I don't think anyone has posted this yet....

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/fo...index.html

STORRS, Conn. (AP) -- Connecticut coach Randy Edsall wants to see another football school join the Big East Conference.

The league has just eight teams playing football. Each season, some schools play four conference home games and some get only three.

UConn plays West Virginia, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh at home next season.

"It would be just so much more viable and more equitable to everybody in the conference if we all had four home games each year," Edsall said Thursday. "So that's why it's our hope as football coaches, to get to where we have at least another team in the league."

Edsall declined to say what schools he believes might make good candidates for Big East football. Central Florida, Memphis, East Carolina and others have been mentioned in the past as possible fits.

Notre Dame is already a Big East member in other sports, but not football, where it has its own television contract and does not have to share its revenues.

League commissioner Michael Tranghese has said if the Irish would like to talk about becoming a football member, he'd certainly take the phone call. But otherwise, the league is not pursuing expansion, spokesman John Paquette said Thursday.

UConn is negotiating with Notre Dame for a football series. According to an internal memo from Notre Dame that found its way to the Internet last week, the schools plan a 10-game series starting in 2009, with five games in South Bend, Ind., three at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. and two at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

Edsall would not say whether he favors such a series, which would not include a home game in Connecticut.

"If we get a signed contract and things, I'll be happy to discuss it," Edsall said. "I don't want to be saying anything until the ink would be dry on the contract. Because if I say something, I could screw the whole thing up and nobody might sign it."

Connecticut will play Virginia, Baylor and Hofstra in nonconference home games next season. The Huskies have just two open nonconference dates in the next few years, one in 2010 and one 2012, Edsall said.

The school is talking to a lot of other programs about future games, and Edsall said he has his own wish list.

"Ideally, as I've mentioned, I'd like to play Army, I'd like to play BC each year, and then a MAC school, a I-AA," he said. "Then you have another one that you can get, a top team from a BCS or however you think your schedule is going to work out."

Welcome aboard, coach! Hopefully the 9th team will be a reality soon.

don't hold your breath..

Notice the position of the league commissioner or those in the league office, unless someone at the level of the Irish expansion will not happen in the Big East. So as long the football league is in the Big East the conference have no obligation to take care the need of their football league members. Anyone at the level of ND already joins a league or rather stay independent. A minimum of 8 teams seem to be enough to them. Basketball is still more import to the league that was created for that purpose even in these day of super major conference. They seem to think that if a lot of basketball teams get together and form a conference that it a super major conference. The respond will always be the conference is big enough that is true. But the need of other members in this conference that participate in the most important sport can not be server by this current conference.

I told you guys that Big East expansion was mythical. Norte Dame isn't coming to the Big East in football and the Big East doesn't even want to look at adding another team. This is exactly what I said for the last few years. It will be status quo for years to come.

Its obvious that some coaches want another fb school added. We have been hearing snippets from several coaches over the last couple of years. The coaches dont have the power to decide on expansion. But if you are a coach that offers alot of influence to your school, such as Edsal, and Kelly at Cincy and Leavitt, you can best believe that the AD and president will listen to you. And if the BE AD's and presidents want to get another fb program on board, there will be another fb program on board.

Some folks offer too much power in the hands of the commisioner. But he works for the schools. He represents their wishes. Of course he has some influence over them, and thats why he is in the position in the first place. The presidents and the AD's think very highly of Tranghese and they have alot of faith in him, but whatever they decide as a group, Tranghese has to go along with it.

Remember back during the time of expansion, when he thought the fb schools were ready to leave the bb schools, he said he would retire because he would not be able to give his full attention to one side or the other. He was powerless to stop the potential split. But he did provide some insight as to what could possible happen to the bb schools and it was'nt very nice, so the fb schools decided to give this present mostrosity a chance.

But if the presidents and the AD's want another fb school, there will be another fb school. But something tells me its not just that simple to just ad another fb school.

Outside of ND who could the Big East add. There's no other school available right now. If you look at our soft recruiting class across the board, we can't add another weak football program. ND may be weak but they have a strong class coming in.
IF the look at the post seasons for USF, UConn, the consistent poor play of Syracuse, we need some power in the league not another cream puff- so what are the league's choices? We can't add another weak team to an already "questionable" league.
I agree. Add somebody big or nobody at all. Edsall didn't name a candidate.

The theory coming out of the big east commish office is nuts...if somebody like penn state, maryland, bc wanted to join the big east, not that that is gonna happen but if it did, the odds are great that they would demand a split, ie the 9 big east football school's would than break away and form their own conf, why stick around in an 17+ team mess. Bottom line, if they want to add a team its gonna come from, cusa, mac, or indy....no dobut the commish wants a football only, probably army/navy or a combo maybe using ND otherwise he flips a bird to the football school's. I still think the best thing that could happen is for the acc to junk its 12 team league idea and send bc and miami back to the big east football school's, who than bolt and form their own league, thus you would get two ten team leagues.

Until ND can prove they can win a bowl game, the perception is that they too are weak. Nobody consider ND great or even competitive. How many classes has ND had that were consider good, but none of those classes has produced a different outcome from bowl games. MT can say what he wants, but it is the fb schools who will decided, not him. IF the majority of fb schools want another school for fb only, then he nor the bb schools will have a say in nothing.

But who can we add that makes the league stronger and not weaker?

In a couple of seasons the football schools in The BEast can do something about it. I think a split is inevitible.

But as things stand at the moment, nothing will come of this.

frogman Wrote:But who can we add that makes the league stronger and not weaker?

I understand your point. But keep in mind that when USF and Cincy were added, they did not make the league stronger. But a couple of years later the league is much stronger because of them. The same can be said of Uconn, to a lesser degree, although they were already pretty decent when the came into the league.

Mike Tranghese said something once that has proven to be brilliant: Teams dont make the BE, it is the BE that makes the team".
Then he went on to relate VT as an example. Now he can also relate to USF and Cincy as an example.

You bring a Memphis or ECU or a UCF into the BE, and give them a couple of years to get some bcs quality recruits and they will make the BE a better league. I truly believe that.

cuseroc Wrote:

frogman Wrote:But who can we add that makes the league stronger and not weaker?

I understand your point. But keep in mind that when USF and Cincy were added, they did not make the league stronger. But a couple of years later the league is much stronger because of them. The same can be said of Uconn, to a lesser degree, although they were already pretty decent when the came into the league.

Mike Tranghese said something once that has proven to be brilliant: Teams dont make the BE, it is the BE that makes the team".
Then he went on to relate VT as an example. Now he can also relate to USF and Cincy as an example.

You bring a Memphis or ECU or a UCF into the BE, and give them a couple of years to get some bcs quality recruits and they will make the BE a better league. I truly believe that.

If the football schools split, I think nine teams, not 12, will be the objective. IMO, Memphis would/should get the most serious look (no disrespect to ECU or UCF).

WVU
Louisville
Pitt
Rutgers
Syracuse
USF
UConn
Cincinnati
Memphis

In basketball, Memphis would be a great addition to an already good list of basketball-strong schools. And, agreeing with cuseroc, a few years of BCS-quality recruits and BCS money would have the Tigers competing with the rest of the Big East in football. USF is a perfect example of this being done. I'm not sure what the current update is, but isn't Memphis lobbying to get an on-campus stadium? And then there's the Liberty Bowl....I imagine the Liberty Bowl would like to affiliate with the Big East if Memphis was a member. All the schools travel well and a Big East/SEC tie-in would be very appealing. Again, JMO.

what affect will the proposed 9th team have on the BE with regard to the 4 yr BCS review requirements?

ECU, Memphis and UCF are all coming off of Bowl games. ECU actually beat a top 25 team in theirs. Both ECU and UCF would be ~#3 in football attendance in the current Big East. Out of these 3 teams NONE of them would be last or even next to last in the Big East. Probably middle of the pack.

ECU has beaten 4 "BCS" teams in the last 3 years. All without the advantage of a "BCS" label.

I am not sure how anyone could say that any of these teams would not help the Big East since they outdraw most of your teams and could beat several of your teams.

cuseroc Wrote:Its obvious that some coaches want another fb school added. We have been hearing snippets from several coaches over the last couple of years. The coaches dont have the power to decide on expansion. But if you are a coach that offers alot of influence to your school, such as Edsal, and Kelly at Cincy and Leavitt, you can best believe that the AD and president will listen to you. And if the BE AD's and presidents want to get another fb program on board, there will be another fb program on board.

Some folks offer too much power in the hands of the commisioner. But he works for the schools. He represents their wishes. Of course he has some influence over them, and thats why he is in the position in the first place. The presidents and the AD's think very highly of Tranghese and they have alot of faith in him, but whatever they decide as a group, Tranghese has to go along with it.

Remember back during the time of expansion, when he thought the fb schools were ready to leave the bb schools, he said he would retire because he would not be able to give his full attention to one side or the other. He was powerless to stop the potential split. But he did provide some insight as to what could possible happen to the bb schools and it was'nt very nice, so the fb schools decided to give this present mostrosity a chance.

But if the presidents and the AD's want another fb school, there will be another fb school. But something tells me its not just that simple to just ad another fb school.

Your third paragraph said it all. The question should be for fb schools, Is MT the right guy to be commissioner for the Big East.

frogman Wrote:IF the look at the post seasons for USF, UConn, the consistent poor play of Syracuse, we need some power in the league not another cream puff

Not a real big fan of the insinuation that USF and UConn were "cream puffs" because of our bowl games. For starters, what exactly did UConn do wrong? They lost by two TD's to Wake Forest in their home state. Is that somehow an embarrasment? I didn't think so. They shut out the Demon Deacons powerful offense for the first half.

I can't say that USF didn't get blown out by Oregon, though the game was also close at the half, but I fail to see how that would somehow earn us the label of cream puff. In reality, I think instead it spoke volumes about how much better Oregon was than their record and injuries indicated.

OK, my back's not quite up as much as it was before...

USFFan

UCONN was the BE's co champion. WF was the number five team or so in the ACC. UCONN should not have lost that game.
Oregon was in contention the title game until their QB got injured. The back-up QB did damage to USF but USF was also ranked has high as #2 during the year.
I know SYR did not help the cause of the BE but there's no way to say theses losses were not very bad for the BE. The WF loss more than the Oregon because ORegon still had a surging defense in tact. WF had nothing all year.

frogman Wrote:UCONN was the BE's co champion. WF was the number five team or so in the ACC. UCONN should not have lost that game.
Oregon was in contention the title game until their QB got injured. The back-up QB did damage to USF but USF was also ranked has high as #2 during the year.
I know SYR did not help the cause of the BE but there's no way to say theses losses were not very bad for the BE. The WF loss more than the Oregon because ORegon still had a surging defense in tact. WF had nothing all year.

So both UConn and USF lost a game. Michigan lost to Appalachian State. USC lost to Stanford. Minnesota lost to Florida Atlantic. Losses happen. That doesn't make them necessarily bad for a conference. I think a little perspective is in order.

USFFan

Topcard91 Wrote:ECU, Memphis and UCF are all coming off of Bowl games. ECU actually beat a top 25 team in theirs. Both ECU and UCF would be ~#3 in football attendance in the current Big East. Out of these 3 teams NONE of them would be last or even next to last in the Big East. Probably middle of the pack.

ECU has beaten 4 "BCS" teams in the last 3 years. All without the advantage of a "BCS" label.

I am not sure how anyone could say that any of these teams would not help the Big East since they outdraw most of your teams and could beat several of your teams.

Middle of the pack?
I think any of those three would have had a tough time beating West Virginia, Cincy and USF. I think ALL three would have lost to UConn and Rutgers at their place and it would had been 50-50 away. Pitt and Louisville would had been just as tough to beat.
So I would have put those three below 5 of the Big East teams and competitive with 6th and 7th.
Cincy 31 USM 21
USF 64 UCF 12
West Virginia 48 ECU 7

Those scores say that there is a big gap between the top teams of both conferences