PITT to the Big 12?

[Calcuse]

From ESPN Insider...
Paul Zeise of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Pittsburgh Panthers are more than a candidate to join the Big 12, they're the school on top of the conference's wish list. However, he's not so sure the Panthers wish to be in the Big 12.
"The one thing that [Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson] said the school absolutely needs is stability and if the Big East can't provide it, the school will find it elsewhere," Zeise writes. "But as unstable as the Big East is, or at least seems to be (meaning, the annual 'this school is leaving for greener grass' stories always have some legs because the football conference is not on solid footing) -- it is still more stable or at least as stable as the Big 12 is. That's why Texas A&M has already apparently jumped ship and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are thinking about doing the same. You simply can't have a league where one team -- Texas -- plays by a different set of rules than everyone else and expect it to last. As long as the Longhorn Network exists, the Big 12 will be on shaky ground -- so why would Pitt want to go there?"
Which is not to say that Pitt is certain to remain in the Big East. "[If] the ACC or SEC or Big Ten comes calling, that's when [Big East officials] need to get really nervous," Zeise writes.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Time to poach Kansas, K State and Mizzou. Thebball would be a wash to a step up, depending on the year in each conference. The BE/Big 12 are 1 & 1A in my opinion in bball. In FB there is a better chance to get to a BCS game. A division with Cinn., Louisville, TCU, Kansas, Kansas State and South Florida is pretty good. The other division keep traditional rivals, Pitt, SU, UCONN, WVU, RU, Syr. together.

BE championship game at the Meadowlands each year.

 

[44PRIDE]

There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that any Big East team leaves for the B12. But I agree that its time to get TCU some regional dance partners...

 

[cmr27]

Moral of the story: Don't wait. The BE needs to be aggressive here.

 

[NKR1978]

This can be written about every Big East program, just substitute "Pitt" for "Syracuse." We all want stability for our schools. I seriously doubt Pitt or any Big East school would go to the Texas 12.

 

[SmilinBob]

Trade Providence for the Longhorn conference...I'd rather deal with the devil you know.

 

[KaiserUEO]

texas doesnt care if they drive away certain schools with their demand for a better piece of the pie. once the dust settles, there will be 9-11 teams left who will certainly come to austin on their knees asking for whatever they will give them. i would imagine, a few schools who will do so, will be from what is now the bigeast.

 

[44PRIDE]

texas doesnt care if they drive away certain schools with their demand for a better piece of the pie. once the dust settles, there will be 9-11 teams left who will certainly come to austin on their knees asking for whatever they will give them. i would imagine, a few schools who will do so, will be from what is now the bigeast.

I dunno about this. 9 to 11 teams sounds like a confrence. My opinion is the lefovers from conference expansion (the Iowa State Cyclones of the world) don't offer enough value to a school like Texas and will realign into some type of hybrid.

 

[kyleslamb]

This is all fluff. Once A&M is admitted into the SEC next week, all bets are off. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will be on the first flight to the left coast. Whether Texas is in tow or not is hard to say, but the Big 12 will be finished.

 

[tep624]

"[If] the ACC or SEC or Big Ten comes calling, that's when [Big East officials] need to get really nervous," Zeise writes.[/quote]

Well duh. Obviously if the ACC, SEC, Big Ten or Pac Ten come calling, there's reason to worry. The Big 12 is a broken model at best. Texas has alienated every remaining program outside the state of Texas in that conference. 2 of the 4 marquee name FB teams are gone now. Oklahoma is probably next. What in the world would the Big 12 have to offer Pitt other than the opportunity for Texas to take advantage of a new college FB program?

Probably Texas Tech and Baylor are the only two programs willing to stay aligned to Texas. Missouri already tried to jump to the Big 10 publically and was rebuked. Oklahoma has been linked to the SEC and OK St. may very well follow them. Kansas, K State, and Iowa State already sent feelers out to the Big East, along with Missouri. The Big 12 is a timebomb at this point.

 

[brandokc]

Dan Beebe is to the Big IX what Buzz Shaw was to SU football.

 

[VaSaltine]

I know nothing concrete on the topic, but my gut feels a complete merge between the Big East and Big 12 is being discussed. East and West Divisions make perfect sense. The hoops only Big East schools are given their pink slips and start their own BB conference. I think that would leave 18 football schools assuming A&M leaves for SEC. Which two go? I don't know.

 

[orangephan]

No way Pitt leaves for Big ?? I hope the BE aggressively pursues KU, KSU and Mizzou when the falling dominos start multiplying. If the SEC looks to add #14, the ACC will likely be the target. If the BE, or more likely, the BE FB schools, prefer to go to 14, then add ISU and Nova or UCF. Sixteen's a stretch, but why not, add BYU and one other(BC?). It's time to pad the membership proactively to protect future raids, or create a new all sports conference entirely. Furthermore, by adding Kan, KState and Mizzou, a break away from the BE BB only schools makes sense. A BCS conference would evolve on par, or most likely better than, a depleted ACC. Finally, this kind of merge would produce the absolute best conference ever in BB.

 

[tep624]

No way Pitt leaves for Big ?? I hope the BE aggressively pursues KU, KSU and Mizzou when the falling dominos start multiplying. If the SEC looks to add #14, the ACC will likely be the target. If the BE, or more likely, the BE FB schools, prefer to go to 14, then add ISU and Nova or UCF. Sixteen's a stretch, but why not, add BYU and one other(BC?). It's time to pad the membership proactively to protect future raids, or create a new all sports conference entirely. Furthermore, by adding Kan, KState and Mizzou, a break away from the BE BB only schools makes sense. A BCS conference would evolve on par, or most likely better than, a depleted ACC. Finally, this kind of merge would produce the absolute best conference ever in BB.

I think the BE has set itself up nicely for a poaching of the Big 12 or a potential merger. TCU is the beginning of a BE - West division, I truly believe that.

 

[jasjr]

Kansas, K State, Mizzou brings us to 12, one other Big 12 or Houston for a closer regional player for TCU (further footprint in Texas for TV and recruiting) and UCF (regional for USF, keeps BE firmly in FLA market for TV and recruiting and BC, PSU or ND wont come) brings us to 14, and yes, I would still consider army and navy to get us to 16 for fball. What a great diverse conference - TV markets, college football tradition, appeal to the networks and all the great places to travel to...
as far as bball, say good bye to a few of the bball ownlees..

 

[GoCuse44]

Per Yahoo sports:
Even Boren said Oklahoma would feel more comfortable with the Big 12 if it went back to having 12 teams. One league source told Yahoo! Sports on Friday that there have been internal discussions about trying to lure West Virginia , Pittsburgh and Louisville from the Big East.

 

[elimunelson]

As Bees says we will end up in the ACC when the dust settles. It may be a morphed big east hybrid but the super conferences are here.

 

[GoCuse44]

The ACC sounds good to me since our football program could be competitive and basketball would be out of this world with NC, Duke, etc.