The College Football Hall of Fame.

The list of Pitt greats to receive election into the College Football Hall of Fame grew longer today with the announcement that Mark May will be a member of the 2005 induction class.

One of the greatest offensive linemen in college football history, May is the 23rd Pitt player or coach to earn induction into the College Football Hall of Fame and the seventh in the last 11 years.

A devastating offensive tackle for the Panthers from 1977-80, May was on hand for the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame’s announcement today at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.

May is one of 13 players and coaches to be named to the 2005 class.

The official press release from the College Football Hall of Fame is not yet released. The announcement was made this morning in NYC.

Former Head Coach for WVU, Don Nehlan was also part of the class.

Mark May, of course, was one of the many talented players from Pitt’s glory days of the ’70s and early ’80s. These days, of course, Mark May is the popular analyst on ESPN’s College GameNight, and a bit of a Pitt homer when given a chance.

Congratulations to Mark May.

I’ve said it enough times, that I believe the Big East will split around 2010. The basketball schools and the football schools will finally enact the final split.

Others have been more obtuse in what they expect. Greg Doyel at Sportsline, in his May 16 entry on his blog obviously is thinking as I am.

However, the college sports landscape is in for at least one more seismic shift in the near future — probably to be triggered by the Big East after a few years as a 16-team basketball monolith.

When that shift happens, the tremors will immediately impact the biggest leagues in the Northeast. Basketball schools and football schools will start reaching for life preservers, and Temple might have to decide between the MAC and the A-10 — and the A-10 doesn’t offer Division I football.

That’s speculation, but in a few years something major will happen regarding the Big East. And when it happens, the trickle-down effect will leave Temple with a choice between the MAC, A-10 and perhaps whatever new league emerges from the Big East split.

Call it a hunch, but unless Temple really turns it around the next version of the Big East still won’t come calling.

Then Mike DeCourcy at the Sporting News drops an interesting nugget.

The NCAA prohibits teams invited to the NCAA Tournament from competing in the NIT. The NIT is suing over that restriction, and one coach asked to testify suggests the NCAA has good reason to fight the suit. He believes NCAA leadership is concerned that if the NIT prevails, BCS schools eventually would be free to start their own postseason basketball tournament. They’d never generate the billions the NCAA tourney does, but they’d keep all the money, as they do in football …

Think about it. A NIT Tourney that competes against the NCAA. If they struck a deal with the BCS conferences, corporate sponsors would be falling over themselves to sign-on. It wouldn’t even have to take place during the NCAA. A week, 2 weeks later. It would gut the NCAA Tourney, much the way the NCAA gutted the NIT.

It would also make it more possible for the BCS conferences to eventually sever its restrictions to NCAA rules. Clearing the way for paying players and changing everything. Okay, now I’m really speculating.

Still…

Not much really. Taft is still being projected as a top-10 draftee. Likely around #7-9. Troutman is still on the outside looking in. No word if he will even get a free agent deal at this point.

The big question regards Carl Krauser. He’s definitely not a 1st rounder. The question becomes whether anyone might pick him in the second round. He still has until mid-June to withdraw from the draft. Andy Katz at ESPN.com seems to think Krauser is not coming back to Pitt.

Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon isn’t expecting to hear whether junior point guard Carl Krauser will return to school until June. Krauser turns 24 this month and is ready to graduate, making it harder to persuade him to return, even if he isn’t a likely first- or second-round pick.

Andy Katz also lists Krauser as one of those players who, by leaving early, really will impact their team.

The Panthers would still have their toughness quotient. Sure, they’re losing Chevy Troutman inside as well as underclassman Chris Taft, but Krauser is the heart of this team — the player who can make the big-time 3-pointer, the defensive stand and also get in the grill of a teammate. Krauser gives the Panthers the edge they have had for three years.

Without:
The rebuilding will begin in earnest. Losing Troutman, Mark McCarroll and Taft is a hit in the paint. But the Panthers can absorb that with more PT for Aaron Gray and John DeGroat. Rising sophomore Ronald Ramon would take over for Krauser. He has moxie but he’s not as experienced and not as explosive a scorer.

Chad Ford, ESPN.com’s NBA guy, has rough numbers for the NBA draft. He includes Krauser as part of 31 underclassmen who have declared for the draft who fit the category of “Second Round to Undrafted” status.