Big East Rumors

Rumorboard is all a buzz talking bout Big East. Does anybody know what they are getting all worked up over. I assume its all crap but i am still curious where the source of the rumors are coming from. Anybody know?

It is total BS. The rumor is that ESPN is pressuring them to improve their football and profile, and to get to 12 teams in football so they have a conference title game. Right now, they are at 10, I believe, with TCU added. So either some current BE embers must elevate football to D-1(Villanova, Georgetown, etc.) or they have to add football only schools to the league. BYU would fit the football only mold, and it alleviates scheduling issues. Hence, the rumor.

Looks like the earliest Villanova can join will be 2015 and the BE wants them to go for something bigger than the soccer stadium (official statements from Villanova).



UCF, Houston, ECU, UMass just rumors in their home papers (ie Orlando Sentinel, etc).

UCF makes most sense. Huge enrollment school that is a geographic fit with South Florida. They will have a large alumni base soon to draw from. SMU would makes sense as well as they would provide a solid travel partner with TCU, but do not see it. BYU has not real shot, and I simply do not see the connection. We are 2 time zones away.

If it were true, (and it's not) I would hope they wouldn't maintain the name big east. First off, I've been making fun of the big least for several seasons. Secondly, having a Texas school in an east coast conference just isn't right. The only way this works is if they split the conference to two divisions and change the name. Then, BYU and others from the same division could split and make their own BcS conference....none of this is happening.



the BcS will change before BYU joins any conferences.

Looks like BYU to the BE rumors may have started by some guy on the Louisville scout.com page. Lame.

We would take a pay cut going to the Big East.

jvquarterback wrote:
Looks like BYU to the BE rumors may have started by some guy on the Louisville scout.com page. Lame.

A quick read points out some things of note.



First - the author of th earticle made this up entirely himself and there clearly is no basis beyond "maybe something like this might make sense for the Big East and BYU" by someone in no position to make it happen. In other words - there is no indication of any thought by BYU or the BIg East itself that either party wants this to happen.



Second - even the author of the suggestion is ambivolent about having BYU in the Big East.



Third - he credits BYU for having been nearly as good as BSU, TCU, and Utah recently.



Of course this comment and my pointing out of it will annoy many - as did another of my recent posts - but I think it is important to know how we are perceived outside the bubble of the Rocky Mountains and our own loyal national fanbase. Then nmaybe we will be able to change how we are perceived and understand even more the importance of exposure. Exposure is not just so us loyal fans can have better access - it is so the rest of the world will remember that we exist.



Now if we can just get those pesky people that live back east to stay up really, really late to catch games that start late in the day in the Rockies. Maybe this is the hidden wisdom in the we will play anyone anywhere philosophy that has me so worried. If we go play someone good at their place - their fans and our fans will watch and others in tha ttime zone may even flip over to it to scout out their rival or future opponent.



Tom Holmoe made an important point in his recent interview when he said that BYU will need to win so it does not become irrelevant in that opportunity for exposure.



I just hope he doesn't forget that truth and schecule us into becoming irrelevant by putting together road game, time zone heavy schedules against near 50/50 type opponents. 50/50 ususally catches up with you 50% of the time. Ask Notre Dame. They scheduled themsleve into near irrelevance. Ask their last 3 or 4 coaches.



Go Cougs

I guess I never would have believed they would go as far as Texas either, so who ever knows. It just doesn't make sense.

Now Deep Shades of Blue is getting in on it. They claim that byu was actually approached by the big east and that they turned them down. they make a lot of very specific claims about scheduling.



http://deepshadesofblue.com/big-names-lining-up-to-face-cougars/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Maybe there is something to that rumor. I hope that at least the scheduling statements are true.

While my favorite parts of the deal are increased exposure, a better schedule and control of the TV rights, the money is amazing: an estimated 12-13M a year from year one of the contract. It is an 8 year deal with ESPN with a base of 8M whatever else BYU can negotiate which I'm sure will escalate over time. So for those of you counting pennies, BYU comes out ahead of BE teams over the next eight years.

Not quite sure we come ahead of Utah at all. In 2011-12, they will get about $3-4M, but none from TV. They do get a share of bowl money and title game money, plus NCAA hoops money split. In 2012-13, they get 50% of the TV deal, which would be $10M or so, plus bowl money, NCAA hoops money, etc. Which works out to be about $15M, or more than us. In 2013-14, they get 75%, or about $15M, plus the rest. In 2014-15, they will be making around $25M per year. So Utah will be bringing in way more than us over the next 8 years, unless CC donations, etc, go up to match it.



Of course, BYU needs less money than Utah to compete because BYU already has top notch facilities for all sports, and they are paid for. Utah has catching up to do with a baseball/softball complex, track field, and many others, before they even explore costly stadium upgrades. They may get more $$$, but it will go to facility upgrades, increase coach pay for the same staff, etc.



Like I said, BYU can do much more with less.

Said Utah, meant Big East teams.

Assuming all the information in that article is valid, HOLY CRAP that makes me excited. To think that it could be possible to have a schedule with Big Ten teams, Big 12 teams, and PAC 12 teams that will give validity to us as a program when we beat them in back to back weeks is awesome. Here we come BCS!!!!!!!!!!!! I need tid bits of info like this over the summer to get me through.

The big east conference is going to finally get a top 50 team in the preseason. Maybe I should change my attitude.

So, I like the 1-1-1 deals that BYU is trying to make. My guess is that the neutral game with Nebraska would be in Denver, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Wisconsin one was either in Vegas or in Phoenix or other west coast spot. Wisconsin has several alumni in the west, hence the reason they will give UNLV home and homes.

Mars wrote:

So, I like the 1-1-1 deals that BYU is trying to make.

It sets BYU up to have only 4 home games a year. So we need 2-for-1s and 1-and-dones FOR us with teams like SJSU as well.

There is still a way to make those schedules work and still have BYU play 6 or 7 home games a year with 4 or 5 road games and a neutral site game every year. Some teams will go two for one with BYU if they are guaranteed tv time.