There was a report — quickly debunked — over the weekend of a possible tri-merger of the Big East, Mountain West and Conference USA. Turned out the report was based on a possible plan that Mountain West and C-USA that never really had any juice.
Well, it looks like they are still trying to pitch it.
Commissioners from the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA are scheduled to meet with the head of the Big East Conference on Wednesday to discuss the formation of one 28- to 32-football team super conference to try to gain automatic Bowl Championship Series status.
The Mountain West and Conference USA already have agreed to merge by either next year or in 2013. The Big East has automatic BCS status, but is in danger of losing it after 2013 and has been exploring adding teams from the Mountain West and Conference USA in an attempt to salvage it. But the two Mountain West members face hefty exit fees should they leave — Boise State up to $21 million and Air Force up to $9.6 million — that could dissuade them from jumping to the Big East.
Seeing an opportunity, Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson and Conference USA’s Britton Banowsky will make the proposal to the Big East’s John Marinatto in New York to create a mega conference.
And this was scheduled before the West Virginia news broke.
Now I give this thing a better chance than a snowball in hell.
“We would figure out some way — four divisions of seven teams each, a playoff and then a conference championship game — to come up with the (automatic qualifier),” UNLV athletic director Jim Livengood said. “Craig and Britton are going into this meeting in New York with one thing in mind, to make this happen with the Big East.”
Go for it, Big East. Not only would you be able to let Pitt, Syracuse and WVU out early, but ND would assuredly run screaming from this thing.
But where?
Their choices would be convincing the Big 12 to let them do the partial membership thing, joining the A-10, WCC or Missouri Valley, or swallowing that last vestige of arrogance and joining the Big 10 or ACC for realsies.
reason being that they would want the pick of teams before the ball got rolling
Big East football is gone!
Rumor has it John is shitting larger bricks!
Maybe John is gone !
I’m lov’in the ACC move. 5 star recruits, televised baseball, and warm weather road trips.
Another thing to consider is who is representing the Big East in the negotiations. The other commissioners will have to talk real slow to John Marinatto so he can understand he has lost game, set, and match.
To play Rutgers?
To play Uconn?
To play USF?
Let’s see who’s left.
Oh yea,
To play Cincy at Nippert?
Or to L-ville at Pizza Stadium?
There’s no way they can sell the BCS on keeping the AQ for this collection of C-USA teams.
So they are escaping before the price of leaving jail goes up.
DaveD
DaveD
Grab Pitt and ‘Cuse, get to a safe #14, with teams that fit geographically, academically, and bring football traditions (hopefully soon with this team), and two basketball powerhouses.
Both have played a lot of these teams over the years, fit right in!!!
We can argue ad nauseum about this, but, they also beat the Big 10 to Pitt and Cuse. Not as the 13th or 14th maybe, but, I said it back then, and I say it now, Rutgers and UCONN do not fit the Big 10.
A lot of people said, “oh, the Big 10 wants Rutgers to get the NYC market and the money”.
It is about money, but there is also a certain “do they fit” that has to be addressed.
They just don’t, whereas Pitt and Cuse’ do.
So, Swofford grabs the two of us, gets to a comfortable *14, and now sits and waits. If it does ever go to 16, he can try for the ND/UCONN thing, if not, then UCONN and whoever could slide right into the east coast league.
He doesn’t take a chance on getting “stuck” with 4 stinkers, maybe only two, maybe only one, and maybe none if ND/UCONN.
The Big 10 and SEC of all people, if they wanted to go to 16, could end up having to take a clunker.
First order of business for Swofford in the next couple of years, yank that 30 million dollar exit fee up to 50 and cement it. Just in case Va Tech or Clemson would ever have wandering eyes.
Oh, back to one point about Buttgers. If Buttgers and the New York City market were the be all, end all, and a financial bonanza…………….. how come the Big 10 or anyone else hasn’t taken them allready????
Not questioning, I’m sure you read it somewhere, but, after thinking about it, you think Texas will let ND in for everything but football???
Just doesn’t seem like Texas’ style……allthough if it means more money for them from their other sports, maybe they would.
Seems like they would not have another member in the conference anywhere, with the same status, or actually, a little above.
We’ll see, I guess.
All of them should jump at the trifecta (BE, MW, CUSA) merger and then tell ND to get lost.
They better do something because if the B12 were smart they would expand their “footprints” into the N.E. and swallow up Rutgers and UCONN before SWAFFORD gets them.
Sorry to see the BE go but with WVU now leaving the priest from providence has been called to say the last rights.
I bet UConn’s linemen get hard ons watching game film of our offense. If he completes more than one 15-20 yard pass in the first half, I’ll be beside myself with joy. If we see the standard M.O. play out and he has 2-3 picks and little O movement by the second half, can Graham swallow his pride and put Meyers in? As Colonel Klink’s colleague might have said, ‘vely interestink’.
Sadly, my money is he leaves him in for the 4th pick or they cart him off the field in a wheelbarrow before we see Meyers…but hope I’m wrong!
You are correct sir, Buttgers would have been gobbled up by the Little 12 if they would have added substantial value to them. (they do not)
All the variables and income possibilities were worked out ad nauseum by the L1G, rest assured.
I’m sure the ACC ran the numbers as well.
Apparently the NYC market is ever elusive. Syracuse in all likelihood delivers more of it than anyone else other than the Domers.
If Mizzou goes as expected to the SEC, where else does the L1G turn to to get to 16. They’ve already said ‘NO’ to Mizzou already anyway.
They probably think they can still get Texas & Oklahoma, but that also entails taking TT & Okie State. Two tier 3 schools.
And of course the L1G’s eternal hope is to land ND. Sorry, but I don’t believe ND wants to be in a league with such lame division names. Leaders & legends. Or is it Lenders and Laggards? lol
Goodbye Hoopies, I will miss your toothless grin.
🙁
Please turn off the lights when you leave.(you know we’re trying to keep the bills down)
The Party’s Over !
See my post above. ND would deliver the NYC & NJ & Boston & all other areas with a certain religious group that dominates the area.
If the ACC would be so fortunate, the TV money would go out of sight. And the ACC hoops tourny would be in MSG at least once every 3 years.
Pitt is set with the ACC, let’s be grateful that Nordy and Peterson were proactive and got Pitt into a conference they can be competitive in for football and basketball as well as the “Olympic” sports. HTP! Beat UCONN! 🙂
More kudos to Nordy and Steve every time you see something like this, and know, could have been us.
Simple thing, would be for Big12 to take both and BYU and get to 12.
Problem with that, Big12 going to 12 really adds no more security to that conference, that conference could break up at any time. So, in their minds, if 12 doesn’t cement us together, why split the pie up even more??
ACC sitting beautifully at 14. Open for a couple new teams someday if needed. In the meantime, 14 is a great number to sit at, and be done if thats what it ends up being.
He is right, however, about the travel logistics. Hope the bus drivers don’t get lost trying to find their way out of Morganhole.
1. Do your fans attack pregnant women?
2. do your fans brun couches and wear obsene shirts?
3. Do your fans throw coins at opposing assistant coaches?
4. Do you award uneraned MBAs?, or
5. Are your head coaches sober in public places?
I don’t really care what they do outside the stadium– it bugs me more that they regularly rush the court after wins, which is just tacky. Broadcasts are careful to mute obscene crowd chants.
Syracuse set the standard for court rushes when they beat us in a close one back in their national title year. They hit the go-ahead shot with about 4 second left to go up by 2, and Pitt inbounded right away and threw a shot up at the buzzer (court rush No. 1), only to have a couple seconds put back on the clock for Pitt’s final timeout.
Then Pitt inbounded the ball and Brandon Kight threw up a desperation shot from about half court (court rush no. 2) … only to see that shot go in alhough it may have been shot after the buzzer. So, everyone just stood around for a few minutes while the refs checked out the replay .. and when the shot was nullified, they rushed the court for the 3rd and final time .. losing all of the spontaneous celebration effect.
BTW, I hate the weeknight games also!
Cuse was bounced by Vermont in the 1st round of NCAA that year fwiw
Win the game, scream, cheer, cut the press clippings, but for the sake of the players/coaches safety and the general douchiness of it…stay off the court!
For a team that’s played in one New Year’s Day or later bowl in the past 35 years, we should be grateful that any of our games our games are televised.
I’m guessing they were going for offensive, funny and creative. As usual, they only succeeded with offensive.
Pitt always has very good tv ratings, even nationally, people seem to like to watch Pitt on t.v..
That’s wonderful, it really is. But Wednesday night??? For the fan, that is ridiculous.
A Thursday night game a year, I can deal with.
I’m going tonight, but, I’m not happy about it.
