Good grief! The Big East’s moves fall flat

The Big East Conference hoped by adding Tulane and East Carolina, it would kick one through the uprights. However, just like poor ol’ Charlie Brown, the Big East missed and fell flat on its back.

Howelse can you describe the league adding Tulane and East Carolina as its latest members?

While the Big Ten’s expansion plan to add Maryland and Rutgers caused major ripples in the college landscape, news of the Big East’s moves were met with more of an ... eh.

No offense to Tulane and East Carolina.

Both institutions are rich with their own academic and sports histories, but when you are talking about pure wow factor, both of these schools miss the mark.

Not that wowfactor is what conference realignment is all about.

It’s about money. More specifically, it’s about getting as many eyes as possible on your product and that means television markets. In this case, the Big East just added the 53rd (New Orleans) and the 103rd (Greenville, N.C.) TV markets to its group.

Not what I would call groundbreaking when you consider USF (Tampa) and UCF (Orlando) are 13th and19th, respectfully.

While conferences like the Big Ten and SEC are making calculated moves to secure a brighter future for their leagues, the Big East appears to be making decisions based purely on survival.

Howelse can you describe adding six Conference USA programs to your membership?

You might as well just rename the Big East, Conference USA Ultra: Same great name with half the excitement.

This is the same Big East whose school presidents turned down a new media right deal by ESPN that would have reportedly been worth $1.17 billion. Instead, the group chose to try and negotiate a new deal with the likes of NBC Sports or Fox.

That was back in October before Rutgers announced it was leaving for the Big Ten, throwing everything in flux.

As the days turn to weeks, the Big East’s negotiating leverage is getting smaller and smaller.

I can hear the TV executives at the negotiation table with the Big East now, “No. That number is right. Take it or leave it.”

As college football moves forward with a new playoff system in 2014, the Big East could only stand by and watch as it lost its automatic qualifying status. Nowthe league joins the likes of C-USA, Mid-American Conference, Mountain West Conference and the Sun Belt at the kids table fighting for one coveted spot in the new access bowls.

It’s no wonder Louisville and Connecticut have shown interest in jumping ship for safer ground in the ACC. Even future members, including Boise State, have reportedly been reconsidering their position in the Big East.

While it looks like things can’t get any worse, there was a report in the Providence Journal this week the basketball schools in the Big East could vote to dissolve the league and form their own conference. The schools break away if Louisville and UConn choose to leave.

If that happens, it opens the door for the remaining football members to find residence elsewhere. Almost like a stray cat, looking for a good home. Howabout the Big 12? Or ACC? Or better yet, back to Conference USA.

It’s amazing anyone would want to join the Big East with all of this drama surrounding the league.

Good grief!

It’s amazing

anyone would want to join the Big East with all of this drama surrounding the league.