Welcome to the Big East - UCF-----

[Jake]

http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/extras/colleges_blog/2011/10/big_east_ready_1.html

Temple is on deck.

 

[44PRIDE]

Good for UCF and the Big East. This is a good pick-up. For the life of me, I don't know why they don't go after ECU as well.

 

[Alsacs]

Congrats to the Golden Knights. Good news for Syracuse as well, the quicker the Big East moves on and finds replacements the quicker we can join the ACC.

 

[orangepassion]

I don't like having more BCS schools to recruit against, especially in Florida.

 

[Tornado91]

This one's a no-brainer for the BE. I think the long term upside (if there is such a thing) to adding UCF may be greater than TCU would have been.

 

[BleedsOrange44]

The only question is, what took them so long? This was an obvious choice a year ago.

 

[Cheriehoop]

The only question is, what took them so long? This was an obvious choice a year ago.

Wonder if USF may have been had issues with it and how committed the basketball onlies were about adding another football vote to the conference before this.

 

[Scooch]

For as much as some folks are decrying all this conference expansion...it's helping a lot of non-AQ schools take a step up.

Just sayin'.

 

[DomeStranger]

Well deserved for the Orlando Golden Knights ... living in O-Town I've selfishly wanted this for a while. Wish I could have saw SU play here once but still happy for UCF.

 

[cto]

http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/extras/colleges_blog/2011/10/big_east_ready_1.html

Temple is on deck.

Funny how all the newsy stuff if coming out of boston.com. First the BC/UConn story, now this. Obviously the first story was from the BC AD, but boston.com obviously has some good BE connections too. Oh wait, Providence is right down the road.

 

[BleedsOrange44]

Wonder if USF may have been had issues with it and how committed the basketball onlies were about adding another football vote to the conference before this.

Very well could be and that would make sense. But for long-term viability, I think they were a necessary add. That said, it could be too little too late.

 

[orangephan]

I always thought there would be a BE-CUSA merge eventually, (tongue in cheek). UCF was a program I thought would be a good add a couple years ago. Another FLA school to travel to every year, which is good for recruiting, great market, decent FB program, on the rise in BB, good facilities, a possible bowl tie-in, natural rival for USF, and O'Leary has a ton of experience. I'm lukewarm about Temple, but I think Golden and now Addazio have the FB program on track. Always good BB, but there in for FB only, right? Then there's the Philly market, which they don't come close to penetrating. The BE needs to go to 12 FB schools this time around. ECU, SMU, Houston, Memphis, and possibly the service academies, merit consideration. In time, it won't matter, because WVU, UCONN, RU, UL and Cinci will all be looking for greener, more secure BCS pastures. Time will tell.

 

[Madbiker]

Doesn't UCF have some sort of NCAA infractions cloud hanging over them for some possibly shady recruiting tactics? What happened to that?

 

[Rocco]

UCF is a good pickup for them. I agree that ECU should be next on the list, followed by Navy, Air Force and Temple. I don't think Boise St would go to the BE, but who knows at this point.

 

[Chip]

If ECU doesn't get in, I'm pretty sure they're going to attempt suicide.

 

[orangephan]

The FB program on the rise is SMU. They're the next TCU, IMO. If you're going to take USAFA, might as well take the Mustangs, too. Boise State's a stretch, but if the BE goes continental, take the Broncos and BYU as a package.

 

[Moontan]

The C-USA block, led by USF, together with the basketball-onlies blocked UCF which led to the 'nova fiasco.

 

[Moontan]

if the BE goes continental, take the Broncos and BYU as a package.

BYU's not joining this bunch, at least not until it's a proven entity. Big XII might be better... especially as backfiller if/when Texahoma were to head west.

 

[rrlbees]

CFCC should be about the 5th or 6th candidate for inclusion in the Big EAST.

 

[kcsu]

who cares just as long as the fill up soon so we can get out of dodge

 

[orangephan]

BYU's not joining this bunch, at least not until it's a proven entity. Big XII might be better... especially as backfiller if/when Texahoma were to head west.

Agree. BYU has already been mentioned as a likely B12 add in the next go round, either through attrition or expansion. Just thinking out loud that BYU and Boise St would be good travel partners if the BE expanded to the Rockies, which with Marinatto & Company, wouldn't surprise me, because nothing he does makes sense.

 

[kingottoiii]

The FB program on the rise is SMU. They're the next TCU, IMO. If you're going to take USAFA, might as well take the Mustangs, too. Boise State's a stretch, but if the BE goes continental, take the Broncos and BYU as a package.

How funny would it be if the BE adds Boise St and then Boise losses their HC to Zona or another team? Boise might then fall off the map. So the BE would have a program with no market and is a million miles away.

 

[BlackKnight76]

How funny would it be if the BE adds Boise St and then Boise losses their HC to Zona or another team? Boise might then fall off the map. So the BE would have a program with no market and is a million miles away.

Boise has already gone through a successful coaching change and didn't miss a beat. I think they're here to stay, although being a Non-AQ probably helps them in a lot of ways. They have a lot going for them (unique system, no academic requirements to speak of).

 

[Toga]

The C-USA block, led by USF, together with the basketball-onlies blocked UCF which led to the 'nova fiasco.

Once again - the hoops only. :bat:

 

[kingottoiii]

Boise has already gone through a successful coaching change and didn't miss a beat. I think they're here to stay, although being a Non-AQ probably helps them in a lot of ways. They have a lot going for them (unique system, no academic requirements to speak of).

While it is true they didn't miss a beat going from Koetter to Hawkins, Hawkins success had a lot to do with Petersen. I think Hawkins tenure at Colorado shows that to be true.