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Message: [QUOTE="Shenexon, post: 208332, member: 129"] I believe that was the final straw that led to SU and Pitt leaving the conference. There was a pretty good tv deal offered for football that was voted down by non-football members of the conference. If the BE really cared about the football part of the conference, THAT deal would have been made or a better one negotiated at the time. That decision by the basketball only schools plus Notre Dame was the death-knell for the conference. If that 1.2 Billion dollar deal had been approved, it's likely that SU, Pitt, and WVU wouldn't have left, at least not as quickly. SU isn't at fault for the failure of the conference they helped to establish and support. SU's administration would have been negligent if they hadn't sought better financial support for the sports programs, especially after the conference voted down a contract that would have quadrupled revenue for the member schools. In the end, strong conferences are made up of similar institutions. The Big East had and has many disparate interests, histories, and futures for the member schools. SU's interests were never going to be the priority for the Big East and SU's administration made the decision they had to. The Big East has been a holding pen for schools waiting for offers from more stable conferences and grew in odd ways not in keeping with establishing long-term bonds. With the addition of so many programs from very different places geographically & academically, it's looking more and more like an island of misfit toys. I wish no ill for the Big East, but think we're going to the right place at the right time. The heyday of the Big East is likely over, largely because they couldn't formulate an arrangement that was equitable for all. No harm, no foul...it's just time to move on. [/QUOTE]

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