TopCoog Wrote:The Big East would take UMASS in a heartbeat to get back into the Boston market. Navy and UMASS would be at the top of their list. Taking UMASS combined with the progress at Rutgers (if it holds) could mean a much stronger football TV contract.

UMass-UConn would be a natural matchup. The 2 schools aren't that far apart. UMass-Rutgers too. Both get Boston and New York market. I suppose UMass-Navy would have more national interest, but you never know.

What is " Fredo football"?

" Fredo football" is amonst Hobbits.

Quote:Wasn't UMass a part of the original Eastern 8 with WVU and Rutgers?

-- I believe so...with WVU, Rutgers, Pitt, Penn St, Temple, Nova etc


Jackson

Fredo = derogatory name for BC

Shannon Panther Wrote:Fredo = derogatory name for BC

lmfao lmfao lmfao

bitcruncher Wrote:

TopCoog Wrote:The Big East would take UMASS in a heartbeat to get back into the Boston market. Navy and UMASS would be at the top of their list. Taking UMASS combined with the progress at Rutgers (if it holds) could mean a much stronger football TV contract.

UMass-UConn would be a natural matchup. The 2 schools aren't that far apart. UMass-Rutgers too. Both get Boston and New York market. I suppose UMass-Navy would have more national interest, but you never know.

Yes I believe that UMass is a good fit also, they have a great BB rivalry with UConn, which will only get better, the two schools are only one hour apart.................The BC boys would be pissed if UMass joiuned the BE..

Jackson1011 Wrote:

Quote:Wasn't UMass a part of the original Eastern 8 with WVU and Rutgers?

-- I believe so...with WVU, Rutgers, Pitt, Penn St, Temple, Nova etc


Jackson

Yes, UMass was a founding member of the Eastern 8, which eventually became the Atlantic 10. WVU had a pretty good basketball rivalry with UMass at the time too.

Stookey57 Wrote:

bitcruncher Wrote:

TopCoog Wrote:The Big East would take UMASS in a heartbeat to get back into the Boston market. Navy and UMASS would be at the top of their list. Taking UMASS combined with the progress at Rutgers (if it holds) could mean a much stronger football TV contract.

UMass-UConn would be a natural matchup. The 2 schools aren't that far apart. UMass-Rutgers too. Both get Boston and New York market. I suppose UMass-Navy would have more national interest, but you never know.

Yes I believe that UMass is a good fit also, they have a great BB rivalry with UConn, which will only get better, the two schools are only one hour apart.................The BC boys would be pissed if UMass joiuned the BE..

Almost as pissed as they are now for going to the ACC and loosing their coach to another ACC conference "FRIEND, BUDDY, PAL, member". lmfao lmfao lmfao

Stookey57 Wrote:

bitcruncher Wrote:

TopCoog Wrote:The Big East would take UMASS in a heartbeat to get back into the Boston market. Navy and UMASS would be at the top of their list. Taking UMASS combined with the progress at Rutgers (if it holds) could mean a much stronger football TV contract.

UMass-UConn would be a natural matchup. The 2 schools aren't that far apart. UMass-Rutgers too. Both get Boston and New York market. I suppose UMass-Navy would have more national interest, but you never know.

Yes I believe that UMass is a good fit also, they have a great BB rivalry with UConn, which will only get better, the two schools are only one hour apart.................The BC boys would be pissed if UMass joiuned the BE..

I am all for UMASS stepping it up and join the BE. They would take MASS in a sec over BC because they are state's program. They have a ton of potential and would be a great regional rivalry with UCONN. UCONN's BB rivalry with them has been one-sided, but it was good when Calimari was there.

The original Eastern 8 was Duquesne, Massachusetts, Rutgers, Penn State, West Virginia, Pitt, Villanova, and George Washington. Five of the eight played football at the I-A level at that time (Rut, PSU, WV, Pitt, and Nova in I-A), while UMass and Duquesne played below it. GW dropped major college football ten years earlier.

Temple was still in the old ECC (East Coast Conference) at this time.

DFW HOYA Wrote:The original Eastern 8 was Duquesne, Massachusetts, Rutgers, Penn State, West Virginia, Pitt, Villanova, and George Washington. Five of the eight played football at the I-A level at that time (Rut, PSU, WV, Pitt, and Nova in I-A), while UMass and Duquesne played below it. GW dropped major college football ten years earlier.

Temple was still in the old ECC (East Coast Conference) at this time.

Its a shame that Syracuse, Boston College, and Temple weren't all that conference at that time.

The funding and record needed for the BE are well beyond UMASS.UMASS might be able to join two eastern buddies(Buffalo and Temple) in the MAC at a low cost.

Quote:The original Eastern 8 was Duquesne, Massachusetts, Rutgers, Penn State, West Virginia, Pitt, Villanova, and George Washington. Five of the eight played football at the I-A level at that time (Rut, PSU, WV, Pitt, and Nova in I-A), while UMass and Duquesne played below it. GW dropped major college football ten years earlier.

Quote:Its a shame that Syracuse, Boston College, and Temple weren't all that conference at that time.

-- I am too young to remember the Eastern 8...but just by going through the records it seems that might have been one of our better chances for an all sports league....if one could have added BC for Umass and SU for GW etc it probably would have worked

-- Perhaps Nova would still be playing D1 football if that league had come about in the mid-1970s

-- Just by looking at the membership at the time..I'm guessing the conference tourney was in Pittsburgh...four local teams =s big crowd...really not a bad regional league for its time


Jackson

What years were the Eastern 8 around?

CollegeCard Wrote:What years were the Eastern 8 around?

The Eastern 8 is still around. It merely changed its name to the Atlantic 10.

Sorry, didn't really phrase very well for what I was interested in. When was the league formed and how long was it in that 8 team configuration?

Nobody is afraid that adding UMass would hurt UConn? They are very close to each other. And there aren't that many recruits in New England to begin with.

It's odd how so many people think adding UCF would hurt USF when they are just as far away from each other and there are thousands more recruits in Florida.

Think about what you are advocating. How can you be in favor of UMass joining when they would probably hurt UConn much more than UCF could hurt USF?

Like you said there are not many recruit in New England to begin with so recruit must come from places like Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

A lot of programs recruit in Florida so after the Big Three you have Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee and more establish ACC programs then you get to South Florida and if add you UCF that would be one more BCS program for USF to compete.

Jackson1011 Wrote:

Quote:Wasn't UMass a part of the original Eastern 8 with WVU and Rutgers?

-- I believe so...with WVU, Rutgers, Pitt, Penn St, Temple, Nova etc


Jackson

Don't forget Duquesne and George Washington ;-)

The roots of the Atlantic 10 can be traced to the formation of the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League, whose first tournament champion was Duquesne in 1977. The ECBL added sports and changed its name to the Eastern 8 in 1977-78 and evolved into the Atlantic 10 in 1982-83

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/colle...0511p5.asp

I don't think membership was 8 the whole time though as PSU left in 1979 to become indy and VU went to the BE. Also, St. Bonnaventure joined sometime before the A10 was 'officially' formed.

Another tangent but alot of East Coast BB leagues sprung up between the mid 70s and 80s because of the loose 'confederation' that was the ECAC. The ECAC teams wanted more representation in the NCAA tournament. The NCAA eventually mandated schedules between conference members to be a viable conference..... There just isn't a 'conference' history in the NE. It mostly has evolved out of the huge comglomerates of schools in the ECAC that were really independents.