UCF to Big East...?

[couch 'em]

couch'em,

Really? I mean I understand both Houston and SMU have huge markets, but ECU has a very large student body population and is really the only show in town around there. Also, its a geographical fit and they've been good at football for the last handful of years.

Greenville, NC metro area population: 183,000
North Carolina population: 9.5 million
DIA programs in NC: ECU, UNC, NC St., Duke, Wake Forest.

Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area population: 6.5 million.
Houston area population: 5.8 million.

The max return on ECU is nothing compared to UCF, SMU, Houston, etc. There are plenty of good football programs, there are few untapped media markets.

[Samurai Stang]

It's only part TV market with Villanova. The bigger factor is that they are already part of the Big East for all other sports. The conference is already bloated for all sports but football and it is rumored that they dont want to add another school for all sports if they do not have to.

That is not the larger factor. Football always triumphs in importance over non-revenue sports. Football drives conferences.

If Villanova had not been in a large market that brought increased value to the Big East it would have never been offered, regardless of membership in other sports. If not for the Philadelphia market, Villanova would simply be another mouth to feed in football, which is exactly what you state the Big East is trying to avoid in all other sports. Value is always assessed before such offers are made, for if a school is of little value it is of no need.

Villanova happened to have the added bonus of being in the Big East for all other sports.

[RednBlue11]

what is the dynamic between USF and UCF? I could understand TCU blocking SMU, but the Florida schools are both public...vis a vis UNLV & Nevada...

neither is very old, neither has much of a rivalry

geographically they are about 1.5hrs apart if that

[goldenstang]

If all that matters is being in Philadelphia, then why did the Big East kick Temple out?

[RednBlue11]

If all that matters is being in Philadelphia, then why did the Big East kick Temple out?

are you kidding? have you looked at a Bottom 10 poll in the last 6 years?

[goldenstang]

If all that matters is being in Philadelphia, then why did the Big East kick Temple out?

are you kidding? have you looked at a Bottom 10 poll in the last 6 years?

I guess you didn't detect the sarcasm. My point is that if it was just about being in Philadelphia they wouldn't have kicked out Temple. The only thing that Villanova has that Temple didn't is that they are a member in all sports. Temple was kicked out for poor attendance, facilities, and football. Villanova has poor attendance and poor facilities. Their football is good for FCS but not for the Big East. This would not be a discussion if Villanova was not already in the Big East for all other Sports. BCS conferences do not invite FCS schools to join if they are not already a part of the league.

[RednBlue11]

add a

[RGV Pony]

Greenville, NC metro area population: 183,000
.

and they draw 50,000 a game. Impressive

[couch 'em]

If all that matters is being in Philadelphia, then why did the Big East kick Temple out?

are you kidding? have you looked at a Bottom 10 poll in the last 6 years?

I guess you didn't detect the sarcasm. My point is that if it was just about being in Philadelphia they wouldn't have kicked out Temple. The only thing that Villanova has that Temple didn't is that they are a member in all sports. Temple was kicked out for poor attendance, facilities, and football. Villanova has poor attendance and poor facilities. There football is good for FCS but not for the Big East. This would not be a discussion if Villanova was not already in the Big East for all other Sports. BCS conferences do not invite FCS schools to join if they are not already a part of the league.

Come on man. Nobody is saying that if Nova wasn't already in the BE they would still get an invite. Of course that puts them on the radar. But if they were in some worthless location like lubbock or Greenville, NC simply being in the BE already wouldn't get them an invite.

Also, your Temple example is stupid. Temple wasn't committed to athletics at all. They weren't trying in the same way Rice and Tulane aren't trying. They wouldn't get a conference invite unless they were the only team in Texas.

Nova is a very good DI-AA team. That means they'll be a good I-A team because they are comitted to athletics, unlike Rice or pre-Orsini SMU who would suck at any level because they don't try.

[PoconoPony]

It's only part TV market with Villanova. The bigger factor is that they are already part of the Big East for all other sports. The conference is already bloated for all sports but football and it is rumored that they dont want to add another school for all sports if they do not have to.

That is not the larger factor. Football always triumphs in importance over non-revenue sports. Football drives conferences.

If Villanova had not been in a large market that brought increased value to the Big East it would have never been offered, regardless of membership in other sports. If not for the Philadelphia market, Villanova would simply be another mouth to feed in football, which is exactly what you state the Big East is trying to avoid in all other sports. Value is always assessed before such offers are made, for if a school is of little value it is of no need.

Villanova happened to have the added bonus of being in the Big East for all other sports.

I am not sure your term "offered" is correct. Villanova is already a member in good standing in the Big East competing in all other sports. I think that it is closer to say that they could exercise their option to up grade their football program for inclusion in Big East football.

[couch 'em]

Greenville, NC metro area population: 183,000
.

and they draw 50,000 a game. Impressive

Agreed, but unfortunately for them, meaningless. They are in the same boat as Baylor.

[EastStang]

Up until the TCU move, UCF, ECU and Memphis have been hiking up their skirts for the BE continuously. UCF is in a major market, but looks like it gets a blackball from USF. ECU would join for football only as would UCF which is why they might be interested in those schools. Memphis brings nothing to the table in football, but has yearned to join as a basketball member (of an already bloated basketball conference), I don't see them getting an invite. UH may now be in the mix as a travel partner for TCU which I assume would blackball us, but probably only if they agree to be a football only member.

[couch 'em]

UH may now be in the mix as a travel partner for TCU which I assume would blackball us, but probably only if they agree to be a football only member.

I just totally disagree with the "TCU would black ball us" argument.

TCU would blackball us in the past in the same way I would hope we would blackball Rice, Tulane, and NTSU. These schools, and us previously, don't try to win. They are dead weight. They have no potential and are not headed up.

On the other hand, TCU knows we are on the way up and are now trying to win. They also know they need a strong rivalry with us to boost their presence in the DFW media market. A successful rival in SMU can only help TCU and their conference.

We are balls deep in Texas. There are plenty of recruits to go around.

[RGV Pony]

and they draw 50,000 a game. Impressive

Agreed, but unfortunately for them, meaningless. They are in the same boat as Baylor.[/quote]

which interpreted one way means attendance doesnt matter. Hello SMU.

[EastStang]

UH may now be in the mix as a travel partner for TCU which I assume would blackball us, but probably only if they agree to be a football only member.

I just totally disagree with the "TCU would black ball us" argument.

TCU would blackball us in the past in the same way I would hope we would blackball Rice, Tulane, and NTSU. These schools, and us previously, don't try to win. They are dead weight. They have no potential and are not headed up.

On the other hand, TCU knows we are on the way up and are now trying to win. They also know they need a strong rivalry with us to boost their presence in the DFW media market. A successful rival in SMU can only help TCU and their conference.

We are balls deep in Texas. There are plenty of recruits to go around.

That's a very rational response. Rivalries are anything but rational!

TCU to their credit did not blackball us when CUSA came calling (but then they left the conference right after voting to admit us).