Defections Won’t Sabotage Big East, Top Official Says

[Despite the odds Frog]

Defections Won't Sabotage Big East, Top Official Says <---Link
By Pete Thamel
Published: September 19, 2011

A defiant John Marinatto, the Big East commissioner, said Monday night that he was confident the league would emerge stronger from the loss of Syracuse and Pittsburgh to the Atlantic Coast Conference over the weekend.

Marinatto said in a telephone interview that he planned to hold Syracuse and Pittsburgh to their 27-month contractual exit obligations, meaning that they would not be able to leave the Big East until June 2014.

Marinatto also echoed the disappointment of his peers around the Big East that A.C.C. officials like Commissioner John Swofford and Boston College Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo had openly speculated about playing the league's postseason basketball tournament in Madison Square Garden. The Big East holds a contract with the Garden for its basketball tournament through 2016 and has played the tournament there since 1983.

"We have a track record of coming out stronger than we did before," Marinatto said, referring the A.C.C.'s raid of three Big East teams in 2003. "We may even hold the opening round of our basketball tournament in Greensboro," a frequent site of the A.C.C. tournament, he said in jest...

 

[ACroofrog]

While I like the fact that he is being hardline here and is projecting confidence, I have to say that the fact that he is talking about basketball right off the bat does kind of show what it is he really cares about. He does not mention football once in the entire article its all about basketball, while I understand that you talk about your strengths and basketball is a strength of the Big East to not mention football even once does sort of shed light on the concerns many in the Big East have about him and the conference leadership as a whole.

 

[HG73]

Marinatto's idea of strengthening the conference is to add some more basketball teams.

 

[full house frog]

Really wish he would have mentioned football once.

 

[Denton Frog]

Memo to commish - Firmly slam barn door BEFORE horse bolts, not afterwards.

 

[jack the frog]

Memo to commish - Firmly slam barn door BEFORE horse bolts, not afterwards.

Yep, glad he decided this was the moment to play hardball.

 

[FROGDADDY]

Marinatto's idea of strengthening the conference is to add some more basketball teams.

Awaiting the announcement that they've added St Louis, Bradley, College of Charleston, and George Mason to stabilize the league.

 

[HG73]

Would that be the old reliable 7/19 model? Or the standard 5/17?

 

[SeniorFrog]

This is the best news yet. Should nothing better come along...this gives us 2 years to play in a BCS conference and take a run at a National Championship. All the while securing ourselves in a more stable situation.

TCU moving forward.

 

[Froginexile]

Awaiting the announcement that they've added St Louis, Bradley, College of Charleston, and George Mason to stabilize the league.

genius

 

[Delmonico]

This is the best news yet. Should nothing better come along...this gives us 2 years to play in a BCS conference and take a run at a National Championship. All the while securing ourselves in a more stable situation.

TCU moving forward.

It may be a negotiating ploy. Hold them up for a bigger exit check. And if the merger concept gains traction, there may be nothing to gain by holding them to the 27 months in purgatory....although it might be fun. :biggrin:

 

[BrewingFrog]

So, when the ACC adds two more Big East football teams, and the Conference ceases to exist..?

This guy is lost.

 

[Lone Frog]

This is the best news yet. Should nothing better come along...this gives us 2 years to play in a BCS conference and take a run at a National Championship. All the while securing ourselves in a more stable situation.

TCU moving forward.

I'd agree with you if I thought there was more than a snowball's chance of this coming true. Pitt and Cuse aren't going to sit around and spend the next three seasons as pariahs letting the Big East treat them like the MWC did TCU this year. One season, maybe, but not three.

They'll talk about going to court, there will be the requisite posturing, and they'll all settle. They'll pay a little more money and they'll be playing football in the ACC in 2012. 2013 at the latest.

 

[Delmonico]

So, when the ACC adds two more Big East football teams, and the Conference ceases to exist..?

This guy is lost.

Big East could lose NINE football teams and still exist......because they'd still have 8 basketball teams.... many of whom would be more than happy to keep the name, the exit fees, NCAA tourney credits......

 

[BrewingFrog]

Yuck. So this is a Zombie Conference now. And Fat Boy (Marionatto) is hanging on because he really, really doesn't want to lose his cushy job.

Yes, Fat Boy. Whatever respect there was for Marionatto has evaporated in the light of his cluelessness on this. I cannot fault the man for rejecting ESPN, no, that was a very good move, but for allowing the end-run of treachery to blindside him so. The Big East was a marriage of convenience to begin with, and the relationship between football and basketball schools an uneasy one, but to allow this to happen is simply inexcuseable.

 

[HFrog1999]

This is the best news yet. Should nothing better come along...this gives us 2 years to play in a BCS conference and take a run at a National Championship. All the while securing ourselves in a more stable situation.

TCU moving forward.

I agree. If the Big East as is stands for 2 more seasons we're golden.

 

[mrnicefrog]

I agree. If the Big East as is stands for 2 more seasons we're golden.

Yeah, it will be easy to win the conference since we'll be the only football team.

 

[HFrog1999]

Yeah, it will be easy to win the conference since we'll be the only football team.

I meant if the teams can't leave for 2 seasons :tongue: .

If the Big East has to play as is next year and if OU and Virginia still come to Amon Carter, we have the team and the schedule for a National Championship run.