Tulane to the Big East

[BLT]

None of this makes any rational sense to me. However, the commish did say weeks ago the conference was close to adding another football school. We all assumed BYU...but perhaps these were the two who were being considered and studied so they went two deep. Perhaps the schools made financial commitments. This happened too fast to force this. Perhaps they proactively added the second choice in defense. At this point this is a half CUSA and half BE conference which is still better than the A10. That said, I am going to sit back and enjoy the last year of the true BE.

[kneelb4zerg]

I hope the BE/Aresco plan somehow involves a realistic shot at BYU.

[Hamostradamus]

I hope the BE/Aresco plan somehow involves a realistic shot at BYU.

Not so much (at least not yet)
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoot...er-fish----byu

[Mucrisco]

Well, Tulane beat SMU in football, so there's that. Not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing for Big East football...

[MUBasketball]

Well, Tulane beat SMU in football, so there's that. Not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing for Big East football...

Big East football is so atrocious (obvious, I know). They gobbled up Houston after they had an unbelievable season last year...but then lose their coach and now they suck again. SMU is no good either, and June Jones can't wait to get out.

What a mess.

[Mucrisco]

Take the money out of this. Personally, I think we are eventually going to lose Cincy, UConn, and Louisville. This league looks very appealing:
(Post from Nova board)
"X Fan, agree on all accounts. I posted this on the Providence forum. If UCONN and UL leave, the schools should have an understanding, dissolve the league and create a core group of 12 basketball only schools, split east and west.

But to further build the league, why does it have to be basketball only? The league should not sponsor football, but the A10 model worked for years with the quality that Temple brought that league. I don't think it's necessarily one or the other as everyone is
presenting. Leave the option to 4 football playing schools who also happen to have solid basketball to protect their hoops in such a league: Temple, UMASS, Memphis, Cincy (assuming they are left behind)

I think Memphis would do the same
if given the right option. And Cincy may be left with no choice,
although it would be difficult to convince them to do it. I know if I
was Memphis fan for example, I'd rather secure my hoops in the below
league and throw football in wherever it fits for now because let's be
honest, MAC, Sunbelt, CUSA ain't a whole lot different right now. The
Big East has to stop sponsoring football basically and try to create
this league. But football is like crack for them. They just can't stop.
This below league would be a top 4 hoops league.

East
PC
SHU
SJU
G'town
Nova
Richmond
UMASS *football remains in MAC
Temple *football back to the MAC

West
Marquette
Xavier
Dayton
Butler
St. Louis
Depaul
Memphis *football in MAC or Sunbelt?
Cincy *football in the MAC"

Now, add Creighton, St Mary's, The Zags, VCU, and other strong Bball schools to that and as a pure college basketball fan, that is something to be excited about. Instead, money and college football continue to screw this whole thing up. We can't even hope for a good hoops only conference because we want/need more cash. I'm adopting women's volleyball as my fall viewing sport along with soccer.

[unclejohn]

I take exception to your mean-spiritedness, because it is unnecessary. First, let me say I agree with the high school gym remark. Second, if you are using the rolling downhill wisdom, I would say Tulane is below us. I've heard nothing of this Northern Kentucky business you speak of.

Well, I think it is unwise to drop by this board to tell us how badly things are going. That is not likely to engender a kind response. Yep, it looks like the Big East is in bad shape, but as a result, the conferences further down the food chain, like yours, are in worse shape, so it does little good to take pleasure in the discomfort of Marquette fans. As for the Northern Kentucky remark, that is the speculation on your board (the other one) regarding what to do to replace Butler.

Sorry if that sounds mean-spirited. I personally have nothing against UWM, and no strong feelings about the school or the team one way or the other. I have a couple of nephews who went there, and it seemed to suit them well. As an aside, I would note that Tulane is an excellent academic school and has had more athletic success over the years than UWM. (Then again, they also had a major point-shaving scandal, so I guess you can take your pick.) But in any case, it strikes me as unwise of you to come here and point out that we are in a difficult position, as yours is worse

[pbiflyer]

Here's one from October...

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/golde...174681531.html

"I feel real good about the new direction of the Big East," (Larry Williams) said. "We'll always be very mindful of where things go and if things do change, we'll always examine potential options. But right now we feel real good about where the Big East is going."

Honestly, I think people around here look for reasons to be pissed at the administration....

Wow, if he is feeling good about the direction of the Big East, he is the only one.

[unclejohn]

Well, I am not trying to put lipstick on a pig, but most of the new additions have had some success in football in the past, and conceivably could again. Tulane, Houston, and SMU have all gone to major bowls and been nationally ranked. None of them could sustain that success, however, and the time when they could do that might have come and gone.

If this winds up in a league that does not sponsor football, I do not see having football schools hanging on as being a particularly good option. I will respectfully disagree with Crisco. It did not work in the A-10. Any A-10 school with a football team left at the first available opportunity. (Penn State, W. Va., Va. Tech, Rutgers, Temple,) If Cinci joined such a conference with us, they would be looking to do likewise, and no one could blame them.

I do think we wind up in a non-football league when the music stops, but it may keep playing for a while yet.

[MUBasketball]

Wow, if he is feeling good about the direction of the Big East, he is the only one.

Well, in Larry's defense, at the time of the quote I was confident also. It was the consensus belief that realignment was done for a while. So despite the Big East defections, they still patched it up as well as could have hoped. So at that time it was:

Losing: Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, West Virginia
Adding: Memphis, Temple, Central Florida, SMU, Houston

Not a fair trade, of course. But, still very solid going forward. Not sure he, or anyone, saw this whole domino effect starting up again. Now, it looks bad.