If the Big East survives and takes UCF, Houston and SMU I'm hearing the list of possible replacements could include some of the following teams....FIU, Temple, ODU, North Texas, Charlotte, UTSA. Most of the teams listed have actually been mentioned by our AD in radio interviews. These are essentially teams that are located in Big TV markets. That's the direction college football is going. For any team that's currently in CUSA it would cost 7 Million dollars to leave and they couldn't actually start play in the Big East until 2013. Thats a big factor in all of this as well.

The entire key to this is what Missouri does. If Missouri goes to the SEC which is expected then the Big 12 has already stated that Louisville is number one on their list followed up with Cincy and WVU. You take those three schools away, there is no Big East. Its hanging by a thread the way it is now.

If for some reason the Big East is able to survive "without" WVU, Louisville, and Cincy...(which I doubt)....the list of teams they will be able to pull from are very limited. It would likely be schools like Temple, Buffalo, UMass, etc. as they try and rebuild geographically. If Louisville, Cincy and WVU wouldn't be part of the Big East i couldn't imagine Marshall being interested in going there.

Yes! We are JUST LIKE THAT!

My brain hurts.

Jeff, with all due respect, I find your comment about my post offensive and out of line (as much as Jeff McKinney can be offensive and out of line).

My point was very clear that IMO we are taking no action on conference realignment.

The Kansas City Bishop in question maliciously took no action on a Priest storing child pornography on his computer.

How does the comparison not fit? All documented. All factual.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/kansas-city-mo-bishop...

These people are very very VERY mortal and are not immune from criticism. Just because they wear the cloth doesn't mean they are above the law.

Actually, you are right (sort of). I compared perceived inaction with actual inaction. Not completely apples to apples.

No, JSF is 100% correct.  The analogy was in bad taste and not even close to equal levels.  Having spent the past weekend in KC - your stomping grounds, I can assure you the people there would see the foolishness of the comment.  And even when called on it you can't simply say, "Sorry, I was looking for an outrageous comparison to show how disturbed I am by the MAC."

Another great discussion about conf re-alignment.  Yawn.

Get arse in gear and go see OHIO's best team and entertainment value:  Volleyball + Alumni Band.

I'm sure your 4-year-old does some annoying things every day, too.  Of course, his upside is much greater than the big manz in California.

When is this college football bubble going to pop?

There can't really be this much money in the industry that surrounds it.

BUT THEY GET TO PLAY FOR THE SCHNELLY! As my one buddy who also reads EDSBS, "it would become the only trophy in college football by virtue of its raw fearsome power."

This stuff is changing by the minute. Here is the latest:


http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/extras/colleges_blo...

One of the reasons the Big East may be holding off on any expansion announcements about potential new members is that it is considering a plan that would create a nation-wide football conference incorporating between 28 and 32 teams in four divisions from Conference USA, the Mountain West Conference as well as the Big East.

According to sources from those conferences, the plan was devised as a way that the Big East could ensure its place as one of the six conferences receiving automatic BCS bids.

The document, which was obtained by The Globe, reveals an alternative plan which would help the Big East maintain its AQ status -- automatic qualification -- but also provide access to the Mountain West and Conference USA, who hope to gain such status.

Under the plan, Super Conference would consist of four divisions: West, Mountain, Central and the Big East.

In the 32-team format, the West Division would consist of Boise State, Hawaii, UNLV, Nevada, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State and San Jose State.

The Mountain Division would consist of Air Force, Wyoming, Colorado State, New Mexico, UTEP, SMU, Tulsa and Houston.

The Central Division would consist of Marshall, Memphis, Southern Mississippi, Tulane, UAB, Rice, Temple and Louisiana Tech.

And the Big East Division would consist of Louisville, UConn, Rutgers, Cincinnati, South Florida, Central Florida, East Carolina and Navy. West Virginia is not included in this plan, with the assumption being the Mountaineers would be headed to the Big 12 to replace Missouri which will presumably wind up in the SEC along with Texas A&M.

The scaled down version of 28 teams would not include San Jose State in the West, move Houston from the Mountain to the Central Division, eliminate Temple and Louisiana Tech from the Central Division and not include Navy in the Big East division.

This proposed desperation super conference is our only chance at a D1 football lifeboat as the Titanic sinks.

Wait, I totally apologize for that comparison. It was way over the top and completely out of proportion. There is no way the MAC should ever be compared to the Titanic. The MAC is more like those rafts Cuban refugees use, but a little bit more shoddy. 

So we'll just drift in D1-AA type waters directionless - which is ironic for a conference chock full of directionals...

  The way I understand it is that it could be 28 or 32 teams. More than likely 28 teams. Interestingly at the Tulsa game last week Britton Banowsky was quoted as saying it could be "28 or 32" teams. As you could imagine, that had everybody in the CUSA and MWC camps scratching their heads. Now we have an idea where that quote was stemming from.

This "super" conference is nothing of the kind.