Topic: Orlando Sentinel: UCF must admit the Big East dream is dead

[Buffalo Bop]

Now, it's just foolish dreaming.
 
Wishful thinking.
 
False hope.

The time has come for the UCF Knights to vacate their state of denial and stop acting like everything is just fine with the Big East.
 
They must accept reality, stop the membership process before it goes any further and start immediately exploring other options.

How about three Florida teams in C-USA!


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-mike-bianchi-ucf-big-east-1214-20121213,0,2059056.column

[mu79grad]

Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports writes:

The big winner might be the Sun Belt. The lowest-rated football conference could have some juicy options having just lost Middle Tennessee, Florida Atlantic, North Texas and Florida International to C-USA.

Schools like Houston, SMU, East Carolina, Memphis and even Central Florida could come crawling on hands and knees, just needing a home. The problem is the Sun Belt has five years left on its TV contract. It is a contract that pays current members approximately $1 million per year.

[Thunders]

I love it!

[00mag12gaVa]

Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports writes:

The big winner might be the Sun Belt. The lowest-rated football conference could have some juicy options having just lost Middle Tennessee, Florida Atlantic, North Texas and Florida International to C-USA.

Schools like Houston, SMU, East Carolina, Memphis and even Central Florida could come crawling on hands and knees, just needing a home. The problem is the Sun Belt has five years left on its TV contract. It is a contract that pays current members approximately $1 million per year.

Its like standing in line for what seems an eternity and then you hear that heinous statement  """NO MORE BBQ TODAY""" ???  East Carolina I feel for...screw the rest

[HerdnClt]

Very deserving school. They have done the things necessary to receive this reward. Karma is very powerful. Best wishes on the SunBelt.   

[Peter Griffin]

I'm not sure why the BE schools are in that big of trouble.  They will most likely lose Boise St. and San Diego St., but if you have (for right now) Cincinnati, USF, UConn, UCF, ECU, Houston, SMU, Memphis, Temple and Tulane, you have the core of a decent conference.  The BE bowl tie ins will go somewhere, if they can keep some of them then they are not in that bad of a position.  This conference could pick off the best options left from CUSA, Sunbelt or the MAC (hopefully we'll be included), you would have a conference on par with the MWC.

[VA Herd Fan]

This guy actually thinks they should ask the SEC & Big 10 to let them in.  That is hilarious.

[miltonherdfan]

old cusa moving to the sun belt would be a laughing matter for about 3 secs, then the reality that c-usa would be the new sun belt should sink in rite about then.  :-(

[herdman]

I'm not sure why the BE schools are in that big of trouble.  They will most likely lose Boise St. and San Diego St., but if you have (for right now) Cincinnati, USF, UConn, UCF, ECU, Houston, SMU, Memphis, Temple and Tulane, you have the core of a decent conference.  The BE bowl tie ins will go somewhere, if they can keep some of them then they are not in that bad of a position.  This conference could pick off the best options left from CUSA, Sunbelt or the MAC (hopefully we'll be included), you would have a conference on par with the MWC.

I agree and I hope we are part of it.

[whf]

These schools aren't going to the Sun Belt, they are going to stick together (albeit maybe not Boise and SDSU) and form a new conference that could be a big as 20 teams. We should be hoping to be in it.  Right now the east division of C-USA should be inviting these eastern teams to a "open forum" meeting to discuss possible steps forward together.

[CJHerdgrad]

Forming a new conference won't happen because of the basketball issue with points towards NCAA tournament.  I could see them coming back or possibly a CUSA-Sun Belt merger or association.  Eastern schools go Sun Belt, western schools to CUSA.  Reduces travel time, gets some rivalries back, etc.  Not bad basketball on either side, decent football also.  Each school would play 2 teams from the other "conference" every year 1-1 then move on to another pair of teams after 2 years.

Sun Belt:  Marshall, ECU, USF, UCF, FIU, FAU, Memphis, M Tenn, W Kentucky, UAB, Troy State, South Alabama

CUSA:  SMU, So Methodist, Tulane, La Tech, Ark State, La Lafayette, La Monroe, North Texas, UTEP, Tulsa, Rice, Houston

[wasbarryb]

Forming a new conference won't happen because of the basketball issue with points towards NCAA tournament.  I could see them coming back or possibly a CUSA-Sun Belt merger or association.  Eastern schools go Sun Belt, western schools to CUSA.  Reduces travel time, gets some rivalries back, etc.  Not bad basketball on either side, decent football also.  Each school would play 2 teams from the other "conference" every year 1-1 then move on to another pair of teams after 2 years.

Sun Belt:  Marshall, ECU, USF, UCF, FIU, FAU, Memphis, M Tenn, W Kentucky, UAB, Troy State, South Alabama

CUSA:  SMU, So Methodist, Tulane, La Tech, Ark State, La Lafayette, La Monroe, North Texas, UTEP, Tulsa, Rice, Houston

If a 24 team conference were to evolve I see a three or four division arrangement being set up rather than two 12 team divisions. Especially under a four division arrangement you could have Florida and Texas leagues made up of teams primarily from those two states.

PS wouldn't SMU and So Methodist be the same school? Maybe you were thinking Southern Miss?

[Herdmeister]

PS wouldn't SMU and So Methodist be the same school? Maybe you were thinking Southern Miss?

I saw that too. He must mean SMU (Southern Methodist U) and USM (U of Southern Mississippi)

[field pass]

actually, the ncaa bball rule is that as long as 7 teams stay together that played bball together 5 years before leaving that they can play post season.  so a new conf. could possibly be formed as long as ecu, ucf, houston, smu, tulane, and memphis pick up one more cusa team to go with them.

but houston and smu may leave to mwc, so the other schools would have to go back to cusa in that case id think.

also memphis might try to stick with the big east for bball.

[djszincgt]

I'm still of the mind that there will be 4 BCS conferences comprised of 16 teams each when it's all said and done.  What's left of the BE will be picked apart.  No new conference will form out of those schools and either the Big 12 or ACC will fall.  Everyone not included in those conferences will be looking for a stable home.  Just my $.02 

[wasbarryb]

.

but houston and smu may leave to mwc, so the other schools would have to go back to cusa in that case id think.

also memphis might try to stick with the big east for bball.

I’d suggest C-USA move quickly to bring in all the current football members of the Least with a take it or leave it deal you can’t refuse.

The offer would be an all or nothing offer along the following terms. All the current members of the Least Cinncy, UConn and SFU would be allowed to join C-USA for nothing. The returning C-USA schools, which are scheduled to join July-2013, would pay nothing, however the currently owed or paid $10 million exit fee would be suspended. Not forgiven, but suspended. The $10 million would be reduced by $1 million per year for each of the next ten years. Boise and San Diego would have to commit to join C-USA or commit to leaving immediately. If Boise and San Diego commit to joining then renege they pay the $10 million exit fee. Effective July 2013 the C-USA exit fee goes to $30 Million with a three year notification for withdrawal from the conference. Also any of the conference new conference members who leave with owed suspended exit fees would have to pay that amount in addition to the new exit fees.

Such a plan would make C-USA the strongest of the non-big five and would increase stability in the conference.  

[MarshallGrad]

....but if you have (for right now) Cincinnati, USF, UConn, UCF, ECU, Houston, SMU, Memphis, Temple and Tulane, you have the core of a decent conference.  

If it stays like that, I'm also not getting all the sky is falling talk. It is at least as good (if that word applies) as CUSA, MAC, or Sun Belt. What is the basis for all the "they will come crawling back" talk?

[svherd]

UConn and UC are not being shy about wanting out of the BE and going to the ACC. They will likely get their wish in due time. Take those two out and that league is CUSA on steroids; yet will get about the same TV revenues as everyone else. It certainly will not be heads and shoulders above us. Like USA Today said, no one nationally wants to watch UCF play Tulane or Temple. No appeal.