Anyone who thought that the Big East was just going to sit around and watch the Big Ten take Rutgers and possibly Syracuse and Pitt simply does now know the passion of the conference.
Once word began to spread that Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and perhaps Missouri would be looking for a home the Big East became very interested in talking to them about joining the league.
Yesterday I began to contact some powerful members of the alumni associations at Georgetown, UCONN, USF, Louisville, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Pitt, and Syracuse and I found them all very interested in adding the Big 12 schools. One very high profile member of the USF Alumni speaking on the condition of anonymity told me “You can bet the Big East is being aggressive in expansion we will not be crushed by the Big Ten.”
AN UPDATE – I HAVE SPOKEN TO HIGH RANKING MEMBERS AT FOUR BIG EAST MEMBER INSTITUTIONS AND THEY ALL CONFIRMED INTEREST IN EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDING KANSAS, KANSAS STATE, IOWA STATE AND MISSOURI TO THE CONFERENCE. IN OTHER WORDS IF SOMEONE WANTS TO TALK TO THEM THEY ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO LISTEN.
No doubt Big East Commissioner John Marinatto and his newly hired senior adviser former NFL Commissioner and Georgetown grad Paul Tagliabue will be talking to any of the Big 12 schools interested in joining the league.
By the way C-USA members Memphis and Central Florida and working through back channels to gage the interest of the Big East in expanding.
Meanwhile a 12 team Big East football conference and a 20 team super basketball conference would be a good move for the conference and one that is clearly being explored.
Football wise there would be an Eastern Division with Pitt, West Virginia, UCONN, USF, Syracuse and Rutgers (or UCF if Rutgers gets the Big Ten bid) with a Western Division that could be made up of Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri (or Memphis if MO does get the Big Ten invite) , Iowa State, Cincinnati and Louisville.
They could hold a Big East Championship Game each year that could be rotated between New York, Washington, Tampa, St. Louis and Kansas City.
The Big East basketball with the addition of Kansas and maybe Memphis would further enhance the best basketball conference in the country.
They could also offer networks at many as 8 of the top 25 media markets putting them on the same level as both the PAC 16 and the Big Ten in terms of eyeballs. Because of their basketball and adding the new markets the Big East would have, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston (because of Providence), Tampa, and new markets St. Louis and possibly Orlando.
I know what you are saying Pitt, Syracuse and Rutgers could be headed to the Big Ten. The truth is Pitt won’t get a Big Ten invitation because the Big Ten Network already has Pittsburgh as market for their Big Ten network thanks to Penn State.
Rutgers to the Big Ten seems for the moment a lock but Syracuse might be falling behind as both Maryland and Georgia Tech keep popping up in the conversation.
Maryland is a great fit because of the academics and they can deliver both Washington, D.C. and Baltimore a combined mid-Atlantic region that is equal to the fourth largest media market in the country. Meanwhile Georgia Tech would give the Big Ten a strong southern presence and the Atlanta market. It seems the two ACC schools MAY have passed Syracuse – for now- on the Big Ten list – a list that continues to be debated.
There is another benefit to keeping the Big East strong and that is Notre Dame. The Irish make an estimated $22 million dollars a year from the NBC football contract as well as their relationship with the Big East in all other sports. Plus a new twist to the Notre Dame branding deal has been the team working out deals that allow them to play a additional home games in cities outside South Bend. So they add another game for NBC while also picking up a check for as much as $3 million a game while barnstorming across the country and keeping the brand a national one. A strong Big East means Notre Dame can continue to be independent and it also means the conference can keep the Irish happy and out of the Big Ten.
