McCall

Where's TCU in all of this?

Good point. Maybe TCU would stay in the new Big USA, but I suspect they'd jump to the Big XII and either Memphis or Southern Miss would stay in B*USA. No idea how you could set up divisions that would make sense that way, though.

Big XII would take TCU over SMU or Southern Miss.

The way the tea leaves are reading now, it appears that we'll be left with an 8-school Big XII and a 14-school SEC (as well as the Pac-12 and B1G Ten staying with what they've got).

The possible C*USA-Big East merger is an interesting possibility, but IMO not all the schools in C*USA will stay there, especially if they have a chance to jump to a Big XII Conference that almost certainly will be actively seeking members. Imagine the following:

Big XII Conference

North Division

Iowa State

Kansas

Kansas State

Memphis

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

South Division

Baylor

Houston

SMU

Southern Miss

Texas

Texas Tech

Championship Game: Cowboys Stadium - Arlington, TX

Big USA Conference

North Division

Cincinnati

Connecticut

East Carolina

Louisville

Marshall

Rutgers

West Virginia

South Division

Central Florida

Rice

South Florida

Tulane

Tulsa

UAB

UTEP

Championship Game: EverBank Field - Jacksonville, FL

Where's TCU in all of this?

In seperate news conferences yesterday, Oklahoma committed to the Big 12. Mizzou left everything wide open by saying they'll do what's best for MU and when asked about leaving the conference, Deaton basically said it's an option. Glad they finally figured this out. And evidently there are tons of e-mails pouring in supporting a move to the SEC and they're noticing.

Basketball isn't COMPLETELY irrelevant... and neither is Academics to a couple of the conferences. But they are about as close to completely irrelevant as something could possibly be.

Not true on either point in certain cases. While football controls the discussion in college athletics, men's basketball and academics both are a decent part of it for certain conferences (ACC for both, Big Ten for academics only, etc).

Academics, pfft. You know, as much crap as SEC fans rightfully get for that S-E-C-S-E-C "I hope our rivals win because somehow it makes us better" chanting, the Big Ten is the most masturbatory conference in college sports. At least all that South-will-rise-again stuff terminates at the end of football season; Big Ten circle-jerking permeates every aspect of everything.

F*** football, when's the next womens game in that sport?

Arizona gymnastics meets begin on January 6th......

Will Monica Bisordi be making an appearance?

Yeah, she'll be coming.

Basketball isn't COMPLETELY irrelevant... and neither is Academics to a couple of the conferences. But they are about as close to completely irrelevant as something could possibly be.

Not true on either point in certain cases. While football controls the discussion in college athletics, men's basketball and academics both are a decent part of it for certain conferences (ACC for both, Big Ten for academics only, etc).

Academics, pfft. You know, as much crap as SEC fans rightfully get for that S-E-C-S-E-C "I hope our rivals win because somehow it makes us better" chanting, the Big Ten is the most masturbatory conference in college sports. At least all that South-will-rise-again stuff terminates at the end of football season; Big Ten circle-jerking permeates every aspect of everything.

F*** football, when's the next womens game in that sport?

Good for ECU. They deserve to! Good, solid program that contends. See this what I like to see, none of this Texas/OU going to the Pac 12 and what not, schools like ECU doing their best to get into a good conference, so they have at least have a shot at quality bowl game or better.

LOL... if they go AQ, there's really no excuse left for keeping Boise out. ECU is located in Tar Heel and Wolfpack country, they have no signature wins in any sport (other than Miami once in the mid-'90s but that hardly matters now), Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium will be smaller than Bronco Stadium (after renovations), and ECU can't be bringing in any ratings.

ECU joining the Big East has nothing to do with Boise. ECU has the opportunity to join the weakest of the BCS conferences. That has no effect whatsoever on whether Boise should get into the PAC. Hell the Big Easy may not have AQ status much longer.

I didn't specify a conference. Honestly, Boise's only chance at AQ status is either the Big 12 somehow clinging on to theirs and inviting BSU, or the Big 12 folding and AQ status being granted to either the Mountain West or an MWC/CUSA federation.

No but your statement read like the BCS is choosing one over the other when they have nothing to do with each other.

I see my board wide shun of Spleen isnt cathcing on, I really wish it would

Anything other than football is completely irrelevant in conference realignment

Ah, I see your hidden messages, you magnificent b*****d.

UCF has never made the NCAA Tournament in men's basketball as a member of Conference USA, nor have they ever gotten out of the first round the four times they have made it to the dance.

Southern Miss is even worse in that regard; they've only been to the NCAA Tournament twice in school history, the last time happening in 1991.

I dunno about other sports, but both programs are pretty bad when it comes to men's basketball.

And yet they are still better at basketball than ECU. If ECU get's accepted, then we'll all know exactly how desperate the BIg East is.

Your personal opinion of how good one is over the other carries little weight in this discussion. Bring up some other reasons. Besides, as mentioned, ECU applied, not invited. If UCF wants in then apply.

Good for ECU. They deserve to! Good, solid program that contends. See this what I like to see, none of this Texas/OU going to the Pac 12 and what not, schools like ECU doing their best to get into a good conference, so they have at least have a shot at quality bowl game or better.

LOL... if they go AQ, there's really no excuse left for keeping Boise out. ECU is located in Tar Heel and Wolfpack country, they have no signature wins in any sport (other than Miami once in the mid-'90s but that hardly matters now), Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium will be smaller than Bronco Stadium (after renovations), and ECU can't be bringing in any ratings.

ECU joining the Big East has nothing to do with Boise. ECU has the opportunity to join the weakest of the BCS conferences. That has no effect whatsoever on whether Boise should get into the PAC. Hell the Big Easy may not have AQ status much longer.

Top 3 choices I hear for the Big XII are BYU, Louisville and West Virginia. They're saying one of them, maybe all 3 if they want to get back to 12. That's assuming Mizzou stays, which at this point is completely ambiguous.

SEC denies that Mizzou has been invited to the conference:

http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post?id=28515

They did the same thing with Texas A&M. Once again, they don't want to seem like the aggressor in all of this.

That's what I'm going with. It changes so often that for now I'm just picking a lane and sticking with it. This carousel of conferences is starting make me dizzy.

The Big East is like the town slut of the BCS. Everybody loses their AQ virginity to her. Then they think they're hot stuff until they realize everyones laughing at them and left with nothing but ridicule and herpes. All the pathetic schools who can't get in anywhere else get in her and everyone that's been in for awhile is trying to get the hell out.

This whole idea of crisis-averted is foolish. There is going to be further realignment. It's a given. Texas A&M and probably West Virginia/Virginia/Virginia Tech is going to the SEC. A 14 team Football Conference is just the precursor to a 16 team Football Conference.

If we know one thing, its that the Big Ten love them some money. If they can bring in a solid school in both Football and Basketball with some sort of decent academic reputation (Mizzou, Kansas State), they will probably do it. I think the Big Ten is waiting for Notre Dame, but I think ND is waiting for the Big 10. Notre Dame wants to be the last domino that falls. They don't want to be a +1, they want to be THE 16th member of a the Big Ten Super Conference. I honestly think that is what they want.

Even if the schools don't have that great of a revenue-generating sports teams, but bring a larger foot print with major markets (Maryland, Rutgers), the Big Ten would also have an inclination to make a play for them. Money is the controlling factor, followed by academic respectability, followed by athletic compatibility.

Do you ever read up on anything before you post? West Virginia has been denied by both the SEC and ACC. They're pretty much stuck in the Big East. Mizzou and the SEC seem to have an informal agreement.

Just because they have been denied now, doesn't mean they will be denied in the future. As for Mizzou... Mizzou was begging for the Big 10 to bring them in. I think Mizzou knows they are a better fit with Nebraska in the Big 10 rather than in the SEC. So they may have a back door agreement, but I think that's the extent of it... a back door agreement.

UWV is obviously not the SEC's top choice, maybe not even in the top 5. Sounds like you're having trouble letting go of the plan you thought would happen.

This whole idea of crisis-averted is foolish. There is going to be further realignment. It's a given. Texas A&M and probably West Virginia/Virginia/Virginia Tech is going to the SEC. A 14 team Football Conference is just the precursor to a 16 team Football Conference.

If we know one thing, its that the Big Ten love them some money. If they can bring in a solid school in both Football and Basketball with some sort of decent academic reputation (Mizzou, Kansas State), they will probably do it. I think the Big Ten is waiting for Notre Dame, but I think ND is waiting for the Big 10. Notre Dame wants to be the last domino that falls. They don't want to be a +1, they want to be THE 16th member of a the Big Ten Super Conference. I honestly think that is what they want.

Even if the schools don't have that great of a revenue-generating sports teams, but bring a larger foot print with major markets (Maryland, Rutgers), the Big Ten would also have an inclination to make a play for them. Money is the controlling factor, followed by academic respectability, followed by athletic compatibility.

Do you ever read up on anything before you post? West Virginia has been denied by both the SEC and ACC. They're pretty much stuck in the Big East. Mizzou and the SEC seem to have an informal agreement.

Oh and the Mizzou is not southern idea is kind of right, kind of not. IMHO, driving from Memphis to St. Louis, the south ends around Sikeston, MO (halfway point) at Lambert's Cafe where they throw rolls at you.

But when did geography and counting become important in naming college football conferences. My alma mater plays in a 14-team basketball league known as the Atlantic 10.

I'm in Cape where a line would be better drawn.

Hey, at least we border 3 SEC states. That's a rarity nowadays.

Andy Katz reporting PAC-12 NOT expanding.

Just for :censored:s and giggles

The new Big East football conference

EAST

Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, South Florida, UCF, West Virginia

WEST

Baylor, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, TCU

Assuming you have UConn and Rutgers in the ACC.

At this point I'd bet in favor of that happening.

Just for :censored:s and giggles

The new Big East football conference

EAST

Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, South Florida, UCF, West Virginia

WEST

Baylor, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, TCU

Looks pretty accurate. And btw, this is the only way UCF gets into an AQ conference.

Oh and it's been said that the Big XII would absorb the Big East. So this would be called the Big XII.

Look like the Texas move to PAC-12 is going to happen.

http://espn.go.com/c...ents-act-pac-12

Also, lol at Baylor.

Texas still must agree to equal revenue sharing, something that they did not agree to with the reformed Big XII and LHN is still a sticking point. Wither they take a 1/16th share or they kick rocks to the next sandbox.

This, absolutely. I think Texas might rather go independent than share revenue equally with schools like Washington State.

With Texas now admitting that they're looking to join another conference, methinks they're willing to cave in on the Longhorn Network.

The biggest reason why ESPN helped back the Longhorn Network was to target Texas high school football. Now that they can't air their games, it looks as though the school and ESPN will give in to the demands of whichever conference accepts Texas.

The PAC isn't making them give it up, just show other PAC games. I'd also make them take a lesser to no cut of the PAC network if they already have their own.

I look for Colorado to block or vote against any Pac-12 expansion involving Texas and/or Oklahoma. They didn't want to be part of a conference that had divisions along east and west.

Colorado doesn't care. Besides, they're the newest member. They carry no clout whatsoever.

I think Pitt and Syracuse will get around the 27 month waiting period to leave. Their buyout is only $5m so they can pay a little more if need to to get out early. But if the Big east continues to deteriorate, there may not be a conference left anyway. I could see them in the ACC next year possibly, but I'd say no later than 2013.

Ok so the ACC raised their exit fee to $20 Million, so what? Sure they voted on a higher exit fee in order to dissuade teams from leaving, but who were the ones voting? The schools themselves or some hastily assembled panel of supervisors or beneficiaries? It seems like they just pulled that number out of their asses, what's to stop a school from giving them the middle finger and NOT paying their old conferences a dime when they bail? If conferences can pull exit fee numbers out of thin air like that, why can't schools just refuse to pay them? I dunno, it just seems like something that would be hard to back up legally if they just randomly decided within the past few weeks to raise their exit fees.

These aren't pulled out of thin air. They've had an established one and then raised it and then raised it again to the current $20M just this past weekend. And yes, while it may be negotiable, they will have to pay something.

But again, there doesn't seem to be any school looking to leave the ACC now.

But why would Maryland want to leave the ACC?

I don't see anyone leaving the ACC. They've set themselves up pretty well in both sports and may strengthen a little bit more if they add UConn and Rutgers. Despite what that OKTC article AstroBull linked to says, West Virginia is very much in play for the SEC. I believe they've even applied already. Doesn't automatically mean they'll get in, but it is a sign of what's going on. Mizzou seems to be at the hinge of everything, almost literally. They seem to be in play for the everyone except the ACC, although I guess there was minimal talk about that last week, though nothing serious. But Mizzou could wind up anywhere, from the Pac-# to a Big XII/Big East merger. It seems the PAC deal with Texas, TTech, OU and Ok St may be inevitable, but if Notre Dame, whose talks with the Big Ten seem to be getting more serious, does in fact join up there, then Texas, if the Pac deal isn't finalized yet, may switch up and join ND in the Big Ten. In which case, it seems, Mizzou would be their replacement. OU and Ok St seem to be a done deal to the PAC, with Texas Tech probably still going, even without Texas. However, if the PAC deal is finalized, and ND joins the Big Ten, then Mizzou would probably be the 14th member. Of course, this all hinges (see that word again) on whether the SEC takes UWV as their 14th or Mizzou, or if they decide to go for 16, in which case Mizzou would probably be included, assuming they're not snatched up already. So really, Notre Dame's move or non-move, as they'll either stay Independent or join the Big Ten, would actually trigger everything, but then following that, Mizzou's decision would affect the most, it seems.

Maryland's a strong athletic department that would help them grow BTN.

How many schools in the B1G play lacrosse?

Oh, I almost forgot to mention Maryland's athletic department is flat broke, nobody at UM cares about football, and they don't have the tradition of a school like Indiana to make up for it in basketball.

They DO have basketball tradition and the founder of Under Armour is an alumn.