TCU to Big East official according to ESPN

[Moranis]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5553575

Seems like a done deal, but Nova will have to greatly increase its stadium capacity to meet the Big East minimum (let alone the FBS minimum).

[Moranis]

Apparently the Big East wants to go to 10 teams in football.  It has already offered a spot to Villanova if it decides it wants to and is actually able to move up to FBS, so that would be 1 spot.  Apparently the Big East would really like to add TCU as a football only school to get to 10.  It apparently would consider full membership if absolutely necessary, but doesn't want to go past 16 in basketball.  If Villanova or TCU decline, it would like to go with Central Florida, but it is getting some push back from South Florida given their close proximity to each other.  Houston would be the fourth option.  Apparently, Memphis is very far down the list, since the expansion is about football and the conference doesn't want to expand past 16 in basketball (which would be the huge selling point of Memphis). 


It would seem this would be a move that will ultimately lead to a split of the football and non-football schools.  Assuming Nova doesn't move up, I think the football schools will break off by adding TCU and Houston and possibly Central Florida and Memphis and end up at 12 schools with a title game. 

[Moranis]

TCU is officially joining the Big East for all sports beginning in the fall sports season of 2012 according to ESPN.

[indeedproceed]

Texas Christian University is joining the Big East?

[blake]

Why not the big 12?

[Chris]

I am not sure what I think about this trend of mid major's basically turning into a farm system for the major conferences.  I like the fact that these programs that put in the investment towards their athletics are getting the opportunity to grow, but I would much rather the BCS were to just level the playing field by instituting a playoff.  I also wish there was more pressure on these major conferences to schedule non-conference games with the top mid major schools, rather than avoiding them like the plague in favor of terrible teams.

[nickagneta]

As I discussed in the Big Ten Expansion thread, the ascension of the Mountain West and the demise of the Big East was being greatly exaggerated earlier this year. The Big East controls way too many of the biggest television markets for awesome national exposure and creates way too much money through basketball not to remain a power conference. And regardless of recent success of a couple teams, the Mountain West has historically been a bad conference with little marketing viability.

Huge pickup for Big East football and basically puts the Mountain West in a worse position than they started the year even though they added Boise State. The loss of TCU and Utah is gigantic for that mid major conference.

[Donoghus]

Solid move by the Big East. (Even if, geographically, it makes no sense)

Their football side of things has been a joke for quite some time. 

[MBz]

I am not sure what I think about this trend of mid major's basically turning into a farm system for the major conferences.  I like the fact that these programs that put in the investment towards their athletics are getting the opportunity to grow, but I would much rather the BCS were to just level the playing field by instituting a playoff.  I also wish there was more pressure on these major conferences to schedule non-conference games with the top mid major schools, rather than avoiding them like the plague in favor of terrible teams.

I agree.  I read an article the other day that showed their strength of schedules as well.  Oregons was like 77th while Boise State was 44th.  Yet Boise State never got a chance at the top spot this year.  Obviously they don't deserve it now, but it's a shame in football that if a team loses one game they have very little chance at the championship game.  I think they need a playoff of 8 teams.  Obviously teams 9,10,11,12 would be mad, but with football you can only play once a week, you can't have a huge field.  I would think the BCS would make more money from it as well.  Instead of having 5 games they would have 7. 

[wdleehi]

Solid move by the Big East. (Even if, geographically, it makes no sense)

Their football side of things has been a joke for quite some time. 

Travel is no longer the big issue.  The TV revenue and adding major markets is.  Big East just put their foot into Texas.



Great for TCU.  More TV coverage.  A chance to win a guarantee BCS spot. 

[Moranis]

I actually looked, the Big East schools aren't that much further away from TCU then the Mountain West schools.  The closest school in either conference was over 500 miles away from Dallas and I think the average of the new MWC was over 700 while the Big East was just over 1000.  In terms of travel cost, it might actually be cheaper to go to the Big East schools, because the Big East schools by and large are located in major cities and thus TCU can easily hop on a direct flight from Dallas, while many of the MWC schools are in smaller cities (football may do private charters, but the other sports may not thus commercial flights may come into play).

Also, if Villanova says no (it has till the end of the year), then look for the Big East to make a hard play for Houston, which would give it a natural rival for TCU and open up even more tv markets.  Central Florida is still possible as well, but USF doesn't want the competition in state.


I also think this is the beginning of the end of the Big East as we know it.  I can't see the football schools continuing to say in the conference with the non-football playing members.  Football is king and it will drive further expansion (maybe to 12 with Central Florida, Houston, and Memphis).  

[guava_wrench]

It is just bizarre how the Big East has expanded to the non-East. College sports have become so far removed from education.

[Chris]

It is just bizarre how the Big East has expanded to the non-East. College sports have become so far removed from education.

Did the Big East ever have anything to do with education?

I agree that this is getting a bit ridiculous, but I don't think education ever had anything to do with conferences.

[Donoghus]

It is just bizarre how the Big East has expanded to the non-East. College sports have become so far removed from education.

Did the Big East ever have anything to do with education?

I agree that this is getting a bit ridiculous, but I don't think education ever had anything to do with conferences.

I'm not sure the deal with all the other conferences but I do know the ACC shares educational resources among their member schools. Students using facilities/faculty/research tools at other member schools.  I think the Big Ten has something along those lines also. 

Now we call know that education isn't the primary reason for all these realignments but it plays a factor to an extent.  I know the conferences take a look at the academics of schools they consider to bring in.

[guava_wrench]

It is just bizarre how the Big East has expanded to the non-East. College sports have become so far removed from education.

Did the Big East ever have anything to do with education?

I agree that this is getting a bit ridiculous, but I don't think education ever had anything to do with conferences.

The schools did. They were educating people long before they were in a basketball or football conference. At one point, sports was an extra-curricular activity.