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Message: [QUOTE="sufan, post: 203240, member: 262"] ------------------ Re Big East expansion strategy: 1) [COLOR=#ff0000]You do realize that ND was the chair of the expansion committee[/COLOR] and the BB schools had the votes to block any or all of the additions? 2) You do realize that the conference has access to TV and media consultants? Their contract is coming up shortly. 3) [COLOR=#ff0000]So who are the 4 regional football only invites you would have added? [/COLOR] [COLOR=#ff0000]You've made a million posts on this subject, yet your alternative solution remains a mystery.[/COLOR] 4) It seems obvious the Big East decided to try to remain as competitive as possible with the other BCS conferences and add the strongest programs available. From a football perspective, SU was tied for last and Pitt was tied for 4th/5th: WVU was 1st in the conference yet despite their big win over Clemson ended up ranked 17 and 18 in the polls. The Big East added [COLOR=#ff0000]SMU[/COLOR] who beat Pitt 28-6 in their bowl. SMU's most notable win was against #20 TCU 40-33, that was supposed to be a big add to the Big East. TCU by the way ended up ranked 13 and 14. The Big East added [COLOR=#ff0000]Boise State[/COLOR] who ended up ranked 6 and 8 and [COLOR=#ff0000]Houston[/COLOR] who was ranked 14 and 18. From a strickly football competitiveness perspective, the Big East appears to have strengthened their product or at least did as well as they could. Meanwhile, if you start expanding all over the place, then it makes a lot of sense to expand in pairs. [COLOR=#ff0000]UCF[/COLOR] is a huge university with a unique regional market in a football rich state that gives USF a rival and strengthens the combined footprint; otherwise USF is out on an island. If Houston is going to be added, then they need a regional partner: who else than SMU? SDSU presumably is the western partner for Boise in football. Memphis was recently added and perhaps Temple may also be added. Both those schools presumably add to BB and it has been rumored that UL may be on it's way to the Big 12; I assume the Big East is better informed of that likelihood that you are. Navy supposedly comes in in 2015. [COLOR=#ff0000][COLOR=#000000]5)[/COLOR] Summary[/COLOR]: from an SU perspective, the new Big East would have been a complete disaster: an academic and geographical embarrassment with a likely low pay out and continuing instability. SU as a private university would have suffered greatly being associated with the current Big East teams. Fortunately, SU is in the ACC. from a ND perspective: the Big East apparently provides a better home for their non-football sports than a conference with just the Catholic BB schools: more competition with UL and Cin still in the conference and with UConn and RU as northeastern schools. from the perspective of the Catholic BB schools: apparently they decided it was important not to split unless ND was joining them. from the perspective of UConn and RU: they can play football in the 6th best conference: that was clearly the goal. from the perspective of Cin, UL as long as it stays, Memphis, Temple if added, Houston, SMU, Boise, SDSU, USF, UCF: they probably are happy to play in a conference that is the 6th best football conference, where UCF, Houston, SMU, Memphis and presumably Temple are further associated with ND, Nova, GW, St John's and other BB teams, including UConn and will no doubt get a better payout and much greater visibility than any current alternative. [/QUOTE]

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