Big East Football Expansion-Villanova

[EastStang]

I have long thought this would be the BE play in fact I've said this for about five years now. They did it with UConn. Why not Villanova? Villanova won the FCS championship last year. They have nothing to prove there. They already are a member of the BE in basketball and all sports. They are in a huge demographic area for the BE (Philly) although like SMU they do not dominate the Philly landscape which is pretty much pro sports (Eagles, Flyers and Phillies) and Penn State. They already split part of the pie with Nova anyway (and basketball in BE is a huge part of the television pie). They don't want to add another basketball team. They need a 9th team for football. I'll bet the Memphis, East Carolina and UCF fans are having red urinations right about now.

[PonyTime]

Seems to me that the current big east teams all just added an additional W to their records in the near future...

[The PonyGrad]

Seems to me that the current big east teams all just added an additional W to their records in the near future...

Appalacian St. vs. Michigan
Jacksonville St. vs. Miss.

I would not count on it.

[stc9]

They are adding a Div 1AA program with a 12,000 seat stadium. Villanova with be an AQ conference program in 4 years. What a joke...[/quote]

I used to live in Philly - not sure why. There are other venues rather than on campus they can play in that hold more than 12,000. The bigger issue is that Penn State dominates the college football landscape. Everyone in Philly (no matter where they went to school) is a Penn State (Joe Pa for President) fan. I think it would be difficult to drum up enthusiasm for Villanova football.

I think this is a good play for the BE, but I don't think it will be easy on Villanova to become competitive.

[Samurai Stang]

The Big 10 already plans to reopen the issue of expansion in December, with Big East schools being the most likely targets. Planning on adding Villanova now indicates that the Big East believes its hold on northeast markets may be in jeopardy in the future. The Big East has stubbornly stayed at eight schools for far too long, and to think that they have suddenly changed their mind due to the powerhouse known as Villanova is ridiculous. This is a move that is designed to prepare the Big East for the inevitable loss of its stronger programs.

If one were to assume that the Big East added Villanova and all of its members remained, then one must ask why the addition. An extra game in football is not necessary for the Big East, and it has demonstrated that throughout the years. Adding Villanova in this scenario would simply be another demonstration that the Big East does not give football the respect that it does basketball. A single school? 12 schools is preferred number in order to achieve a conference championship game, and adding a single school may seem like a means to appease football members but is actually just providing another mouth to feed with no new market.

Villanova will join a very different Big East.

[RGV Pony]

Memphis and UCF seem really logical for the Big East. Beyond that, Marshall wouldnt be too far of a stretch

[CalallenStang]

This is just a shift to break the balance of power between BE Football schools and BE non-football schools.

Big East split coming up. Marquette & others better start looking for new homes. Notre Dame will be pressured to join up or find somewhere else for non-football sports.

[couch 'em]

The Big East should be using it's AQ status while it can. Why not invite some top programs looking for AQ status, such at TCU, Boise, etc. to join? If travel is an issue, why not invite top programs to join for football only?

Imagine BE creating a western division including Boise, TCU, Houston, (hopefully) SMU, etc. to shore up?

[CalallenStang]

The Big East should be using it's AQ status while it can. Why not invite some top programs looking for AQ status, such at TCU, Boise, etc. to join? If travel is an issue, why not invite top programs to join for football only?

Many of the non-football schools do not want to add anyone for football-only.

[CA Mustang]

Cause I continue to be frustrated by teams that have gone from FCS to FBS to BCS conference while better teams are still stuck on the outside.

Don't blame the programs that have developed quickly and improved their situations, blame the ones that have not.

If the "better" programs are on the outside looking in, are they really "better"?

[mustangxc]

What about Georgetown moving up with Villanova?