Big East Expansion: Basketball Programs Want Pitt & Syracuse Out?
by Chris Lane on Sep 22, 2011 12:10 PM EDT
in Big East Expansion
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PrintDespite the fact that commissioner John Marinatto continues to preach that the members of his conference want to stick together and save the Big East (if you missed it, UConn and Rutgers are NOT committed to this plan), it appears that not everyone is on board with keeping Syracuse and Pittsburgh around for the Marinatto-imposed 27-month exit plan.
There is a feeling in the basketball programs at some member schools that the eventual departure of Pitt and Syracuse will provide some breathing room, that the league had become too great for its own good.
I can't say I'm that surprised. The basketball schools have had almost no say in this whole matter - and that's after they did the football-schools a solid and accepted TCU as an all-sports member despite the fact that the Big East had apparently no plan to bring somebody else in, leaving the league stuck with 17 teams at the time.
It's no surprise that the biggest issue here is the split between football and basketball schools. The football schools hold the power because their sport generates the most money for everyone, and they know it. Now it appears that although the best solution for the conference as a whole is to keep Pitt and Syracuse around until they can secure new members (to keep the league's BCS bid intact), but the basketball schools don't want to play nice anymore.
Despite that animosity, it seems that there is some sentiment that Navy and Air Force are ready to come on board, and it might be time to move on.
There is a feeling among some Big East member schools that if the league can withstand the initial disappointment about Pitt's and Syracuse's departures and locate adequate partners for the football side of their operation, the league’s strong position in the heavily populated Northeast and in large media markets such as Tampa still has value.
"If we survive, the league survives, you’re still in an area where there’s human life," the source said.
By the way, that quote makes my head hurt.
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Look at the scoreboard Buddha I'm doing fine
Dear God
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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HELLO BOYS
I’M BAAAAAAACK!
Look at the scoreboard Buddha I'm doing fine
This is so frightening
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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My take as a Pitt fan
Hi guys,
So ya, I have been writing on this blog’s wall for quite some time. And, since I’m not a Nova fan, you might think that it was sortof weird that I do. I just wanted to leave one last thought. I promise it will be my last post.
Honestly, the reason why I have been writing so much is because I do passionately care so much about college sports – both football and basketball. I have followed both sports so much throughout my life, getting wrapped up in the rivalries, the college game day atmosphere, the pageantry, etc. There is simply no other sport on earth like college football and basketball.
And, it really does break my heart that this is what our sport has come to. As sad as it is, as a Pitt fan, to leave the Big East, no-body could certainly blame Pitt or the Cuse for making the jump. The problem essentially is the BCS bowl system which has created all of this problem. If the Big East had supported and rallied support for a playoff, none of this would not be an issue. Everyone should read this article by Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports which was just published:
If we had a playoff model instead of this stupid BCS model, our conferences would make so much more money and we wouldn’t have any of this BCS labeling device of “you are in a BCS conference” and “you are not.” The BCS has (and shortly ‘will’) alienate so many fans out there, and its not just right.
I encourage all of you to contact your Nova administrators and encourage them to entice the Big East commissioner to support a playoff. This is really the only saving grace that we have for college athletics right now to avoid all of this re-shuffling.
Really sad to see that we (Pitt) will be leaving you guys. The Big East will just always feel like a more natural home. Peace out Nova.
Don't make this your last post
You are a very solid contributor here, and the door is always open!
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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I'd also think...
We will have an OOC game with you each year – too good of an in-state rivalry in recent years to just let it die off.
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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This really stinks
Too disappointed still for a rational post. I guess all of the traditional BE schools are to blame for letting the conference management go down the path it did.
Don't let our admin off easy
I wasn’t even a student yet at ‘Nova back in 2003 – but from people I’ve talked to, we set ourselves up for failure by not going FBS then when we were asked. I tend to agree – though we are getting f*cked by Pitt/WV/Rutgers now.
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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Networking....
Hopefully Nova is working its connections at BC and ND to ride ND’s coat tails into the ACC. BC bias against UConn could help us. These are ugly, bitter thoughts.
That would be Plan A
But it’s just so unlikely – ND has no reason to give up their independence and all that money now that the superconference scenario is off the table for now.
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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I do not see Villanova getting into the ACC over UConn...
…and the only football schools still committed to the Big East are the ones that don’t seem to have any other conference options, i.e. South Florida/Cincinnati. Cincy could garner a Big 12 invite as a long shot, however. West Virginia is looking for the best path out, so is Louisville. Pitt and ’Cuse are gone. UConn is hailing a taxi. Rutgers is waiting for someone to give them a ride. Poor South Florida, despite being probably the second most solid football program in the Big East is setting up their cardboard box house in the alleyway.
The Big East might survive, but it will be the basketball conference Marinatto wanted, there won’t be AQ football played here.
by MountaineerAirman on Sep 23, 2011 12:45 PM EDT reply actions
Official Announcement from Father Peter (he does MENTION "FBS" and "aggressively" though not in that order)
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
As many of you know, the University of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University announced last week that they will join the Atlantic Coast Conference. The announcement caused a jolt nationwide and what ensued was a week of rumors and speculation about how the major conferences might expand and realign. As a long-standing member of the Big East Conference, we are fully aware of the impact this had on the ever changing landscape of college athletics.
Throughout this week, I have been actively engaged in efforts to ensure that Villanova is positioned to move forward aggressively and strategically. I have had numerous conversations with my colleagues around the country and continue to work proactively with the other Big East presidents. My singular goal is to protect Villanova’s national reputation both athletically and academically.
We are committed to the Big East and to its long-standing tradition of success. I want to assure you that Villanova will never waiver from its pursuit of excellence both in the classroom and in competition. We will continue looking at all options at the national and conference levels that will enhance our current position as a premier athletic program, including revisiting the possibility of moving our football program to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level.
I am confident that no matter how the conferences align, Villanova’s tradition of both academic and athletic success will continue for years to come.
Sincerely,
Fr. Peter Donohue, O.S.A.
President
by Claude Savagely on Sep 23, 2011 10:49 PM EDT reply actions
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