State athletic director Dave Hart seemed urgent about the matter when talking to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "We still have one team to go, and we shouldn't waste a lot of time getting there," he said.

Part of the urgency might come from the dearth of options for a major conference looking to grow, and Louisville has the most attractive available program east of the Mississippi River, thanks to five straight football bowl appearances and a men's basketball resurgence under coach Rick Pitino.

The western Kentucky school is more than willing to leave Conference USA.

"We will follow all proper protocol," said Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich, "as we do not want anyone to be blindsided by any steps that may be taken. If an opportunity does exist to better the position of our university or improve the experiences of our student-athletes, we want to be in position to explore those options.

"I have been up-front ... about our goals at this university. I have made it very clear that we will be aggressive and very ambitious about our future."

Conference USA has several programs of that mind-set, such as South Florida, Cincinnati, East Carolina and Southern Mississippi.

But the best of them would be Louisville, a school with two national championships in men's basketball and a continually improving football program that ranked in the top 40 over the past four years. The Cardinals football team plays in a 6-year-old stadium that has 42,000 seats.

Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles said that the school would be attractive because it sits in the nation's 50th media market.

"Louisville would be viable [for the ACC] because it brings in Kentucky," Broyles said. "If it's the same markets, it's not what you want. You want a new set of TV sets."

To this point, the university's ambitions have been directed toward the Big East, the league that lost Miami and Virginia Tech to the ACC. The ACC would get a late start; the Big East has begun discussions with Conference USA over its members, including Louisville.

The Cardinals would need to pay an exit fee of $500,000 if their programs left Conference USA before 2005.

For the ACC, the introduction of a commuter school of 22,000 students to a league that is largely built on large research universities might not be the best fit. Louisville, however, has been examining costs of constructing fraternity and sorority houses to help create a traditional campus feel.

The ACC can afford to be picky. ACC basketball might be the best in the nation, and the league will leap to guaranteed football respectability when Miami and Virginia Tech join this time in 2004. And as soon as 2005, the NCAA could change the rule that requires 12 schools for conferences to stage championship games, which inflate a television contract by several million dollars.

That move would be needless if the ACC finds a way to add a 12th school. There's symmetry in dividing a league of a dozen, instead of a 11-team format that could become unwieldy should a title game be allowed.

"That will be the trickiest part, you know, if we end up with that situation," league commissioner John Swofford said. "I'm sure it's doable. That will be a challenge we'll meet one way or another."

Notre Dame has also been discussed as a possible addition, though every league would like to have it. The South Bend, Ind., school has the most visible football program in the country and an academic reputation that would fit in most leagues. The university is independent in football, but most of its other programs are in the Big East.

Not surprisingly, Florida State president T.K. Wetherall called for the league to approach the Fighting Irish. "As far as I'm concerned, it ought to be No. 1 on the agenda," he said.

Remaining independent in football, however, allows the school to maintain its traditions, collect every penny from its bowl trips and an exclusive television deal with NBC. If the ACC wanted to make a run at Notre Dame, it wouldn't be the first. The Big Ten was rebuffed in 1999.

"It [staying independent] has had a lot to do with the whole profile of our program," Notre Dame associate athletic director John Heisler told the Indianapolis Star. "There is not a sense that the university wants to change that."

Otherwise, any number of Southeastern Conference schools would be attractive, headed by South Carolina, Florida and Kentucky, a trio of large state universities with profiles similar to ACC schools.

South Carolina and Florida also have two of the nation's top 20 athletic programs, and the Kentucky's men's basketball program is among the best in the country. The prospect of any school departing would seem to contradict the SEC's reputation as the nation's top athletic conference, but Broyles said that it should be a target for any other major league looking to expand.

"I don't think they'd leave, but anything's possible," said Broyles, citing the league's lack of a stiff exit fee for schools that leave. "We have no restrictions, but that will probably change."

[Hoop Fan]

The Big East needs to make a move soon, they cannot stay in limbo, it will kill recruiting. Adding Lville and Cincy makes sense. The only way they can stop at 8 teams and stand pat though is if Notre Dame sticks with them as an affiliate member. With BC staying, I thinks thats more likely than if they had gone ACC.

[Water Pony]

I would add that Rick Pitino would likely prefer playing in the East, where his roots are. The ACC option for U. of Louisville is a longer shot and Rick will be the biggest factor in influencing U. of L., instead of the newly hired FB coach.

[Water Pony]

Candid comments from Jim Calhoun, Coach of UCONN. He is ready to rebuild the BE:

<A HREF="http://www.registercitizen.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=9531466&BRD=1652&PAG=461&dept_id=464186&rfi=6" TARGET=_blank>http://www.registercitizen.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=9531466&BRD=1652&PAG=461&dept_id=464186&rfi=6</A>

He, Boeheim, Pitno, etc. would make for interesting press conferences

[Nacho]

WP you must be the smartest person on this board because I can never understand your posts without reading them 3 times.

As I see it without Louisville, Cincy and Army that leaves:
Southern Miss
Houston
EC
Tulane
Memphis
UAB
South Florida
TCU

EC does not fit into a regional conference. SF does only if you use your imagination. Some tinkering may have to be done. MAC may come into play.

This looks a little unwieldy but I think SMU might join if asked, especially if a regional conference can be formed from it.

This development will no doubt stir the Frogs into a MWC frenzy.

[Water Pony]

Nacho, I am slowest on this Board. Just looking for different angles to look at the issues. Wish we could control our own destiny and we were farther along in our recovery, but I am cautiously optimistic.

[Southland]

I think keeping South Florida is huge for CUSA... that program is in a similar position right now (on the field, not conference) to where Kansas State and Virginia Tech were in the early 1990s. A little talked about program that has the potential to win 9 games a year because they will take all athletes regardless of test scores or backgrounds...

Would not be surprised at all to see USF win the CUSA football championship annually.

[Water Pony]

How does Tampa, Birmingham, Memphis, New Orleans, Dallas-Fort Worth, Tulsa and Houston along with Hattiesburg sound? Would Orlando be a nice pick-up?

[Nacho]

Now that we know that the BE is going to take only Cincy and Louisvile and that Army is going indy it sharpens the focus. Our options are much more defined. C-USA doesn't look quite as appealing to me with schools so scattered around. I'm beginning to think that Tulane and Southern Miss would be better off joining us in the WAC. SDSU and UNLV added to the west would give us a nice conference balance.

[EastStang]

I guess I'd still like to lure the Froggies and Cougars for sentimental reasons and then Tulane and USM if one of them declines.

[Water Pony]

Nacho, how can you say scattered and then say the WAC, plus SDSU and UNLV is better.

Also, why would the Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels want to give up MWC for Texas schools? I don't get it?

[This message has been edited by Water Pony (edited 07-10-2003).]

[PK]

If C-USA goes to 12 football schools and divides up into a west and east division, then it's not so scattered. Same thing can be said for the WAC. Probably a matter of who can make it happen first. Of course, the MWC could influence the whole mess too.

[Charleston Pony]

As long as they bring Notre Dame along with them, I could see the football Big East members breaking away and abandoning the Big East brand. They certainly would have stong enough programs to garner at-large bids to the NCAA bball tourney and I'm sure they are confident they could retain many of the Big East's current bowl opportunities. Louisville & Cincy are logical expansion candidates for all sports and I assume deals will be arranged with Notre Dame and Army/Navy to figure heavily in the football schools' schedules (for that all important TV contract and a shot at BCS participation)

If this happens, the next question is whether the remaining Big East bball schools stay in the east by inviting programs like Temple, St Joe's, UMass, Rhode Island, etc... or whether they feel the need to expand into the Midwest by inviting Marquette & Xavier (or DePaul or Dayton). I would expect them to want only 8 schools or whatever the minimum required will be to retain your NCAA bid (they already have the 6 schools that have been together the required 5 yrs)

These moves would leave CUSA with some decisions. Do they remain a hybrid league with 8 all sports schools and 4 (or fewer depending on the Big East bball schools' decision) bball schools? Or, do they follow the wave and expand to either 10-12 all sports programs (changing their rules to oust the bbal only schools)? They could go to 10 by inviting Marshall and UCF, or look to the WAC east for 2 addt'l schools to grow to 12 schools and guarantee a football championship game. Either way would seem to work. Meanwhile, the bball only schools could undoubtedly find homes in the A-10, Colonial or MVC.

Yes, this gets more interesting everyday. It's definitely time for SMU to have a breakthrough season to demonstrate we are on our way back!

[BenW]

C-USA adds 2 of SMU, Rice and Tulsa
C-USA adds UCF and either Marshall or Temple

YOu get 2 distinct divisions - each division is geographically tight and each has a travel partner:

East:
USF/UCF
ECU/Marshall(or temple)
Memphis/UAB

West:
USM/Tulane
Houston/Rice
SMU/TCU

Both regional and interregional. It think it works out great.

Or course, you could also take that West, add Tulsa/La Tech and get a western division of the WAC which might work out well, too.