Any Big East assumptions that can be drawn here?

[PonyPride]

Just got a press release from the Big East ... announcing that Tulane will hold a press conference (topic undisclosed) at 1 PM today.

Tulane already has announced plans for a new on-campus football stadium, so maybe this means ... they have the funding secured and will join the Big East?

Their basketball arena, Fogelman Arena, is the smallest and most insufficient arena in Conference USA, maybe in the country. Surely that means a massive upgrade in Fogelman, or an agreement to put basketball games in New Orleans Arena.

ESPN.com already is reporting that Tulane is joining .... meaning more visits to Bourbon Street!

[LHS81]

Hoping whomever holds the MWC TV contract is open to renegotiation for a bigger contract, and SMU, Houston, Boise, San Diego St can convince BYU to join.

[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).

[03Mustang]

Adding two schools in the east = abandoning western strategy. Something big is about to happen, and I seriously hope it involves us moving out of this conference.....

[ColoStang]

Not sure you can call Tulane a "Eastern school"

[Stallion]

I wonder if we should revisit that many on this board thought that the Big East was a better option for SMU than the Big 12 (even if DeLoss Dodds got down on his knees and beg). Sometimes it takes 3-4 years or in this case 3-4 months for arguments to simply fall apart.

[ponydawg]

anything is better than the current new CUSA.

[TWALV33]

Hopefully LB can get us ranked in bball and get into the bracket...

Then maybe we can sell ourselves to the ACC as a bball school.

[birddogger]

Not sure you can call Tulane a "Eastern school"

Northeasterners comprise a large % of Tulane's undergraduate population, so it does have strong East Coast connections. Culturally, Tulane is an island within New Orleans.