ESPN: 7 leaning to leave Big East

Harry · December 13, 2012

The presidents of the Big East's seven Catholic, non-Football Bowl Subdivision schools are expected to decide on their future in the Big East in the coming days and it "would be an upset" if they remained in the league, sources told ESPN.

The seven schools -- DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova -- are "close to a consensus on what they want to do next," a source said Wednesday.

The presidents of the seven schools are scheduled to conduct a teleconference with Big East commissioner Mike Aresco on Thursday and are expected to issue a statement on their schools' future in the next 24 to 48 hours.

On Sunday, the seven presidents met with Aresco in New York to discuss a number of options and "better understand the best course of action for the future," ESPN reported.

Sources told ESPN the seven schools discussed a number of options but most importantly wanted to have "lots of dialogue to better understand the best course of action for the future."

Sources said Wednesday it's becoming "more likely" the basketball schools will break away from the league's football members.

It's unknown if they would attempt to dissolve the league or leave the league as a group. The league can be dissolved by vote of the league members by a two-thirds majority, according to Big East by-laws. With all of the Big East's recent defections, there are only 10 members (the seven non-FBS schools, plus Cincinnati, UConn and South Florida) that can vote on the league dissolving.

A source told ESPN on Wednesday, Temple, as a football-only member, has voting rights, but can't vote on dissolution of the league. With Temple unable to vote, that gives the seven basketball schools enough votes to dissolve the league.

Read more: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8742607/seven-catholic-schools-leaning-leaving-big-east-sources-say

Harry · December 13, 2012

Seems to me the way this is playing out, and if the bball schools leave the football schools have three options. 1), Reform a new all sports conference (Yikes a new name that's never been heard of before and equal money to MWC and CUSA?) and cherry pick schools from both the Mountain West and C-USA 2). Join the Mountain West and form a Western and Eastern division. This would allow them the embarrassment of having to return to the conference they left and keep them in with Boise and who knows possible BYU. Travel would not be as big an issue if you were able to form a true eastern side but the downside is the TV markets in the Mountain West damage your contract value. 3). Rejoin C-USA, swallow your pride and get better TV market value and more regional rivalries for your fans to travel to.

mgfan · December 13, 2012

They will go with mwc

mgfan · December 13, 2012

I believe mwc gets more money than cusa and I don't think they care about travel.... They joined the BE

mgfan · December 13, 2012

Smu doesnt have anyone at their gate, so thay doesnt matter. U really see smu crawling back to the cusa? I hope they do but they won't. They will hope they get the same results as tcu did in mwc, assuming the 7 leave.

Edited December 13, 2012 by mgfan

meanrob · December 13, 2012

I don't see any way that CUSA gets enough TV money that after splitting it 20+ ways it will entice UH or SMU back into the league. It makes no sense financially for them to rejoin CUSA.

outoftown · December 13, 2012

The problem with the MWC solution is that this onl works for some schools. I don't see ECU and the florida schools wanting to do that. It would be a Boise/SDS situation for them in reverse, just with less money, and bad time zones. So those schools would have to find another solution. Coming back to C-USA is not only pride problem... C-USA overexpanded... it may be hard to fit all the old members back in. Getting rid of new ones might also be tough.

PlummMeanGreen · December 13, 2012

I don't see any way that CUSA gets enough TV money that after splitting it 20+ ways it will entice UH or SMU back into the league. It makes no sense financially for them to rejoin CUSA.

Wasn't much of this happening in the soon to be late, great Big East all but predictable even before UH and SMU accepted their invites? Maybe if they'd only looked beyond the day they accepted as well as looking beyond their noses with the greed which made them leave this region with all their men and women's varsity sports that I think even a novice could have seen some major traveling budget concerns? The AD's at UH and SMU had to know the B.E. basketball schools could do what they are obviously going to do if they'd done a bit more research on the history of that northeastern seaboard league. Of course, had the SMU and UH AD's not shown pro-activity in all this they would have become Sunday's after church roast for the next year or until they retired if that is something AD's ever do. Then again...it's that old 20/20 thing in play here, too.

Wild horses will not drag UH and SMU back into CUSA. Seems they feel we of SBC 2.0 have all (to the school) regained our cooties tag once again. Thurston Howell, III, would say, "Oh Lovey, there are just some in our most high social circles that we just cannot be seen or associated with." Wonder if SMU will do with UNT what it appears UH did to La Tech with their future home and home football schedule as in.........cancel it? We who've been around the DFW college football scene for 4 or 5 plus decades know that is always a possibility with those 'Stangs. Negative? Hardly not, some of us in SMU's most recent neighborly gesture aimed at us remember the present SMU Prez' talking up La Tech over UNT for CUSA membership in the Dallas Morning News during the last CUSA cake walk or expansion talks.

We might as well all get comfy' with our new conference surroundings because tradition once again rules. SMU's 1939 NCAA national championship is all but closer to the era of Indian raids out here in Parker County, Texas, than the present day but those are the kind of things these over-paid NCAA conference moguls and geeks seem to still go by. They seem to forget that all those 1980's great SMU football teams were Dallas' 2'nd well paid off pro football team AND................nevermind those endless photos of Gerald Ford Stadium on Game Day with less than 5,000 fans in their stadium and then those numbers most always getting reported in the DMN as either............ 18,000 or 22,000. :lol: Hey, I know we have our own att. problems but I don't think ours (even in an 8 season losing streak) can trump the ones on Mockingbird Lane and those during winning football seasons to boot.

So I guess the NCAA's version of social climbing Cinderellas-ugly-sisters-in-waiting continues and I don't see this round being the last one, either. Be nice if North Texas at some point of all our lives would actually be athletically postitioned for advancement with good W/L records across the board to complement our extremely advantagious North Texas Metroplex location.

So all non NCAA Big Boy Conference schools start reforming the lines once again for the next round! This whole thing is all but turning into comedy sit-com if you sit back and think about all that has transpired.

GMG!

Edited December 13, 2012 by PlummMeanGreen

casual fan · December 13, 2012

Under the "it won't happen but wouldn't it be great if it did" category...If UH and smu were to rejoin CUSA it would look like this.

West......................EAST

UNT..................... Marshall

smu.......................UAB

Houston.................UNC Charlotte

Rice.......................Old Dominion

Tulsa..................... MT

UTEP.....................FIU

UTSA ....................Southern Miss

Lousiana Tech ......FAU

The west division would be a great place to be. It would have rivalries galore.

Edited December 13, 2012 by casual fan

H-towngreen · December 13, 2012

Under the "it won't happen but wouldn't it be great if it did" category...If UH and smu were to rejoin CUSA it would look like this.

West......................EAST

UNT..................... Marshall
smu.......................UAB
Houston.................UNC Charlotte
Rice.......................Old Dominion
Tulsa..................... MT
UTEP.....................FIU
UTSA ....................Southern Miss
Lousiana Tech ......FAU

The west division would be a great place to be. It would have rivalries galore.

CUSA is kicking themselves in the ass for ODU and UNCC

Arkstfan · December 13, 2012

CUSA is kicking themselves in the ass for ODU and UNCC

And FIU/FAU and maybe UTSA as well.

houstonmeangreen · December 13, 2012

CUSA is kicking themselves in the ass for ODU and UNCC

well, I don't know...watched ODU playing G Southern the other day...playing at ODU...full stadium and gotta tellu...they would probably kick our ass in football. UNCC probably so , as well as FAU and/or FIU.....but from SMU standpoint...UNT is the regret. Edited December 13, 2012 by houstonmeangreen

Harry · December 13, 2012

CUSA is kicking themselves in the ass for ODU and UNCC

Actually they did that at the encouragement of the eastern schools (East Carolina, Marshall). So, you would think that if ECU was contemplating their post-Big East plan, it would be more attractive to them to have those regional rivalries. UTSA was a no brainer, due to what they bring in TV market, attendance, destination and proximity to Texas schools. FIU gave them a presence in Florida when UCF left. MTSU and FAU were based on the loss of two schools Tulane and ECU. I don't fault any of these moves as they were directly in line with the stated goal of TV Markets and geographical rivalries.

Here's my question. Why could you not have a 20 team league East West Division C-USA? You have 9 division conference games and get 3 non conference. There could be a championship game and the winner could get the BCS auto bid. I realize that politics could come into play in any of these scenarios but man the travel would be fantastic, fans of most teams could attend almost every away game. Here is my proposal:

East

UConn (football only, bb in Big East)

Cincy (football only bb in Big East)

UCF

USF

ECU

UAB

FAU

FIU

Marshall

Charlotte (will join in football about the time either UConn or Cincy leaves)

Old Dominion (joins in football about the time either UConn or Cincy leaves)

Middle Tennessee

West

Southern Miss

Rice

Houston

SMU

UTEP

UTSA

Tulsa

Tulane

La. Tech

North Texas

One thing to keep in mind on the Mountain West as a expansion possibility. They are running out of backfill schools out west! If Pac 10 picks up a Boise or SDSU etc where do you go for teams? The eastern side has many more options to backfill with in my opinion.

UNT90 · December 13, 2012

Actually they did that at the encouragement of the eastern schools (East Carolina, Marshall). So, you would think that if ECU was contemplating their post-Big East plan, it would be more attractive to them to have those regional rivalries. UTSA was a no brainer, due to what they bring in TV market, attendance, destination and proximity to Texas schools. FIU gave them a presence in Florida when UCF left. MTSU and FAU were based on the loss of two schools Tulane and ECU. I don't fault any of these moves as they were directly in line with the stated goal of TV Markets and geographical rivalries.

Here's my question. Why could you not have a 20 team league East West Division C-USA? You have 9 division conference games and get 3 non conference. There could be a championship game and the winner could get the BCS auto bid. I realize that politics could come into play in any of these scenarios but man the travel would be fantastic, fans of most teams could attend almost every away game. Here is my proposal:

East
UConn (football only, bb in Big East)
Cincy (football only bb in Big East)
UCF
USF
ECU
UAB
FAU
FIU
Marshall
Charlotte (will join in football about the time either UConn or Cincy leaves)
Old Dominion (joins in football about the time either UConn or Cincy leaves)
Middle Tennessee

West
Southern Miss
Rice
Houston
SMU
UTEP
UTSA
Tulsa
Tulane
La. Tech
North Texas

One thing to keep in mind on the Mountain West as a expansion possibility. They are running out of backfill schools out west! If Pac 10 picks up a Boise or SDSU etc where do you go for teams? The eastern side has many more options to backfill with in my opinion.

What you are proposing is basically two conferences that play a champoinship game, a la the dead CUSA-MWC deal.

This is way too bloated. With no chance to play any team in another division because of 9 games against division foes, how are you in the same conference if you never play each other?

You will see the football team stay in the Big East and let the 7 Catholic schools go off and form their little basketball conference. Because of the threat to disband the conference, an agreement will be made with the basketball schools to waive any fee for leaving as long as they don't vote to disband the conference.

Big East football will survive. Big East Basketball will be WAY watered down.

Edited December 13, 2012 by UNT90

Harry · December 13, 2012

What you are proposing is basically two conferences that play a champoinship game, a la the dead CUSA-MWC deal.

This is way too bloated. With no chance to play any team in another division because of 9 games against division foes, how are you in the same conference if you never play each other?

You will see the fopotball team sstay in the Big East and let the 7 Catholic schools go off and form their little basketball conference. Because of the threat to disband the conference, an agreement will be made with the basketball schools to waive any fee for leaving as long as they don't vote to disband the conference.

Big East football will survive. Big East Basketball will be WAY watered down.

You're right - my preference would be 18 schools total... perhaps the Mountain West and C-USA come up with an arrangement to make that happen.

However I think you are mistaken if you think the basketball schools will be willing to give up the name Big East to the football schools who in no way deserve that moniker. Frankly, with all of the media hits the Beast has been taking I would bet they are wanting to distance from that name.

Everyone is missing the point that it is NOT easy to start up a new conference in the current environment. The big boys do not want to offer up any more "free" spots in the dance..that's just a fact. They will not waive that continuity rule. A watered down Big East, without the premier schools, TV money and without the auto bid to BCS is not much better than the rest of us. Geography becomes more important to the have nots because it means better attendance and lower travel costs. I do not see a huge recruiting advantage by setting up a new conference with the defections, loss of TV revenues and the loss of the basketball champion auto bid to the dance.

letsgiveacheer · December 13, 2012

New York Post says this is happening today.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/big_east_basketball_only_schools_c2PMii2vTg8twF80US3G6H

UNT90 · December 13, 2012

You're right - my preference would be 18 schools total... perhaps the Mountain West and C-USA come up with an arrangement to make that happen.

However I think you are mistaken if you think the basketball schools will be willing to give up the name Big East to the football schools who in no way deserve that moniker. Frankly, with all of the media hits the Beast has been taking I would bet they are wanting to distance from that name.

Everyone is missing the point that it is NOT easy to start up a new conference in the current environment. The big boys do not want to offer up any more "free" spots in the dance..that's just a fact. They will not waive that continuity rule. A watered down Big East, without the premier schools, TV money and without the auto bid to BCS is not much better than the rest of us. Geography becomes more important to the have nots because it means better attendance and lower travel costs. I do not see a huge recruiting advantage by setting up a new conference with the defections, loss of TV revenues and the loss of the basketball champion auto bid to the dance.

But they aren't coming back to an even more watered down CUSA. Having the teams they have now is much better than competing against FIU, FAU, and 3 FBS start ups. Every single current Big east school will view it that way. If htey go anywhere, it will be to the MWC, and that is only if Boise St. and SDSU pull out of the deal.

CUSA was dead to these schools the moment UNCC, UTSA, FAU, FIU, and, for SMU, UNT was added. They will only come back to CUSA if there are zero other options.

The Big 5 better tread VERY lightly. This thing has never been as close to a prime candidate for an anti-trust lawsuit than it will be the day the Big East dies.

Edited December 13, 2012 by UNT90

Harry · December 13, 2012

But they aren't coming back to an even more watered down CUSA. Having the teams they have now is much better than competing against FIU, FAU, and 3 FBS start ups. Every single current Big east school will view it that way. If htey go anywhere, it will be to the MWC, and that is only if Boise St. and SDSU pull out of the deal.

CUSA was dead to these schools the moment UNCC, UTSA, FAU, FIU, and, for SMU, UNT was added. They will only come back to CUSA if there are zero other options.

I think you are missing my point. The basketball schools will dissolve the current Big East conference and reform it as a new basketball only Big East. They will not give up that name, they created it and deserve to keep it. The football schools if they reform a new basketball conference would lose their auto NCAA basketball bid for a period of time. If anything the catholic schools will keep the NCAA tourney auto bid. The NCAA power school will not want to offer the football schools another piece of the pie. So my premise is that they will be better served to join an existing conference.

You are right, the Mountain West would offer them a way to disassociate with some of the C-USA adds but it could come at a cost. The will have to travel out west for money that will be about the same or less because there are fewer TV sets. I don't see playing New Mexico, Wyoming, Nevada and two California schools is such a great move? SMU has nightmares from their times in the WAC. The Mountain West is very similar to the former WAC.

TIgreen01 · December 13, 2012

There is no question that CUSA over expanded and has continually knee-jerked itself into an untenable position with regard to the possible return of some (or all) of the original defectors.

What I want to know is that I've heard mention that several (or all?) of the defectors are still "technically" members of CUSA. Where do WE stand technically? Is CUSA legally bound to us (and the other expansion teams) as full members yet?

This whole situation sounds very, very bad, imho. Schools are making decisions based on money and perception of class, and this Big East fallout will be ugly and will not end well.