Story here. This is getting crazy!
So the Big XII is back up to X.
Probably what will finally demolish the conference is either Baylor or Iowa State leaving.
I would guess this will solidify the Conference for a couple of years. I was reading about Missouri looking at the SEC, apparently the Big XII has really made it difficult financially to leave the conference (they’d have to give up all shared revenue from 2011 and any TV revenue from 2012). They might be able to negotiate a lower cost if they don’t leave for 2-3 years.
This “agreement” has not yet been ratified. If Missouri is going to leave the conference, now is the time.
So the conference musical chair game continues. Who ever ends up in a non-AQ conference loses. The Big-12 wins a round… the Big East loses.
I figure the Big-12 wants to get back to 12. Rumored candidates are BYU and Louisville. I don’t know who else they would target if they have to replace Mizzou. Would Cincinnati be interested in a move?
But this really puts the Big East behind the 8-ball. Who else can they grab? Is there anyone who would lift the conference who would would be willing to join? The service academies make for interesting rumors. But does Air Force really want to fly to the East time zone 4-5 times a year? Can they keep the defections from continuing?
And are the other AQ conferences satisfied or are they still shopping? The PAC seems to have decided to stop at 12. The B1G (10) also seems satisfied for now. Of course if Notre Dame decides to finally join a conference the B1G still seems like the place they would end up. And they would want to grab someone else to balance the numbers at 14. And how big does the ACC want to shoot for? Are they done with 14, or are they shooting for 16? Presumably the SEC can have anyone they want… how big do they want to get? And mostly it seems like place they are all looking to pick up a team or two is the Big East.
And then there is poor Boise… best program in the country that no one wants. Attached to a relatively un-distiguished academic program. Located in a third-tier tv market, with a small alumni base. Will anybody take Boise? Or are they relegated to languish in whatever mid-major they end up in. Bullying any and all at the kiddy table, but never being allowed to sit with the adults.
So many questions. It all has quite the soap opera feel to it.
Southern Mississippi could probably be convinced to move up to the big time. They’ve already got the two SEC schools in the state afraid to play them…
TCU seems like a good fit. How about SMU? Wyoming? UNLV?
Why would either one of those teams leave? Neither is going to be poached by other conferences, so unless they want to move down to the MWC, they are stuck. Both are in the best spot they could realistically hope for.
I am pretty sure I could have got rich betting on Southern Miss (taking the points) when they played the SEC back in the 80’s and 90’s.
They used to play 2-3 SEC opponents per year. This year none. Last year, only South Carolina. And not too many in this century.
Swapping Texas A&M for TCU is an upgrade for The Big Whatever. The Big East, however, seems to be screwed.
The Big East is reportedly looking to add Houston, SMU, Air Force, and Boise State in a Big Not-So-East division. Good luck with that, guys. :rolleyes:
I think the meaning is that Baylor and ISU would be the ones turning out the lights after everyone else is poached.
The Big East is going to invite Houston, SMU, and Central Florida in all sports, and Boise State and Air Force in football. They’re also trying to talk Navy into joining and tried to get Army, who said no. It doesn’t sound like they’re blowing anyone away and even if they got all these teams, that doesn’t exactly make them a powerhouse.
Mountain West and Conference USA Conference to merge?
Oh for fuck sake, make up your minds. The old 8 team WAC decided to become the first super conference with 16 teams. Then after a few years they decided that was a stupid idea, and most of the old WAC left to become the Mountain West. Now Whats left of those teams thinks a 22 team conference is a good deal?
Boise State and UCF have now officially received Big East bids. Boise in football, UCF in all sports. Supposedly Air Force and Navy have football invites too, but I don’t see the point. It’s pretty obvious that those programs are never going to be competitive.
As a UCF fan, I’m kind of torn now. I really like the C-USA/MWC “super conference” idea- which is now a done deal, other than picking a name- and I’m not certain that the Big East has a better shot at keeping its automatic qualifier status than I am that Conference Mountain West USA has of stealing it (or getting their own).
On the other hand, joining the Big East recreates UCF’s best rivalry (against USF), one that was on ice for a while because USF refused to schedule games. It’ll have a little extra spice since USF has now all but acknowledged blocking UCF’s attempts to join the Big East for the past 2 years.
Until somebody accepts Big East bids, though, it has just 6 football schools. Houston is a fine candidate for a BCS conference, as is East Carolina. Maybe SMU. After that, pickings have been thin on the ground in C-USA, which UCF has mostly dominated for five years.
The conference alliance is more of C-USA’s idea than it is the MWC’s. Fact is, all of the mid-majors have been raped by recent realignment (dating back to when Miami and FSU bolted the Big East and were replaced by CUSA teams), and it’s starting to look like there won’t be such a thing as a mid-major for much longer.
I see it as the start of the end (okay, Step #36 of the end) of the BCS as we know it. What’s to prevent the conferences from setting up pseudo-superconferences that effectively create a 4- or 8-team playoff at the end of the season, all under the guise of “conference title games”?
It’s one thing to set up a superconference where 22 teams are fighting for one automatic bid. Why would 12 teams which are already eligible for one want to bother?
I don’t get the appeal of Texas and Idaho schools in the Big East? Is $$$ really that important? If these go through, the schools need to abolish their geography departments!
It’s only about maintaining a BCS slot. Part of the criteria involve poll standings of members, and Boise State has had some good ones. With less-desperate measures, the Big East is likely to lose its BCS slot and a whole buncha bux.