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Message: [QUOTE="MaxwellCuse, post: 30791, member: 1240"] Jake Crouthamel and the six remaining football schools (BC, SU, PITT, RU, WVU and CT) wanted to split from the basketball schools after the 2003 departure of VT and Miami. They wanted to form either an 8 or 9 team all-sports conference. Notre Dame and Penn State were the first two teams approached (by Buzz Shaw) but they turned down the invitation. They then looked at Louisville, Temple, Cincinnati, UCF, South Florida and Marshall, among others. At some point between July and October 2003 the football schools were pursuaded by the basketball schools (plus ND) to focus on the 8/16 hybrid plan and the rest is history. The mistake was not pursuing the split and thinking too small. They should have started with 10 schools, and stated an intent to go to 12 once the initial 3 schools were integrated into the conference. Just MHO. [/QUOTE]