If I had one mission, and it was to save the BE's current BCS bid...this is my Hail Mary...

[FreakTalksAboutSU]

This plan...I warn you...is insane...and would pose a ton of logistical problems. But I believe it is just about the only chance that the current Big East teams would have left..

First off...I think the chances of the BCS bid staying in the Big East are slim to none at this point.

That said, here is the Hail Mary I would toss. Note for the purposes of the below, I am assuming that WVU, eventually, finds a path to the SEC or the Big 12, depending on where Mizzou ends up, and that Louisville eventually finds its way to the Big 12.

I am also keeping UConn and RU in the Big East for the purposes of this exercise. IF they bolt ACC, game is over...there are 2 FB schools left.

To start...I do not think there is any way that the Big East at 8-10-12 teams will have remotely enough clout to keep a BCS bid. So...they need to go with numbers. They need to take over from Conference USA as the biggest "All American" conference in the country. The hope here is that if 20% of the programs in the country are in one conference, even if most are marginal at best, the BCS may have no choice but to not exclude ALL of these programs from the chance at the crown, figuring at least ONE of them would probably be a top tier team in any given year.

1- Split off the non FB schools once and for all. Your core 4 are UConn, RU, USF, and Cinci.
2- Add the Service Academies. Navy, Army, Air Force. +3 (7 teams)
3- Add the best Conf USA/WAC/MAC/MWC type programs you can muster. Houston, UCF, ECU, Temple, Memphis, Southern Miss, Fresno St, Colorado State. +8 (15 teams)
4- Add some destination teams...teams that play in places kids may want to go, as a recruiting tool. Tulane, San Diego State, and Hawaii. Again...this is a HAIL MARY. +3 teams... (18 teams)
5- Bring in Nova and UMass...Philly market...sort of Boston market. (20 teams)
6- Boise State. They are in the right now reputation-wise. But that said, they are a damn good program. Toss them a life-raft, let them ride out their probation, and make them a member of the conference. (21 teams)
7- Allow ND to keep their sweetheart deal where they plant all of their Olympic teams, but remain an Indy in football. Also...allow ND a deal where they are allowed to take the conferences BCS bid outright (and not have to worry about qualifying for an at-large) in some scenarios (such as, a top 15 finish in final BCS rankings and NO other conference team in the top 25)...just to clarify...I am NOT intimately familiar with the current "at large" provisional language including ND...whatever that is, make this a 2nd safety net for them that requires a slightly lesser finish for them, but is also easily surpassable (in other words, they should only get this in a year where they are very good and the entire 21 team ensemble has no teams in the top 20-25 range).

The result

A massive 21 team conglomeration that would be divided into 3 7 team divisions.

Each season each team would play 4 teams in its division, and 2 teams from each of the other 2 divisions, allowing for 4 non conference games.

East
UConn
Rutgers
Villanova
UMass
Army
Navy
Temple

South
USF
Tulane
Memphis
Cincinnati
Southern Miss
ECU
UCF

West
Houston
Hawaii
Boise State
San Diego State
Air Force
Colorado State
Fresno State

The new conference would probably have to be rebranded something more national in scope, something like the North American Football Conference or something slightly less craptacular...

Again...I know this is ridiculous...but I dont know that the Big East has many options left at this point if it hopes to retain football viability.

 

[All4SU]

If I were the BE and had to make a HAil Mary pass to save the conference, I would do this:

1) Add any teams I could to get to 12
2) Take the Exit monies from TCU, SYR, Pitt and whomever else -- and "invest" those millions of dollars into illegal recruiting tactics -- paying players, buying cars, forging transcripts -- anything at all to get some serious talent into the league. Then hope like hell to win a National Championship or two.

 

[BlazeOrange]

Ultimately, I think the best they can do is have the BE Champion play the MWC Champion for the BCS bid. But this isn't something that the BE needs to offer up UNTIL the BCS bid is taken away from them.

So the answer is just to build back up to 8 teams and maintain the status quo. If/when the autobid is taken away, they could propose the alliance with the MWC. That would form sort of a 16-team conference with no crossover games between divisions.

 

[Miasta]

Here is my Big East hail mary:

**North East'ish**
Temple
UConn
Rutgers
Umass
Villanova
Cincy
Marshall
Memphis

**South Easterwestester**
South Florida
Central Florida
Florida International
ECU
App St. / Charlotte
Rice
SMU
Houston

 

[ImperialOrange]

Wouldnt it just be easier for C-USA or the MAC to "raid" the remaining Big East teams?

You'd have to go directional Michigans before App State or UNC(insert city).

If you're adding App State and upgrading Nova. and UMass might as well add James Madison, Richmond, and Delaware while you're at it.

May as well give a call to Troy State, Middle Tennessee State, and Western Kentucky while you're at it as well. Can't forget about the MVSU Delta Devils and FAMU either!

Whatever the BE comes up with (if anything) is going to be ugly.

 

[Garrett_TD23]

It's really not a bad idea considering the circumstances the BE finds themselves in.

First I would clean house with the dead weight basketball schools. Get rid of DePaul and Seton Hall for starters so that it allows 10 spots for FB schools. Tell the other member schools that in order to save the conference we are going after some big schools and offer them an unequal amount of revenue sharing. As unlikely as this would happen, pitch to FSU and Miami that (1) they would make more television money in the Big East (uneven revenue sharing) (2) games would be closer in proximity with USF already in the conference with possibly UCF as an addition.

If they can pull in a big fish or 2, I think the Big East can add a few more C-USA schools to fill out the rest of the conference.

 

[FreakTalksAboutSU]

The Boise State thing makes this slightly less ridiculous...