Tulane Joining the Big East

[mr. pony]

Repeat after me:
BIG LEAST

[Comet]

Not good at all. If SMU wants to keep moving on up in the world of college sports, this isn't the conference to do it in. However, given the fact that we couldn't beat Tulane, perhaps this is.

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

I can't believe this. Very surprising. To be honest, I thought the subject line was a joke.

[StallionsModelT]

Truly disturbing that Aresco is thinking this way. Tulane does nothing. Absolutely nothing. You would be better served adding UT-San Antonio.

[Water Pony]

Tulane will make Memphis happy and perhaps help with Louisville and Cincinnati, all of whom are good metro areas on the Mississippi/Ohio River. But, getting another western school will balance things out. We have more than one opening, if we lose one school to ACC.

[max the wonder dog]

On the plus side, it makes for a great road trip.

[sbsmith]

On the plus side, it makes for a great road trip.

Not sure that's even a plus since few fans have ever taken advantage of it.

[The PonyGrad]

Well, at least that will be another team we can beat... umm ignore that last comment.

[lwjr]

This is becoming embarrassing. What was the point of leaving CUSA? I would like to know how the basketball only schools feel about this?

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

Aresco is no dummy and seems like he is well regarded by his peers. So I'm assuming he knows what he is doing here. It also bears reminding that he has been dealt a pretty difficult hand. So he's got to evaluate and choose among options that may not be his first choice. Whatever the reasons, it seems like he's convinced the league presidents that this is a good idea.

That being said, I would like to see SOME indication, no matter how small, that Tulane intends to step up its commitment to athletics. The results of this year's football game aside, Tulane's athletic commitment makes SMU look like freakin' UT by comparison.

[sbsmith]

This is becoming embarrassing. What was the point of leaving CUSA? I would like to know how the basketball only schools feel about this?

Like breaking off and forming their own conference.

[skyscraper]

I am honestly stunned at this.
Tulane has ZERO commitment to competing at a high level.
They're entire athletic dept is a joke minus baseball (does Big East even have baseball?)

[Rebel10]

Unbelievable. I guess they are looking at New Orleans as the market as opposed to the sports teams success.

[ponyinNC]

Everyone needs to look at the big picture. The biggest threat to this conference going forward (besides the obvious scenario of the defection of Louisville and/or UConn) was the Big East Catholic schools splitting off. The football people can argue otherwise, but Aresco knows how important those markets are to the TV contract. Tulane is *exactly* the type of all-sports member that the Big East Catholic members would want - private school in an urban market with great academics. This indicates that the hybrid league is sticking together (for better or for worse).

[The PonyGrad]

Unbelievable. I guess they are looking at New Orleans as the market as opposed to the sports teams success.

This and when was Tulane undefeated? Was that before the late 90's? After all, that was the compensation formula for the new "BCS" conferences. Tulane may have some ranking credits to add.