Big East...Will it affect the Big Sky?

[druhag]

What is the off season without some conference realignment topics, right?
News coming out today has it looking like the Big East is finally starting to crumble. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/bigeast/2012/12/13/big-east-conference-basketball-breakup-split/1766493/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Lots of ideas being thrown around as to what will happen to the football playing members. Many are saying the western teams will limp back to the Mountain West. Boise State's official word so far is they are staying on course, as well as San Diego State, for the Big East. Most talking heads are saying Boise will go back to the Mountain West, but one opinion discussed was the Big East raiding the Mountain West for a few more schools to create a East and West division. If that happened, you could at least assume New Mexico State and Idaho would get picked up, but depending on how many schools left, would the Mnt West try to raid the Big Sky?

Thoughts?

 

[putter]

The Big East schools that have no football or play FCS football should form their own conference and just live off of basketball. Much smarter for those schools

 

[Kabooom]

The Big East schools that have no football or play FCS football should form their own conference and just live off of basketball. Much smarter for those schools

One-Putt.....

Just announced this morning...that the Non BCS football playing Catholic schools in the Big East like Marquette, Georgetown, Villanova...ect are looking to form their own conference....Where will the chips settle??

http://www.bcinterruption.com/2012/12/13/3762118/seven-catholic-schools-to-leave-big-east-georgetown-villanova-marquette" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=big%20east%20conference&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQqQIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2012%2F12%2F14%2Fsports%2Fncaabasketball%2Fbig-east-likely-to-lose-7-colleges-that-want-to-focus-on-basketball.html&ei=sV7LUOCuJqS6iwLQiIGoBA&usg=AFQjCNE9NlWGfDsqs9spqm0WIXtKLfpGPg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[UNDfan]

As a UND fan, my concern is that a new all sports Big East football league will have to add more western schools to satisfy Boise.

So a Big East west could become:

Boise
SDSU
Fresno
UNLV (for basketball)
AFA
Houston
SMU
Tulane

With an east of:

UConn
Cincy
Temple
UCF
USF
ECU
Navy (fb only)
Memphis

Then, the MWC becomes

SJSU
Nevada
Hawaii (fb)
Utah St
Colo St
Wyo
UNM
Adds Denver for hoops
Trys for UTEP and Tx St but is now too weak to get them.
So adds NMSU and Idaho

That's a league that the Griz and Bobcats can see themselves as competive. UM and MSU have never had a chance to be with Wyoming, Colo St, UNM and would jump at that in my view. The WAC was rejected because it was belived that by not joining, Idaho could be forced back down.

UND joined the Big Sky because of the Montana schools, and would not be a good match without you two.

 

[moose/squirrel]

Sorry bro, the Big East is not relevant to big boy football as the few teams that were semi relevant have left for a semi relevant ACC (another roundball league).

The Catholic schools that don't tie in are gone, the Big East is now Conference USA, irrelevant football wise. The big boys are consolidating, the question is will it be the ACC or the Big 12 that lands on their feet. Won't be surprised if UCONN ends up in the Big 10 like Rutgers.

There will be 4 left with either 16 or 18 when it happens. 8 team playoff. Football speaking the mid level players like Cusa, the Mac , etc are out. Is it right, not really but it is what it is.

The fact that March Madness pays for most of the budgets of hoops schools that don't play football at the highest level will be of interest.

 

[statler & waldorf]

The BSC is just part of the tail of the dog. We get wagged.

 

[kemajic]

UM and MSU have never had a chance to be with Wyoming, Colo St, UNM and would jump at that in my view.

Not so. Montana was member of the Skyline (also called the Mountain States) Conference prior to dropping down to small college and becoming a charter member of the new BSC. The Skyline Conf. was Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado St., Utah, Utah St., Denver and BYU. The Montana/Wyoming game was held in Billings, about halfway between both schools.

However, the BSC was a step up for MSU from NAIA.

Unfortunately, both schools seem to prefer to compete with UNC and ISU rather than those schools.

 

[UNDfan]

Thanks for that correction.

Didn't realize Montana had been part of the Skyline.

Knew about UM and UI being in the PAC8 precursor.

If UM / MSU can get in a league with Wyoming and Idaho, as well as other state flagships, without heavier financial hitters like Fresno and UNLV or even UNM, it would be seriously looked at by your Prez's as much for academic reasons as athletic.

The whole top level of FCS may be gone before this latest conference shaking is done: Appy, Ga Southern, JMU, Delaware, Liberty, Jacksonville St, Ill St to go with ODU, Ga St, Tx ST.

 

[Copper Griz]

Ultimately, football itself may have nothing to do with these conferences changing. Enrollment and lack of students will likely effect all universities in the very near future. College tuition is simply becoming a losing proposition for many youth in this country. Why would they pay $55,000 plus for an education with no guarantee that they will have a job when they graduate? Universities have become a very poor business model and the dynamics of the country are shifting. I am not as worried about "moving up" into a conference and as I am about eventually moving down......

 

[griz4life]

The Big East won't affect the Big Sky, at least not the charter members. However I could see some at MSU favoring an alignment with research schools in the Mountain West. MSU isn't there yet, but they're a lot closer than they were 10 years ago. The community might support the alliance for reasons other than sports.

 

[kemajic]

Thanks for that correction.

Didn't realize Montana had been part of the Skyline.

Knew about UM and UI being in the PAC8 precursor.

If UM / MSU can get in a league with Wyoming and Idaho, as well as other state flagships, without heavier financial hitters like Fresno and UNLV or even UNM, it would be seriously looked at by your Prez's as much for academic reasons as athletic.

The whole top level of FCS may be gone before this latest conference shaking is done: Appy, Ga Southern, JMU, Delaware, Liberty, Jacksonville St, Ill St to go with ODU, Ga St, Tx ST.

It won't be the first time. The BSC used to have Boise St., Nevada and Idaho. Replaced by DII programs still not competing.

 

[moose/squirrel]

Thanks for that correction.

Didn't realize Montana had been part of the Skyline.

Knew about UM and UI being in the PAC8 precursor.

If UM / MSU can get in a league with Wyoming and Idaho, as well as other state flagships, without heavier financial hitters like Fresno and UNLV or even UNM, it would be seriously looked at by your Prez's as much for academic reasons as athletic.

The whole top level of FCS may be gone before this latest conference shaking is done: Appy, Ga Southern, JMU, Delaware, Liberty, Jacksonville St, Ill St to go with ODU, Ga St, Tx ST.

Indeed, but they remain irrelevant in the FBS picture, kinda like Idaho. They are all irrelevant in the "big boy " picture. When it shakes out in 5 years or so, we will be able to play with thr Mac, Sunbelt and whatever conference absorbs the move uppers and a real picture will emerge. Until that happens it's all conjecture. We and the aforementioned schools are not a factor to the "big boys".

At some point the best FCS schools will merge with the lower tier FBS schools and voila, that is where we should end up. Then we will be playing peer schools like USU, CSU, etc. etc. We are Never going to get into the club, ok fine with me, I'd rather play USU and SDSU or UNM than UNC or SUU or Portland State. It is going to happen, that much is for sure.

 

[Spanky]

Moose....not sure you are correct. I share Copper's concern about moving down, especially, with Engstrom at Main Hall. Another contributing factor is our poor pay of coaches is going to make it very difficult to attract the caliber of coaches to allow us to continue to compete at either level..FCS or FBS. Finally, until some people with an understanding of the importance of athletics are appointed at the BOR, we are in big trouble.

 

[TxGriz]

How about starting this story where it needs to start? Take the handful of profitable BCS football programs and shit can the NCAA, go with a semi-pro NFL league, and throw the leftovers into the mix and let those chips fall where they will?

 

[Kodiak]

Ultimately, football itself may have nothing to do with these conferences changing. Enrollment and lack of students will likely effect all universities in the very near future. College tuition is simply becoming a losing proposition for many youth in this country. Why would they pay $55,000 plus for an education with no guarantee that they will have a job when they graduate? Universities have become a very poor business model and the dynamics of the country are shifting. I am not as worried about "moving up" into a conference and as I am about eventually moving down......

This.

 

['68griz]

Ultimately, football itself may have nothing to do with these conferences changing. Enrollment and lack of students will likely effect all universities in the very near future. College tuition is simply becoming a losing proposition for many youth in this country. Why would they pay $55,000 plus for an education with no guarantee that they will have a job when they graduate? Universities have become a very poor business model and the dynamics of the country are shifting. I am not as worried about "moving up" into a conference and as I am about eventually moving down......

This.

+1

 

[TxGriz]

Not in the Big Least.