The Big East Has Made Its Decision

[Stallion]

Transghesse informed Memphis AD that Memphis wouldn't be invited and they are going in another direction. This was confirmed by an article in the Memphis paper quoting the Memphis AD. CUSA Fan Forum has more. The meaning is that CUSA survives and looks forward to expansion. Implosion of CUSA scenarios usually involved the loss of Cincy, Louisville AND Memphis. I think Benson sees the handwritting on the wall and that's the reason he is making a last ditch effort to expand the WAC East in order to keep SMU, Tulsa Rice et al away from CUSA. THANK GOODNESS SMU has done everything humanly possible to put the school in the best possible position to take advantage of the situation

[Hoop Fan]

That is fairly significant. Not surprising that Memphis is out, the news is that they have actually been told so and that a decision sounds like it has already been made. Stallion is right, SMU is and has been playing Russian Roulette with its D-1 future.

[GoRedGoBlue]

I guess I don't understand...are you saying that CINCY and UL are NOT going to BEAST?

[GoRedGoBlue]

Big East Conference commissioner Mike Tranghese has told University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson that the conference is "going to go in a different direction," meaning the U of M will not be included in any Big East expansion.

Louisville and Cincinnati, currently members of Conference USA with the Tigers and Memphis’s biggest sports rivals, are the logical candidates to move to the Big East and participate in all sports.


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For months, following an announcement that Miami and Virginia Tech would leave the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference, Memphis has been among the schools attempting to fill spots left vacant by those departures.

While Louisville and Cincinnati appeared to be the front-runners to move, Memphis was hopeful of being included if the Big East expanded by more than two football-playing schools. The lure of the conference is that it has an automatic berth in the Bowl Championship Series, which produces millions in revenue for the participating universities.

But Tranghese’s recent call ended those hopes.

"Mike Tranghese called me and said, ‘It looks to me we’re going to go in a different direction,’ " Johnson told The Commercial Appeal today. " ‘Nothing has been finalized. I wanted to tell you early on; we’re looking at moving in a different direction.’ "
Conference USA has a bylaw that prohibits schools from leaving before June 30, 2005.

As for what will happen in Conference USA, Johnson said, "We’re reviewing options (as a conference). I think we’ll survive. I think some of the options are appealing. I don’t think there’s any need to jump off the bridge."
U of M basketball coach John Calipari didn’t see the situation as dire.

"I said a month ago I wasn’t worried about it," said Calipari. "I have had a national program (at the University of Massachusetts) in a league that wasn’t a national league (the Atlantic 10). This is a national program with a national schedule. We’ll be fine. Our recruiting hasn’t been affected.

"I think the best place for this program is the SEC. Things happen for a reason. We’d be better off in a Midwest or Mid-South kind of league. Tommy (West) will be fine. I wasn’t as hyped up (about the Big East) as some others."
Attempts to reach Tranghese were unsuccessful.

Johnson said he asked Tranghese if there was a reason Memphis was excluded. "He said no," Johnson said. "The key element was location and they only took two schools. I don’t think there was anything negative. I think it would be hard to pass over Cincinnati and Louisville to get to us."

[SMUguy]

So what's the next step in this chain? When do the UC and UL defections become official?

[Southland]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by SMUguy:
<B>So what's the next step in this chain? When do the UC and UL defections become official?</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The next step is whether the Big East is going to separate into two conferences, or continue as an expanded 16-school alliance.

Contrary to the post above, Memphis was never mentioned as serious candidate by anyone associated with the Big East (in fact the athletic directors who have spoken to the press have also ruled out ECU and Marshall), just on the Internet. The key to what happens with the Big East is Notre Dame.

If a split happens, and Notre Dame decides to align itself in a non-football membership with Syracuse, Boston College, Connecticut, Rutgers, West Virginia and Pittsburgh, the new conference will form (expand) with Louisville and Cincinnati only. If Notre Dame chooses to stay with the non-football schools, the 6 football playing schools, the Pittsburgh AD as said the football schools would consider an expansion into Florida (UCF, So.FL) in addition to Louisville and Cincinnati.

It is significant with CUSA because the latter Big East scenario would probably also take all the non-football members of CUSA (either to the Big East, or as replacements in the Atlantic 10).

Could CUSA maintain itself? Yes; they would still have 7 members, and meet the requirement of 6 members that have been in the league for more than 5 years.

The sticky wicket for CUSA is that the WAC is going to offer TCU, Tulane and Houston, while the MAC has eyed Temple, ECU and Memphis as possible replacements for the schools they may lose to the August 2004 Division 1A requirements. If those invitations go out immediately following the Big East defections, CUSA will need to be on a united front if it is going to stay together, and probably will need to offer expansion invitations of their own to increase value and reduce costs. Basically, it is going to be a tug-a-war.

If the Big East Alliance forms, CUSA will have 8 members, and a lot more options.

[Water Pony]

Two schools which I believe should have the most anxiety are Memphis and East Carolina.

Memphis brings a strong market and quality BB. They are caught in a geograhic dilemma: Not Big East, don't want to downgrade to MAC, can't qualify for SEC and Conf. USA will morph signficantly.

East Carolina will be an outlier in a revised Conf. USA and the Big East and ACC don't want them. I would be uncomfortable, if I was them.

WAC and Conf. USA will fight over the SW and Mid-South schools

[This message has been edited by Water Pony (edited 09-19-2003).]

[Charleston Pony]

From all reports, the Big East has two big issues:

1st - does the current membership want to stay together and protect the foundation of the league (bball and the MSG conference tourney along with long standing rivalries) or do they fear the formation of the much talked about Big East Alliance will only lead to the inevitable divorce of the football vs bball only schools?

2nd - how can the football schools protect their BCS status and TV contract? Will Notre Dame agree to schedule 4 games every year with Big East schools as the football schools are suggesting in exchange for all other sports membership? ND already plays BC every year, but I'm not sure they will agree to 3 addt'l games.

This will come down to the greed factor, with Notre Dame ultimately calling the shots. Army & Navy will play a part in future Big East schedules and TV negotiations...bet on it.

[Water Pony]

CP:

You have got the likely scenario. Louisville and Cincinnati become full members, ND guarantees 4 games in exchange for full membership in everthing else and Army & Navy are FB only (Patriot League for all other sports) but are only required to play a minimum of four games in BE. Result: Continued BCS status and great TV results.

Conf. USA and WAC then compete for SW and Mid South schools. Previews at 5.

Go Ponies. Buck off the Cowboys!