Big Ten targeting Rutgers, Syracuse and Pittsburgh

Big Ten targeting Rutgers, Syracuse and Pittsburgh in expansion, a move that could cripple Big East

The Big East can feel the earth shaking below its feet.

The Big Ten is preparing for a massive expansion that could see it grow from 11 to 16teams and it could take as many as four, possibly five teams from the Big East to make it happen.

If it does, it could leave the Big East on life support.

If Syracuse, Rutgers and Pitt bolt for the Big Ten, Big East football could be dead as early as the start of the 2012 season. It could leave Louisville, Cincinnati, Connecticut, West Virginia and South Florida scrambling to merge with the best teams from Conference USA to form their own hybrid league.

Notre Dame, which spurned the Big Ten in 1999 and was pursued on two other occasions, still seems hesitant to give up its independence in football, but the Irish could change their mind if the Big East collapses and they feel boxed in.

In one fell swoop, the Big East could turn into a refugee camp for the remaining seven non-football power members: Villanova, St.John's, Georgetown, Providence, Seton Hall, DePaul and Marquette.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany spoke at the BCS meetings Wednesday, indicating his conference was not just motivated to expand simply by a championship game itself, which could net the Big Ten only $10 million-$12 million. The bottom line is a master plan that would ultimately turn the four-year-old Big Ten TV network into a must-have property for cable providers who would put it on their first tier for households in the New York and North Jersey areas.

Delany said the process would take between 12 and 18 months, but there is growing speculation he could announce his presidents' formal invitations as early as June at the Big Ten presidential meetings.

The doomsday clock on the Big East is ticking.

Delany said he had no problem with the idea of a 16-team super conference.

"It works for the Big East," he claimed. "Don't they have the most powerful basketball conference that's ever been put in place? That's what I keep hearing on ESPN and Fox Sports."

There's a parting shot.

Big East commissioner John Marinatto has had extensive conversations with former league commissioners Dave Gavitt and Mike Tranghese - two of the brightest minds in college athletics - and has even hired former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue as a strategic consultant, but it appears there is nothing that can stop this latest round of carnage.

Eventually, the universities will go because the money the Big Ten is offering - $22 million apiece in TV revenue alone - far surpasses the value of the current Big East TV contract.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/2010/04/22/2010-04-22_big_10_prepares_big_bite_on_east.html#ixzz0lwZWfIXD

We have heard this kind of talk almost constantly as the Big East grew into what we know it to be today. If the football schools want to leave to chase the cash, then let them leave. Once and for all. That way the schools that are left can concentrate on creating a Super Basketball Conference, a conference with members who have no ulterior motives. There are some excellent teams that we could add and make it a conference with a tremendous following, it would build excitement immediately. As long as these schools are in our conference, they will be in the driver seat and can threaten to leave anytime. My feeling is leave now, don't let the door hit you on the way out......We will survive. The Big East started out as a BASKETBALL CONFERENCE, let's return to our roots.

it's still a basketball conference.  that's why some of the football teams want out.

If we turn into a superbasketball conference....do we chase schools like St. Louis?  What about a school like Gonzaga?  I know the travel arrangements would be difficult for them, but they'd make more than enough money to make it up from TV.

That would be a great conference;

1. Villanova
2. Georgetown
3. Gonzaga
4. St. John's
5. Xavier
6. Seton Hall
7. St. Louis
8. Depaul
9. Providence
10. Marquette
11. St. Joe's

id rather have temple and dayton than st louis. even rhode island before them

If we turn into a superbasketball conference....do we chase schools like St. Louis?  What about a school like Gonzaga?  I know the travel arrangements would be difficult for them, but they'd make more than enough money to make it up from TV.

That would be a great conference;

1. Villanova
2. Georgetown
3. Gonzaga
4. St. John's
5. Xavier
6. Seton Hall
7. St. Louis
8. Depaul
9. Providence
10. Marquette
11. St. Joe's

That conference sucks

yea lol, providence, st joes, st louis...nuh uh...but if we lose the football schools we'll get other schools to join...basketball schools...and then we'll be a pure basketball conference and never have to hear this talk again...the big east will find teams to join, its not going to just collapse...thats like the talk of us going to the maac...its just ridiculous

If we turn into a superbasketball conference....do we chase schools like St. Louis?  What about a school like Gonzaga?  I know the travel arrangements would be difficult for them, but they'd make more than enough money to make it up from TV.

That would be a great conference;

1. Villanova
2. Georgetown
3. Gonzaga
4. St. John's
5. Xavier
6. Seton Hall
7. St. Louis
8. Depaul
9. Providence
10. Marquette
11. St. Joe's

i dont like st. louis and gonzaga.

keep the conference more regional.


id rather see: [although i would rather have a better team replace st. joes]

1. Villanova
2. Georgetown
3. Xavier
4. St. John's
5. temple
6. Seton Hall
7. Depaul
8. Providence
9. Marquette
10. St. Joe's

I like that last allignment best....I think regional would be stronger than having it spread all over the place. I also think we should not have too many teams in it. We should learn from the 16 team Big East it can crazy with too many teams.

I don't understand the St. Louis hate.  It's a decent-sized market, and a regional matchup with Marquette and DePaul.

And if the conference has that much reach, one wonders if Butler might be interested in ponying up the money to compete in that conference.  Other schools to check out might include Rhode Island, U Mass, and Siena (they have a big arena and solid success over the last 15 years).

Quote from: Marillac on April 23, 2010, 04:52:26 PM

If we turn into a superbasketball conference....do we chase schools like St. Louis?  What about a school like Gonzaga?  I know the travel arrangements would be difficult for them, but they'd make more than enough money to make it up from TV.

That would be a great conference;

1. Villanova
2. Georgetown
3. Gonzaga
4. St. John's
5. Xavier
6. Seton Hall
7. St. Louis
8. Depaul
9. Providence
10. Marquette
11. St. Joe's

i dont like st. louis and gonzaga.

keep the conference more regional.


id rather see: [although i would rather have a better team replace st. joes]

1. Villanova
2. Georgetown
3. Xavier
4. St. John's
5. temple
6. Seton Hall
7. Depaul
8. Providence
9. Marquette
10. St. Joe's

Temple would be a good choice, but they have a rising football program and they are in the MAC now.  You'd have to assume that they'd be part of any salvage attempt from the Big East football schools.  Plus, they'd be the only non-Catholic/Private school of the group.

What happens to Uconn?  Wow they might be s out of luck!  If the Big Ten takes RU, Syracuse and Pitt, the remaining BE football schools will inevitably add ECU, Memphis, and Temple.

Would Uconn try to get in the ACC?  How medicocore would basketball be in a conference of WV-Uconn-Memphis-Temple-ECU-Cincy-Louisville-USF?  Uconn is struggling now and Calhoun is finishing up his run.  Memphis will be coming down after the Cal-effect completely fades.  ECU and USF will always be terrible.  They'd also have to add probably at least one more iffy C-USA basketball school like Sothern Miss.

I can see adding Notre Dame. Notre Dame football is worth millions. This would be a huge boost to the Big Ten Newtwork.  How does adding big east schools make them more money. Pitt plays in an empty stadium unless they are play ND. I cant imagine that many people in the north east wanting to watch Pitt VS Northwestern in football, or even Pitt vs Michigan. Rutgers has had maybe 20 sellouts in 20 years. I love college football and watch all day Saturday. But rarely watch these teams on tv. Syracuse is even worse and has even less of a college football fanbase. I dont know the ratings but I cant believe they are good. Most of NYC doesnt care about college football. The ones that do dont care about these crappy teams.

Uconn to ACC if big east football is dissolved.  Natural rival with boston college.

Boeheim: “I don’t think we’ll do well in the Big Ten....I just don’t see how Syracuse or Rutgers fits in with Iowa and Illinois.”

“Boston College is in the A.C.C., and no one cares about it there."

from Thammel twitter

Uconn to ACC if big east football is dissolved.  Natural rival with boston college.

That would just add another terrible football program and spotty academic institution to further dilute the conference.  ACC football is already pretty sh*tty. 

Uconn has no ties or rivalries with any of the current ACC teams.  Even BC and Uconn weren't main rivals in basketball and certainly not for football. 

I don't see how a 16 team football league would work.Currently it is hard to schedule 11 in the Big 10 where you have teams not playing each other. You would have year where Ohio St does not play Michigan. Michigan not playing Michigan St.

IMO The Big 10 wants 12 team and they want the Irish to be that 12 team and they putting the squeeze on them with this 16 league crap

Why would the Irish join?  Unless the BCS won't make provisions to include them easily in playoffs and bowls, ND will remain independent.

ND is going to join because they will make millions from the big ten network. Much more then from nbc.

GOODBYE!!!