I think any new additions will be football only, something I think ECU fans aren't interested in.

Nothing against ECU. But, I sure hope this is not a signal that BYU and AFA are cooling to the notion of joining (or never really being that interested to begin with).

They were never really interested BJUnklFkr.

Now we know why Army has been kicked around. The Eastern teams want another Eastern team. It is painfully obvious that the Big East is going to go to 16 teams. It has to in order to mollify everyone. BYU, Air Force, and either Army or ECU will be added by 2015. ECU should be in this conference period. They are a football school in a market we have no presence in and would be appealing to the Liberty Bowl once that bowl becomes part of the Big East alignment of bowls. It just makes sense. The only two things that have held ECU back have been the basketball ineptness and academics. The small market is not really that big of an issue when we already have humongous markets everywhere else. Army and ECU are the top Eastern choices left with perhaps Southern Mississippi whom I wouldn't mind either.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but people keep forgetting that if the BE goes to 16, the first expansion slot is offered to Nova per the Temple agreement.

While ECU is not a major market, it does offer those fertile recruiting grounds in both FB and BB.

If ECU is actually being considered I would Imagine that the scenario would be:
14 - BYU/AFA
15 - Nova*
16 - ECU

* if Nova isn't able to fulfill the requirements of the Temple agreement I would imagine that
1 - There is no 15 or 16 spot
2 - The 15 - Spot would be AFA/BYU and ECU as 16.
The way the season is going I would say bring in ECU as the 16.

FWIW

(10-17-2012 11:43 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  Nothing against ECU. But, I sure hope this is not a signal that BYU and AFA are cooling to the notion of joining (or never really being that interested to begin with).

Their (speaking of BYU/ AFA) interest or lack of will be instenteous and contingent upon the TV $. ECU, much like UofL, just has their beef curtains flapping in the breeze, hoping a drunk rich guy will decide to go slumming..

I still think it will be BYU and ECU and Navy backs out.

I brought up on the main CR Board

What kind of relationship with ECU did Aresco have while at CBS. I think CBSSN airs CUSA games....

Come on, guys. Stop it with the 16 teams business.

Ehrhart specifically said that these teams were being considered for slot #14, NOT as a triumvirate to get to 16.

(10-17-2012 11:07 AM)gosports1 Wrote:  Just go with all 3 get to16 and be done with it

Pod A: Navy, Temple, RU, UConn
Pod B: ECU, USF, UCF, Memphis
Pod C: SMU, Hous, UC, UL
Pod D: AF, SDSU, Boise, BYU.

Still kinda ugly and whacked as far as geography and rivalry killing. Doesn't really work that well.

(10-17-2012 11:43 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  Nothing against ECU. But, I sure hope this is not a signal that BYU and AFA are cooling to the notion of joining (or never really being that interested to begin with).

It's going to be interesting to see. It makes complete sense that the Big East would want school #14 to be a western school. The thing is that the options become less obvious if BYU and AFA decline:

* UNLV - Great and growing market that it has all to itself without pro or college competition, but terrible on-the-field for football. Would be much more valuable as an all-sports member, but the Big East likely doesn't want that out west. Essentially a western version of Memphis.

* New Mexico - Basically in the same position as UNLV.

* Fresno State - The opposite of UNLV and New Mexico where the perceived market isn't great but the on-the-field football is solid.

* Hawaii - Would actually be a very good addition both on-the-field and TV value-wise, but geography is obviously a massive barrier here even just as a football-only option.

* Colorado State - Another good potential market with an on-the-field football problem.

I could go on with this, but you get the idea. East Carolina as an all-sports member might start looking better as an alternative when compared to the non-BYU/AFA options. (Personally, I think Air Force will eventually come around but BYU won't.)

One thing to think about-
I wonder if Aresco could be pushing ECU as an option to get right in the ACC's backyard.

(10-17-2012 11:51 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  

(10-17-2012 11:07 AM)gosports1 Wrote:  Just go with all 3 get to16 and be done with it

Pod A: Navy, Temple, RU, UConn
Pod B: ECU, USF, UCF, Memphis
Pod C: SMU, Hous, UC, UL
Pod D: AF, SDSU, Boise, BYU.

Still kinda ugly and whacked as far as geography and rivalry killing. Doesn't really work that well.

Pod C would be stout.

(10-17-2012 11:54 AM)stever20 Wrote:  One thing to think about-
I wonder if Aresco could be pushing ECU as an option to get right in the ACC's backyard.

My guess is no. Otherwise, I think Aresco would have pushed them publicly, as well.

I think the ECU talk, assuming Ehrhart is correct, is a product of eastern teams seeing an all sports opening, with ND leaving.

(10-17-2012 11:56 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

(10-17-2012 11:54 AM)stever20 Wrote:  One thing to think about-
I wonder if Aresco could be pushing ECU as an option to get right in the ACC's backyard.

My guess is no. Otherwise, I think Aresco would have pushed them publicly, as well.

Unless he's having to do some convincing of the hoops schools.

What is with the fascination for this pod system?

(10-17-2012 11:58 AM)stever20 Wrote:  

(10-17-2012 11:56 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

(10-17-2012 11:54 AM)stever20 Wrote:  One thing to think about-
I wonder if Aresco could be pushing ECU as an option to get right in the ACC's backyard.

My guess is no. Otherwise, I think Aresco would have pushed them publicly, as well.

Unless he's having to do some convincing of the hoops schools.

guys, we'd come for football only... lets not kid ourselves.... we're whoring

(10-17-2012 11:56 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

(10-17-2012 11:54 AM)stever20 Wrote:  One thing to think about-
I wonder if Aresco could be pushing ECU as an option to get right in the ACC's backyard.

My guess is no. Otherwise, I think Aresco would have pushed them publicly, as well.

I'd agree. Plus, being in the ACC's backyard is generally a bad thing unless you're talking about Florida. From a pure TV perspective, it's the western markets that the league can actually own outright without direct competition (e.g. San Diego with SDSU, Las Vegas, the state of New Mexico, etc.) that would seem to be more appealing. East Carolina's main value would seem to be that it could be an all-sports member that is geographically close enough to the other all-sports members and plays solid football.

(10-17-2012 11:54 AM)stever20 Wrote:  One thing to think about-
I wonder if Aresco could be pushing ECU as an option to get right in the ACC's backyard.

I suspect it is Steve Earhart doing the pushing, from a Liberty Bowl attendance perspective. It is possible that Big East officials threw in ECU as a possibility in order to sweeten the negotiating stance.

(10-17-2012 11:54 AM)stever20 Wrote:  One thing to think about-
I wonder if Aresco could be pushing ECU as an option to get right in the ACC's backyard.

When I broke up the conference into East and West Divisions I noticed that with ECU it gives the Big East another school right in the heart of ACC country. With ECU, you get North Carolina, Maryland, Pennslvania, New Jersey, Connecticutt, and Florida as Big East football states. When you add the basketball schools you pick up Rhode Island, D.C., and New York.

With the MSG deal going down, maybe the Big East can take a risk on another historical basketball loser because we still have enough baskeball powers.

I know the western school might not be happy but they could rejoin the Mountain West down the line if things are not working out.