Tater

December 15th, 2012 at 3:57 PM ^

As a Tampa Bay area resident, I would love to see USF in the Big 16 and in Michigan's division.  I would get to see Michigan once every two years without it being a disappointing bowl game, and Michigan would have a better recruiting presence in Florida.  

USF would double their attendance because the stands would be half-full of northern transplants such as myself from each Big Ten area.  And the players from northern teams in USF's division would get a trip to Florida every two years that doesn't involve a disappointing bowl.  And, of course, Delaney would get to see "his" footprint get a lot bigger.

In other words, everybody would win. 

 

Wolverine In Exile

December 15th, 2012 at 3:01 PM ^

 is how Dayton and Xavier will react. Both are school the BE7 were targeting for a new conference, and with the reported ability for the BE7 to take the autobid with them, I would imagine UD and XU would sign up fast, ditching the A10 in the process.

ILMichFan70

December 15th, 2012 at 3:01 PM ^

Should be interesting to see where these schools end up.  Don't blame them for leaving the Big East. Don't really see any conferences that provide a great option but we'll see.

Wolverine In Exile

December 15th, 2012 at 3:05 PM ^

If the BE7 can take the BE's basketball autobid with them as reported last night on ESPN, then all they have to get is 2-3 other Catholic city schools with a basketball focus and they're set in a conference with the same focus and general ethics for scholarships/recruiting/scheduling/etc. Add Dayton, Xavier, maybe Temple or St Joe's, and you can have the "Papist 10" (P1G)

I can make that joke, 'cause I'm Catholic.

Wolverine Devotee

December 15th, 2012 at 3:08 PM ^

UConn is a perfect add to me. They have good basketball program, they have a hockey program, and a football program who went to a BCS game a couple of years ago.

Before you bag on UConn, what is Rutgers good at?

Don

December 15th, 2012 at 3:53 PM ^

They're not a member of the AAU:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_American_Universities

The Big Ten would have to make a radical change in their criteria for admission to the conference to admit a non-member. Nebraska was a member when they were invited by the Big Ten, but after their admission the AAU stripped NE of their membership over disputed metrics for inclusion in that organization. To quote NE Chancellor Pearlman:

"All the Big Ten schools are AAU members," Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman said. "I doubt that our application would've been accepted had we not been a member of the organization."

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-06-13/sports/ct-spt-0614-aau-bi…

As the article mentions, there is some reason to think that the Big Ten might have considered relaxing its AAU-membership criteria for Notre Dame, but that would be a unique, one-off exception due to the athletic nature of the institution in South Bend, and a nod to its concerted efforts to ramp up its research activities profile. UConn ain't Notre Dame.

Wolverine In Exile

December 15th, 2012 at 3:14 PM ^

I imagine UConn to the ACC to replace MAryland is pretty obvious and on the way to happening. The wildcards are Cincy and SoFla. SoFla isn't ACC material in terms of academics or "bigness" and Cincy might fit the profile, but probably not. I would imagine SoFla to Conf USA and then Cincy to maybe the Big12??

Paps

December 15th, 2012 at 3:19 PM ^

Can we still blame the Longhorn Network for this?

Also, These teams should just make a super Hoops-only conference with the likes of Butler VCU and most of the A10

BlueDragon

December 15th, 2012 at 3:19 PM ^

The BE no longer serves the interests of its basketball-only members. Vaya con dios, and thanks for helping the conference arrangements make a little more sense. Or less nonsense.

bronxblue

December 15th, 2012 at 3:21 PM ^

A good move.  The Big East is a silly football conference, but the basketball-only schools, with a couple of additions, could be a consistent performer. 

LSAClassOf2000

December 15th, 2012 at 3:37 PM ^

I have to believe that it is the association with a conference that is considered second-tier because of a sport that they don't play at the FBS level that accounts for part of the reason for the departue. I don't really blame them for not wanting to share the potential fate of their multi-sport compatriots in the Big East.

These are good basketball schools, consistent among the top performers in their now-former conference as well as the country, and if they could draw some equally competitive teams into a new hoops-centric conference, and get at least a serviceable media deal (it won't be Big Ten-esque certainly), they'll get exposure and they'll be probably as good as many major conferences. The break from the Big East might even help them get even better in the long term. 

Perkis-Size Me

December 15th, 2012 at 8:30 PM ^

I doubt Kansas and K-State, collectively, are good enough academically for the Big Ten. The conference would get solid pickups in K-State football and Kansas basketball, so its an intriguing thought.



UVA and Va Tech make more sense. Gain an elite public institution in UVA, a solid school in Va Tech, a great football program in Va Tech, access to Virginia recruiting, and a great all-around athletic program with UVA.

Avant's Hands

December 15th, 2012 at 4:05 PM ^

This is going to start the conference realignment back up again. Cincy and UConn to the ACC makes sense to me since they are both better basketball schools, but I can't remember what that would put their number of schools at. The important question for is will this inspire Delany to be proactive and go after an ACC school or two, assuming that the ACC will be adding schools anyway. Or would he think about going after UConn or Cincy (if either is an AAU school)? This is going to be an interesting off season to say the least.