Big 10 looks for 12th team

[Boston Red]

I don't want to boot them. I just wouldn't miss them. Sort of like Providence. Or DePaul.

[joshnky]

I don't want to boot them. I just wouldn't miss them. Sort of like Providence. Or DePaul.

I misunderstood. I agree with this sentiment.

[paintmered]

And kicking out Notre Dame is going to make men's football better? Nothing positive comes from booting Notre Dame other than a feeling of justice for some fans.

It opens up a spot in the conference to add a 9th football team and a balanced schedule. And offering Notre Dame to the Big 11 gods might spare the conference entirely.

[Slyder]

It opens up a spot in the conference to add a 9th football team and a balanced schedule. And offering Notre Dame to the Big 11 gods might spare the conference entirely.

No it wouldnt. The basketball schools I'm certain would step in and demand that it be another school that doesnt have a football team to keep things "in balance". Someone like UNC (insert campus here), UMass, etc would get ND spot to keep things at 8 and 8. The ONLY way for the football schools to get a 9th member would be to go off on their own.

[joshnky]

No it wouldnt. The basketball schools I'm certain would step in and demand that it be another school that doesnt have a football team to keep things "in balance". Someone like UNC (insert campus here), UMass, etc would get ND spot to keep things at 8 and 8. The ONLY way for the football schools to get a 9th member would be to go off on their own.

This post shows the fragility of the Big East conference in its present state. Tranghese did a terrific job assembling the conference and keeping it together but with him gone, implosion is just around the corner. Unfortunately, I think the changes that are coming for the conference will not be looked upon favorably by UofL and UC fans. The basketball side will suffer greatly if the non-football schools split and the football conference, which is poor in its present state, won't improve significantly by adding schools like ECU, S Miss, or Villanova.

It really makes me wish that the Big Ten was pursuing Louisville.

[Slyder]

This post shows the fragility of the Big East conference in its present state. Tranghese did a terrific job assembling the conference and keeping it together but with him gone, implosion is just around the corner. Unfortunately, I think the changes that are coming for the conference will not be looked upon favorably by UofL and UC fans. The basketball side will suffer greatly if the non-football schools split and the football conference, which is poor in its present state, won't improve significantly by adding schools like ECU, S Miss, or Villanova.

It really makes me wish that the Big Ten was pursuing Louisville.

If East Carolina shows a commitment to ALL sports programs they could very easily come in and replace (maybe not in tradition but in current makeup) a Pittsburgh, Rutgers, or even to a point Syracuse. They are located in one of the fastest growing areas in the east and if they got money going they could very easily be another South Florida.

Many people the last time thought that Cincy was a bone to make Louisville happier and we see how that worked out.

[joshnky]

I read where the PAC10 is looking to expand to 12 teams as well so there will likely be a huge shake-up this off-season and now apparently even Notre Dame is "concerned" about their ability to maintain independent status in football. Clearly, this is likely to hurt the Big East under most scenarios but here is what I see as the options going forward ranked in order of what I'd prefer not likelihood:

1) Notre Dame sees the writing on the wall, misses out on Big Ten expansion and joins the Big East as a full member contingent on an improved ESPN deal. Villanova moves up to 1A to give the Big East 10 football members. Basketball conference stays the same.

2) Notre Dame joins Big Ten and Big East replaces them with East Carolina and then adds Villanova to football. Not ideal, but football improves and basketball is largely unchanged.

3) Most likely, Pitt joins Big Ten and Big East replaces them with ECU and adds Villanova. Football is hurt (we'd probably lose BCS status at the next negotiation) and basketball is marginally worse. This could apply for Rutgers or Syracuse leaving as well.

4) What I'm most worried about, Pitt joins Big Ten and in the attempt to replace them the conference splits and reforms with ten full member schools. Basketball is much weaker and football would likely lose BCS affiliation.

[Chip R]

I read where the PAC10 is looking to expand to 12 teams as well so there will likely be a huge shake-up this off-season and now apparently even Notre Dame is "concerned" about their ability to maintain independent status in football. Clearly, this is likely to hurt the Big East under most scenarios but here is what I see as the options going forward ranked in order of what I'd prefer not likelihood:

1) Notre Dame sees the writing on the wall, misses out on Big Ten expansion and joins the Big East as a full member contingent on an improved ESPN deal. Villanova moves up to 1A to give the Big East 10 football members. Basketball conference stays the same.

2) Notre Dame joins Big Ten and Big East replaces them with East Carolina and then adds Villanova to football. Not ideal, but football improves and basketball is largely unchanged.

3) Most likely, Pitt joins Big Ten and Big East replaces them with ECU and adds Villanova. Football is hurt (we'd probably lose BCS status at the next negotiation) and basketball is marginally worse. This could apply for Rutgers or Syracuse leaving as well.

4) What I'm most worried about, Pitt joins Big Ten and in the attempt to replace them the conference splits and reforms with ten full member schools. Basketball is much weaker and football would likely lose BCS affiliation.

Seems like ND is getting a bit worried about missing out on money.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...ame-expansion/

[Kingspoint]

How can Notre Dame not try to join the Big-Ten? They're not a "draw" anymore, and will never get another TV contract that's half-way decent from anyone. (unless it's EWTN, the Catholic Channel, but they don't have any money).

[Kingspoint]

The teams that I would think would be the best schools for entering the Pac-10 would be Fresno State and Boise State. Those two teams would help the Pac-10 the most, I think. Fresno State's baseball program is also excellent, while Boise State has an excellent wrestling program and I could see them improving on a basketball program (though it might not take much improvement to compete in the Pac-10. ).

I wonder what schools are being considered?

[Hoosier Red]

The whole TV contract is a bit overstated in today's market anyway. Notre Dame would likely get more from its share of the Big 10 network revenues than they get from its current contract.

Also, the Big 10 brings up Rutgers as a way of getting into the NY market, but quite honestly Notre Dame would probably create more demand in the big apple than the State University of New Jersey.

[Chip R]

NBC is still happy with their ND deal...for now.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/sp...omir.html?_r=3

[Caveat Emperor]

This post shows the fragility of the Big East conference in its present state. Tranghese did a terrific job assembling the conference and keeping it together but with him gone, implosion is just around the corner. Unfortunately, I think the changes that are coming for the conference will not be looked upon favorably by UofL and UC fans. The basketball side will suffer greatly if the non-football schools split and the football conference, which is poor in its present state, won't improve significantly by adding schools like ECU, S Miss, or Villanova.

It really makes me wish that the Big Ten was pursuing Louisville.

The Big East, in it's current form, probably doesn't have much longer to live -- months at worst, a year or two at best IMO. There is *way* too much chatter out there about multiple different "power" conferences looking to expand. If any of the eastern power conferences (B10, SEC, ACC) decided to expand, it'd probably be curtains for the Big East. There simply aren't enough good programs out there to bring aboard if the league wants to maintain it's AQ status. The Big East seems destined, ultimately, to either be bitten apart and collapse or to split and expand.

The "outside looking in" bunch appears to be Cincy, UofL and USF -- as they're consistently the names that are conspicuously absent when expansion is discussed by the other conferences. That's *really* bad news -- losing access to an AQ-conference would be a deathblow to all three programs, especially UC and USF. If I'm the Administration for these three schools, I'm actively out there advocating for the Big East to split apart and add schools to the football side before the B10 gets their act together.

This whole discussion should have UC fans extremely nervous -- it wouldn't take a whole lot to happen for UC to be playing football in a conference on roughly the same footing (in both quality and financial benefit) as the MAC or C-USA.

[improbus]

How can Notre Dame not try to join the Big-Ten? They're not a "draw" anymore, and will never get another TV contract that's half-way decent from anyone. (unless it's EWTN, the Catholic Channel, but they don't have any money).

Notre Dame gets some BCS money, whether they make the BCS or not. That is why they don't want to join.

[KronoRed]

NBC is still happy with their ND deal...for now.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/sp...omir.html?_r=3

NBC Sports was happy with the Olympics to, of course it cost NBC 200 million dollars, so I doubt they are objective