Post by elp525 on Oct 3, 2010 21:01:57 GMT -5
October 2, 2010
By Mitch Vingle
The Charleston Gazette
AS WE'VE learned, and as Dave Hickman so eloquently pointed out in Saturday's Gazette-Mail, geography means little when it comes to conference affiliation these days.
It hasn't since the day Penn State moved to the Big Ten. So the idea of TCU moving to the Big East isn't farfetched. Does it make sense? No, but not a heck of a lot does in regard to NCAA athletics these days.
"I haven't been contacted [about a TCU invitation]," said WVU athletic director Oliver Luck on his way to watch his son, Stanford's quarterback, play at Oregon. "But I can see it if the conference is reaching out to TCU and vice-versa.''
Luck certainly didn't seem opposed to the idea.
"One of the challenges within the Big East is having only seven conference games a year, which means every other year only three home conference games," Luck said. "The trick in all this is to find schools that bring value.
"Yes, the Big East needs to get up to 10 or 12 [football] schools eventually. But we need value so the ESPNs and Foxes of the world say it's worth something."
TCU would certainly add value. And it's smart of the Big East to use its BCS qualification card while the Horned Frogs' current conference, the Mountain West, is without an automatic berth. In fact, perhaps the best part of the invitation for the Big East would be to further weaken the MWC, which is trying mightily to, well, horn in on the BCS party. Utah is heading to the Pac-10; BYU is heading to Notre Dame Football Independence Land. (Tidbit: Both the Cougars and Irish currently have losing records. For what it's worth.)
Yes, unfortunately, that smacks of what the ACC did to the Big East, but the bigger boys decided to make this a money grab. The Big East needs money to keep within shouting distance of those bigger boys.
Certainly there are questions. Is TCU serious, or is this a ploy to force the Big 12 into extending an offer? If TCU does join the Big East, would it be a long-term commitment? On the flip side, will TCU continue to have a strong football program? What if coach Gary Patterson leaves for a bigger job? (Recent history says if you're a hot Big East coach, you're soon elsewhere.)
Luck had an opinion on the latter question.
"My sense is because TCU's tradition goes back so far, and because they sign so many Texas kids, they'll continue to be strong, even if Patterson leaves," said the Mountaineer AD. "They'll stay at a high level. They could be good for a while."
Keep in mind no invitation has been proffered yet. The Big East presidents would have to vote on one. Many within the league's circle say the TCU talk has been overstated. There's the little matter of an invitation to Villanova to join in football.
Yet note that Luck said the Big East should expand to 10 or 12 teams. Adding TCU and Villanova would make the number 10. Also, in the first TCU story, remember a source said the league was looking at a "dozen or so'' schools.
Which schools? Well, there are the usual suspects: East Carolina, Memphis, Central Florida, Army and Navy. Temple, which was once booted, has been mentioned. What about a running mate for TCU, like Houston? (The Cougars already play in the same conference as Marshall.)
Me? I'm half inclined to suggest the Big 12 and Big East simply merge into the Big Nation and be done with it. (If Texas didn't run the Big 12, it probably could happen. "Texas," said Luck, "is first among equals.")
Taking that out of the equation, though, it would be smart for the Big East to move to 12 football schools. The Big Ten might not be finished expanding. Cover thy tail if, say, Pittsburgh is a future target of the league.
Bring in TCU and Villanova. And Houston. And one of those usual suspects. If the Big East is to improve in football, it will have to expand. If it wishes better television contracts, it will have to expand.
It's what the ESPNs and Foxes of the world demand.
By Mitch Vingle
The Charleston Gazette
AS WE'VE learned, and as Dave Hickman so eloquently pointed out in Saturday's Gazette-Mail, geography means little when it comes to conference affiliation these days.
It hasn't since the day Penn State moved to the Big Ten. So the idea of TCU moving to the Big East isn't farfetched. Does it make sense? No, but not a heck of a lot does in regard to NCAA athletics these days.
"I haven't been contacted [about a TCU invitation]," said WVU athletic director Oliver Luck on his way to watch his son, Stanford's quarterback, play at Oregon. "But I can see it if the conference is reaching out to TCU and vice-versa.''
Luck certainly didn't seem opposed to the idea.
"One of the challenges within the Big East is having only seven conference games a year, which means every other year only three home conference games," Luck said. "The trick in all this is to find schools that bring value.
"Yes, the Big East needs to get up to 10 or 12 [football] schools eventually. But we need value so the ESPNs and Foxes of the world say it's worth something."
TCU would certainly add value. And it's smart of the Big East to use its BCS qualification card while the Horned Frogs' current conference, the Mountain West, is without an automatic berth. In fact, perhaps the best part of the invitation for the Big East would be to further weaken the MWC, which is trying mightily to, well, horn in on the BCS party. Utah is heading to the Pac-10; BYU is heading to Notre Dame Football Independence Land. (Tidbit: Both the Cougars and Irish currently have losing records. For what it's worth.)
Yes, unfortunately, that smacks of what the ACC did to the Big East, but the bigger boys decided to make this a money grab. The Big East needs money to keep within shouting distance of those bigger boys.
Certainly there are questions. Is TCU serious, or is this a ploy to force the Big 12 into extending an offer? If TCU does join the Big East, would it be a long-term commitment? On the flip side, will TCU continue to have a strong football program? What if coach Gary Patterson leaves for a bigger job? (Recent history says if you're a hot Big East coach, you're soon elsewhere.)
Luck had an opinion on the latter question.
"My sense is because TCU's tradition goes back so far, and because they sign so many Texas kids, they'll continue to be strong, even if Patterson leaves," said the Mountaineer AD. "They'll stay at a high level. They could be good for a while."
Keep in mind no invitation has been proffered yet. The Big East presidents would have to vote on one. Many within the league's circle say the TCU talk has been overstated. There's the little matter of an invitation to Villanova to join in football.
Yet note that Luck said the Big East should expand to 10 or 12 teams. Adding TCU and Villanova would make the number 10. Also, in the first TCU story, remember a source said the league was looking at a "dozen or so'' schools.
Which schools? Well, there are the usual suspects: East Carolina, Memphis, Central Florida, Army and Navy. Temple, which was once booted, has been mentioned. What about a running mate for TCU, like Houston? (The Cougars already play in the same conference as Marshall.)
Me? I'm half inclined to suggest the Big 12 and Big East simply merge into the Big Nation and be done with it. (If Texas didn't run the Big 12, it probably could happen. "Texas," said Luck, "is first among equals.")
Taking that out of the equation, though, it would be smart for the Big East to move to 12 football schools. The Big Ten might not be finished expanding. Cover thy tail if, say, Pittsburgh is a future target of the league.
Bring in TCU and Villanova. And Houston. And one of those usual suspects. If the Big East is to improve in football, it will have to expand. If it wishes better television contracts, it will have to expand.
It's what the ESPNs and Foxes of the world demand.
