Here's the realistic SMU approach to TCU's move

[Undercover Frog]

Will this significantly change their strength of schedule?

Yes, our schedule automatically becomes easier.

BYU and Utah would have dominated the Big East the past few years. Nevada and San Diego State are up and coming teams that would have dominated the Big East in coming years. And let's not even speculate on what Boise State would have done to the Big East.

TCU just stamped its passport to the next 10 BCS series . . . provided the Big East lasts that long, something which I have extreme reservations about.

[StallionsModelT]

Playing on the road against WVU and Pitt is a little different than playing on the road against New Mexico State and Colorado State. Tap the brakes there chieftan.

[leopold]

People, people, people.......

Let's calm down.


1. The Big 10 is not expanding, unless Notre Dame comes knocking.

2. The Big XII is not going to even consider expanding while their current TV contract is valid, and will do its best not to at all. They are not going to Florida - that's crazy talk.

3. Texas does not give a RATS [deleted] about the Big East. Period. End of Story. Check thier boards if you don't believe me. It's a tepid, lukewarm, mostly congratulatory feeling coming from them:
http://forums.hookem.com/index.phps=4d8 ... howforum=6


What did ya'll take today to make you so crazy?

[RednBlue11]

it seems that everyone has forgotten that 1st and foremost the Big East is a Basketball conference..and football comes 2nd.

it wont be dissolving anytime soon.

[PonyTime]

Best response - beat them head to head until they stop scheduling us - which I am sure will happen as soon as we ruin another one of their seasons.

[NickSMU17]

it seems that everyone has forgotten that 1st and foremost the Big East is a Basketball conference..and football comes 2nd.

it wont be dissolving anytime soon.

You are not taking into account that the basketball schools will prob not want to be in an 18 team basketball conference and will split on their own....

[San Antonio Mustang]

I have a question: In the last few years how many recruits did TCU get who were also offered by an AQ conference school, particularly Texas? The reason I ask is I suspect for the most part they have been successful recruiting players that were in between AQ quality and SMU quality. If this is so then I think two of the results of their move to an AQ conference is a huge increase in money via the BCS bowl game and the ability to attract a higher quality recruit. If this is correct then it will allow us to increase the quality of recruit. Bottom line the TCU move will probably be beneficial to us. A lot of ifs in this post, but it is another way to look at it.

[Dr Jeske friend]

what happens when Seton Hall moves to the Atlantic 10. Number of basketball teams stays the same. They have no good way to get to 12 football teams with the current number of basketball teams.

I'd love to be in the TCU basketball office today. I imagine their coach is talking to a whole set of new recruits from Friday.

Nice problems to have

[RednBlue11]

you could have said that when they went from 12 to 16.

you could have said that when they didn't play everyone in their own conf.

you could have said that when only the top 10 were playing in the BE tourny at the end of the year

but now, each teams plays every other team at least once and ever team is seeded in the BE tourny...adding two play in games for the 15 and 16 seed wouldnt be difficult to add at all.

the "basketballs schools" don't give a damn because their RPI gets a huge boost by walking all over those other schools especially in the tournament at MSG.

All those "bubble teams" near the end of the year have a better shot than anyone of beating a couple ranked squads who are guaranteed an at-large bid and playing themselves in.

They don't have to play anyone outside of their conference to strengthen their ranking because they are the best conference there is in college basketball, period.

[NickSMU17]

It is very difficult to manage large groups or in this case teams in 1 conference....

After seeing what happened when we were in the WAC, someone will get bitter and turn a part of the group and the dominoes will fall...

[Junior]

none of this matters one bit if we don't continue to make steps forward each and every year. good for TCU. they've been putting a quality product on the field for a while now. we need to continue to do so as well.

[RednBlue11]

they're doing a pretty good job

[lwjr]

Congratulations to TCU. They deserve it, they made the commitment to football and athletics in general and it has paid off. Am I jealous, yes. I hope SMU can raise the athletic bar to the point where we will also be in a BCS conference someday.

Until then, let's kick the @#&^ out of UCF!!

[Bandwagonesque]

you could have said that when they went from 12 to 16.

you could have said that when they didn't play everyone in their own conf.

you could have said that when only the top 10 were playing in the BE tourny at the end of the year

but now, each teams plays every other team at least once and ever team is seeded in the BE tourny...adding two play in games for the 15 and 16 seed would be difficult to add at all.

the "basketballs schools" don't give a damn because their RPI gets a huge boost by walking all over those other schools especially in the tournament at MSG.

All those "bubble teams" near the end of the year have a better shot than anyone of beating a couple ranked squads who are guaranteed an at-large bid and playing themselves in.

They don't have to play anyone outside of their conference to strengthen their ranking because they are the best conference there is in college basketball, period.

You are 100% correct. The only schools that have expressed any interest in MAYBE leaving the Big East are Louisville and Cinci.

Names like UConn and Syracuse are thrown around by the media or those in College Football who don't understand how these schools focus on Basketball far more, and would likely never leave the Big East conference for the reasons you mentioned.

Also, UConn will get that BCS money this year off of a mediocre season, and Syracuse had a shot all year and will be in the Bowl. In the B10 neither school is likely Bowl Eligible.

The Big East is a very powerful conference. College sports are bigger than just football. This is a great move for TCU, and a great move for the Big East.

And if you are going to slam Nova, let's not foget that USF and Boise State are both pretty new to the FBS. I'm not saying Nova will ever be Boise good, but being USF good (in most seasons) is definitely a possibility. They also beat FCS #1 ranked Delaware this year.

[Charleston Pony]

in true Big East stayle, balancing out their good move...w/ a terrible one, inviting Villanova to move up to D1A

fair to say that they will gain no more credibility by adding another steppingstone of a team to an already weak conf.

You do realize that Nova just beat the FCS #1 ranked Delaware team, right? They are not far from being a very competitive FBS team, but ultimately probably have to decide which group they want to play all sports with. Have to believe the "break up" of Big East FBS football schools from their "too numerous" basketball brethren appears inevitibile.