Big East football keeps $100 million in split

Submitted by Cold War on

Big East football schools will get almost all of a $110 million pot in a deal that will allow seven departing basketball schools to keep the name Big East and start playing in their own conference next season, a person familiar with the negotiations says.

The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the separation agreement has not yet been finalized. That is likely to happen by the end of the week. The football schools will receive approximately $100 million under the agreement, most of which will go to holdover members Connecticut, South Florida and Cincinnati.

The basketball schools will receive $10 million, the Big East name and the right to play their conference tournament at Madison Square Garden...

 

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-big-east-football-keeps-100-million-in-split-20130305,0,2680451.story
 

West German Judge

March 6th, 2013 at 11:51 AM ^

It should be pretty clear to you and everyone else that UVa, VaTech, UNC, Georgia Tech, and FSU are the most likely and talked about candidates for 15 and 16.

If, God forbid, we were to go to 20 teams, then I'd consider UConn. If AAU membership were overlooked at that point, however, you'd see Boston College and Syracuse get a look, too, further diminishing Cincy's chances.

LSAClassOf2000

March 5th, 2013 at 10:11 PM ^

"The Big East's stash of cash has built up in recent years through a combination of exit fees, entry fees and money the league's members earned in the NCAA men's basketball tournament." - from the article

This announcement comes, of course, after the media rights deal which will give the schools in the Big East a comparatively paltry $1.8 million per year beginning in 2014, if I remember correctly. It seems to point towards the occasionally discussed theory that the best way for the Big East to survive is to, in fact, implode. 

chatster

March 6th, 2013 at 7:02 AM ^

Among the options for a name for this new football conference are La League-Eh, Der Bungledleague-a and Serie Ah, Who Cares? . . . Now, as for that long-anticipated East Carolina-Temple Wednesday afternoon matchup at Philadelphia's Franklin Field

 

Tauro

March 6th, 2013 at 12:24 PM ^

Makes sense for the football members to do this.  The Big East name has more prowess in basketball, while they were the laughing stock of the big conferences in football.  Since these schools are already going to be relegated to mid-majordom, makes sense to re-brand and keep the cash.  The 7 departing schools will get far more benefit from keeping the name than the football 3.

93Grad

March 6th, 2013 at 1:28 PM ^

that actually makes some sense.  The Big East goes back to being a basketball conference and its members will share similar geography, philosophy, and demographics (i.e. mostly urban schools). 

The former Big East football teams can all go back to obscruity in some Conference USA like mid-major where they belong.