Big East Expansion News is UCF Inching Closer

[Mike Brooks]

Yes. UCF is like us 8 years ago when we "thought" we were really good. We are light yeats from then and getting better.

It will be great fun watching this fallout over the next 7 months knowing we don't have to worry. Thanks BE.

 

[mtmedlin]

I just think its funny that UCF thinks they "deserve" to be in the BE. NO...TCU "deserves" to be in the BE. UCF "wants" to be in the BE. For them to even try to put themselves on TCUs level is funny. TCU won the Rose Bowl... UCF beat a 6-7 SEC team. Call me underimpressed!

 

[KingmanIII]

I just think its funny that UCF thinks they "deserve" to be in the BE. NO...TCU "deserves" to be in the BE. UCF "wants" to be in the BE. For them to even try to put themselves on TCUs level is funny. TCU won the Rose Bowl... UCF beat a 6-7 SEC team. Call me underimpressed!

UCF is a program with lots of potential. They just have a long way to go before living up to it.

Besides, people said the same thing about USF when the Big East raided CUSA 6 years ago.

 

[Texas Otto]

I just think its funny that UCF thinks they "deserve" to be in the BE. NO...TCU "deserves" to be in the BE. UCF "wants" to be in the BE. For them to even try to put themselves on TCUs level is funny. TCU won the Rose Bowl... UCF beat a 6-7 SEC team. Call me underimpressed!

According to their fans UCF deserves to be in the SEC, but they might accept an invitation to the Big East :laugh:

I hope the Bevo 10 implodes so the BE can tell UCF to suck it!

 

[froginaustin]

The thing that I don't understand about BE lust for the Kansas schools, Mizzou, etc., is that each of these fine schools has a much stronger basketball program than football. Each must depend on Texas, Florida and the Deep South for a substantial fraction of their football recruits. That sounds just like today's BE to me.

But I thought that one of the big reasons for adding TCU, and for possibly adding another Texas school or UCF, was to gain exposure for the pre-expansion BE teams in Texas, Florida, etc. Introduce the BE to high schools athletes that might be available and pursuadeable to leave home to play for a north eastern school.

Doesn't adding the B12 north schools just stiffen the competition for football recruits in the South? If so, I would think the B12N schools would be much less desirable as expansion targets than UCF or another Texas school.

I think adding the B12N schools, particularly KU, might put the BE into a place where it/we could conquer the world of college basketball, but give us (at least the rest of the conference) no real help and maybe strengthened competitors in football recruiting.

 

[WVUFan]

Look at it this way the BE wants good markets but they also want quality. If the BE really wanted UCF they would have been added a long time ago. UCF will not get added the person who did this piece for ESPN is the non AQ person and the statements made by plays were hilarious, O and i dont know if it was this or another article but some one recently talked to explayers from the 90's and they were told they would be in the BE before they graduate

Fact is they have a horrible tradition,

BE knows B12 mess is coming, and I would bet that the BE has remained in contact with those three schools in the B12 and now they are just waiting for A$M to asked the SEC for forgiveness. IF the SEC says yes OU will be gone to Pac12 (according to OU boards on scout) and the three B12 school will be in the BE.

This is why the Comish is saying "we will not wait for Nova if the right school comes into play" after this I think its obvious the right school is not UCF or Huston or any other non AQ schools

 

[Delmonico]

BE knows B12 mess is coming, and I would bet that the BE has remained in contact with those three schools in the B12 and now they are just waiting for A$M to asked the SEC for forgiveness. IF the SEC says yes OU will be gone to Pac12 (according to OU boards on scout) and the three B12 school will be in the BE.

This is why the Comish is saying "we will not wait for Nova if the right school comes into play" after this I think its obvious the right school is not UCF or Huston or any other non AQ schools

I tend to agree with this. Or maybe I just want it to be true. I think in the long run the Big East would be better off standing pat and waiting to see if the Midwest 3 become available. And that would be true even if TCU weren't joining. That way they could go to either a 12/20 structure or just take the final step and split in 2. But adding pieces just for the sake of adding - be it Villanova, UCF, Houston or the NJ Institute of Technology - is a flawed plan.

 

[WVUFan]

asking Nova was a mistake by the BE comish and i think he knows it. If the BE was going to settle for bad quality but quantity then ECU and UCF would have been in the BE 5 years ago, IMO neither will get in unless there is no one else and thats were nova comes in. I believe the BE would rather have Nova and if they can not get the B12 3


Any way i want Expansion mess to happen again.

 

[KingmanIII]

Look at it this way the BE wants good markets but they also want quality. If the BE really wanted UCF they would have been added a long time ago. UCF will not get added the person who did this piece for ESPN is the non AQ person and the statements made by plays were hilarious, O and i dont know if it was this or another article but some one recently talked to explayers from the 90's and they were told they would be in the BE before they graduate

Fact is they have a horrible tradition,

BE knows B12 mess is coming, and I would bet that the BE has remained in contact with those three schools in the B12 and now they are just waiting for A$M to asked the SEC for forgiveness. IF the SEC says yes OU will be gone to Pac12 (according to OU boards on scout) and the three B12 school will be in the BE.

This is why the Comish is saying "we will not wait for Nova if the right school comes into play" after this I think its obvious the right school is not UCF or Huston or any other non AQ schools

asking Nova was a mistake by the BE comish and i think he knows it. If the BE was going to settle for bad quality but quantity then ECU and UCF would have been in the BE 5 years ago, IMO neither will get in unless there is no one else and thats were nova comes in. I believe the BE would rather have Nova and if they can not get the B12 3


Any way i want Expansion mess to happen again.

Adding UCF and ECU would make no less sense than adding TCU, UC, USF, UConn and U of L did. Both schools have tons of potential that would only be fully realized by joining an AQ conference. That's the key term here: potential.

Adding Villanova for football would be a mistake. They don't have nearly the enrollment of a USF, or UConn, or Cincy, plus there's very little room for (and strong neighborhood opposition against) expanding their on-campus stadium to even respectable FBS standards. The Big East would be stuck with another Temple.

 

[mtmedlin]

What your missing here is that it is greatly different times. When USF, Ville and UConn got added the BE had different standards. THey were trying to survive and did not have a postion to bargain with. I love my Bulls but if they could have gotten better then us back then, then we wouldnt be in the BE. Times have changed and the BE isnt desperate. Our new TV contract will be on par with the ACC or better. We no longer need teams like UCF which has VERY little market penetration in Orlando...whereas Kansas OWNS their market. Missour OWNS their market. Hell, Missou would have the highest attendance of any football team in the BE. As much as people want the BE to be a football conference, were not AND its a good thing. We are sports conference and basketball is important. Fox and others will bid for our contract but in the end we will get the most money from ESPN. ESPN was built around BE basketball and there is no way they will let us go. The next round of negotiations will be very profitable and when they are, we will take that money and add real solid teams that will compliment our conference. UCF is not that caliber of a team..could they be...I dont know. It has taken quite a few years just to get USF up to a point where we are being chosen to win the BE next year. Add in UCF (who is an hour away from USF) and water down our recruiting grounds and I think you end up with 2 mediocre football teams in Florida. I like adding Kansas, K st and Missou. The BE needs strong teams in Florida and Texas and the best way to assure their strength is to not add to the competition....especially when every other BE team is recruiting in the area anyhow. Those three B12 teams are a geographical fit, doesnt overlap with existing teams and bring a strong fanbase. There also not 1 dimensional. They are solid (I didnt say strong) in football and bring strength to basketball. (kansas is legendary) TCU is a great football addition but there isnt anybody scared to play you in basketball. A 12/20 setup with those three makes a football conference with parity and interesting games, while also having the most dominate basketball conference, all in some of the top markets. With those teams added, the BE will be within the tv market of 25% of all homes in America. Now tell my that wont make money!

(ps...Many people say football drives the buss, but most estimates say that just the basketball sides new contract will be worth around $7 million a year, per team. Yep, just to show BE basketball...anybody think basketball isnt important now? We may not be the best football conference but we are the most balanced conference and in the end, we all benefit from having a strong basketball side. Theres no way that football schools get that much for basketball without some of the B Ball only teams.)

 

[WVUFan]

What your missing here is that it is greatly different times. When USF, Ville and UConn got added the BE had different standards. THey were trying to survive and did not have a postion to bargain with. I love my Bulls but if they could have gotten better then us back then, then we wouldnt be in the BE. Times have changed and the BE isnt desperate. Our new TV contract will be on par with the ACC or better. We no longer need teams like UCF which has VERY little market penetration in Orlando...whereas Kansas OWNS their market. Missour OWNS their market. Hell, Missou would have the highest attendance of any football team in the BE. As much as people want the BE to be a football conference, were not AND its a good thing. We are sports conference and basketball is important. Fox and others will bid for our contract but in the end we will get the most money from ESPN. ESPN was built around BE basketball and there is no way they will let us go. The next round of negotiations will be very profitable and when they are, we will take that money and add real solid teams that will compliment our conference. UCF is not that caliber of a team..could they be...I dont know. It has taken quite a few years just to get USF up to a point where we are being chosen to win the BE next year. Add in UCF (who is an hour away from USF) and water down our recruiting grounds and I think you end up with 2 mediocre football teams in Florida. I like adding Kansas, K st and Missou. The BE needs strong teams in Florida and Texas and the best way to assure their strength is to not add to the competition....especially when every other BE team is recruiting in the area anyhow. Those three B12 teams are a geographical fit, doesnt overlap with existing teams and bring a strong fanbase. There also not 1 dimensional. They are solid (I didnt say strong) in football and bring strength to basketball. (kansas is legendary) TCU is a great football addition but there isnt anybody scared to play you in basketball. A 12/20 setup with those three makes a football conference with parity and interesting games, while also having the most dominate basketball conference, all in some of the top markets. With those teams added, the BE will be within the tv market of 25% of all homes in America. Now tell my that wont make money!

(ps...Many people say football drives the buss, but most estimates say that just the basketball sides new contract will be worth around $7 million a year, per team. Yep, just to show BE basketball...anybody think basketball isnt important now? We may not be the best football conference but we are the most balanced conference and in the end, we all benefit from having a strong basketball side. Theres no way that football schools get that much for basketball without some of the B Ball only teams.)

Umm Nominate for post of the month.


You are right. Mizzu would be the real prize and KU is not bad either. BE is in more than 25% already and if Mizzu and KU can get in the BE that would be Huge. IF you all remember both KU and Mizzu have both been in BCS games in recent years.

If KU and Mizzu enter before the cut off date expect BE pay out to be WAY more than expected.

You are right BB is expected to get 7 mil a team as of right now

FB side there has not been any leaks on what price ESPN gave a week or so ago but it will go up even more.

A Big factor next year in the $$ amount is going to be how good TCU, WVU, UoL and the other joining do as a whole the better they are the bigger bargaining chip they will have.

 

[oldscribe]

UCF makes the most sense for expansion. Their undergrad enrollment is the largest in the nation, they've spent more than $120 million on a new athletic complex which includes a new football stadium, basketball arena, renovated baseball and softball parks, and new dormitories, plus they're located in an attractive market for recruits in Orlando and would provide a natural rival for USF.

ECU would be the next most sensible option. They play in a 50,000-seat stadium in front of arguably the most rabid football fanbase in North Carolina, and would provide the Big East Conference with an inroads into the ACC's backyard.

Memphis would be much more attractive to the BE if they actually gave a [Craig James] about football. The Liberty Bowl is downright decrepit and it looks like the city is too poor to build a new stadium. Their basketball program would be a welcome addition but I fear their recruiting classes in the recent past and near future have been FAR too guard-heavy.

All three are far better options than Villanova moving up to FBS ball. The Big East doesn't need another Temple.

Valid analysis, IMO.

 

[Dogfrog]

I say pick up UCF and drop USF. UCF has a much deeper football tradition, having started their program in 1978, while USF didn't start theirs until 1997. History of the Big East my patooty.