Most of our Big East visitors really seem to lack any true understanding of their standing in the college football world. Sure, the Big East has its AQ status (at least until after the 2013 season when it is up for evaluation yet again, with numbers only from the 2010-2013 seasons), but it is the most ridiculed conference in the country (along with the ACC just behind). ESPN has it closer to CUSA than the WAC in the conference ratings and at least CUSA has a ranked team. When a three or four loss Big East team goes to a BCS bowl this year, it will again be held up to ridicule and most likely will be the last team picked.
The Big East and the ACC are poster children for why the BCS is a farce that should be replaced by a playoff. The nation has seen ESPN pimp its home conference over and over again, only to see the Big East fall apart yet again. LOL, but USF actually got to No. 2 based upon ESPN hype, but the Bulls have still never finished in the top 25 in a final AP or coaches poll. Oh, and that hyping of Rutgers a few years ago was just as pathetic.
So, given a perfect world, TCU would have little desire to play in the Big East. It was never TCU's choice to be left behind by Texas and co. when Texas killed the SWC (the SWC could have expanded instead of being killed by Texas).
And yet some Big East supporters come in and talk about the Big East is just great and doing great things and really does not need TCU......the problem is you and I and everyone knows this is complete B.S. The Big East needs TCU so it can regain some legitimacy in the eyes of the college football world. The Big East needs TCU's huge home market.
Now, I would gladly support a full-membership invitation into the Big East given the current college football landscape. I would have reservations, but I think it would work out over all. I have always liked Pitt and its history. WV has been around for awhile. I remember when Syracuse was good. As for the rest.... L'ville was ok for a little while, I guess. Again, while the conference has problems, it would be a nice change for TCU, especially with BYU and Utah gone and Boise, Fresno, and Nevada coming into the MWC.
Full membership is good. Anything else is a disrespectful slap in the face to TCU.
And while I know that the Big East needs to fix its many, many problems and resolve its basketball/football divide. I question whether the Big East has enough vision to actually build the conference.
So, please don't come in here pretending that the Big East does not need TCU. Don't pretend that Nova moving up is not a huge downgrade to Big East football. I don't want TCU to join the Big East if Nova is moving up. Either commit entirely to football or stop pretending.
Either go to 12/20 or drop a few of the bad basketball schools. Just don't pretend that the Big East is sooooo superior to the MWC.... we, and the rest of the conference, know better.