If you are following me on Twitter, then you know that I am pushing for the BIG EAST to rename itself the BIG SPRAWL conference. Since BIG EAST no longer fits, and the geography is, uh, awkward. I’m not letting this go anytime soon.
Here’s the press release from the Big East.
Texas Christian University has accepted an invitation for full membership into The BIG EAST Conference, it was announced today. The BIG EAST, by a vote of its Presidents and Chancellors, extended the invitation for membership.
Notice that the vote to extend the invitation lacked the descriptor, “unanimous?” I’m looking at you DePaul, Seton Hall and Providence.
May seem like a no-brainer, but it apparently took a certain alum of TCU to get things really going.
Meanwhile, Pitt men’s basketball coach Jamie Dixon and a TCU alumnus, confirmed that he did initiate contact between his alma mater and the Big East. Dixon was with Del Conte for a homecoming weekend against Baylor Sept. 18. Dixon and Del Conte spoke about how the Big East was going to need another football member. Dixon tested TCU’s interest and then let Marinatto know of the Horned Frogs’ desire to look at membership. Once TCU’s football team rose in the BCS standings and the Big East struggled, the matter became a need for both parties.
Improving the football side of the Big East. Rescuing people from car accidents. A top-3 basketball program. What’s next for Coach Jamie Dixon? Care to run a football team? Hey, they actually talked about it for Tom Izzo a few years ago.
Bring a winning football program to the Big East!
😉
DaveD
Division Alignment
SOUTH
TCU
S.Florida
Central Florida or Houston
Louisville
Cincinnati
NORTH
PITT
WVU
UCONN
Rutgers
Syracuse
If Nova comes in then WVU will go to the South Division and Nova to the North. Expect PITT and WVU to play early in the season with the possibility to meet again in the BE championship.
I like this decision if for one reason (as explained in the BE press release…
“Located in one of the top five media markets in the country, TCU also enables the Big East to extend its media footprint, which already encompasses more than a quarter of the country,” league Commissioner John Marinatto said.
Now in of top 35 media markets in the country. It’s all about the benjamins.
What a disaster.
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Big East has traded DePaul to the Mountain West for Texas Christian. Wait for it! As part of a three conference deal, Marquette will be returning to Conference USA, SMU to the Mountain West and Memphis to the Big East!
But, in a strange turn of events, just five minutes later, The Big East traded Memphis back to Conference USA for Tulsa. This came due to the discovery of fool’s gold in Oklahoma.
Shoot, I say let’s raid the ACC and change our name to something that will bring in the cashola. My top 3 conference names:
1- The Incredible American Conference (TIAC)
2- The Conference that needs to dump some basketball only schools(PEEN)
3- The hurry up and join Villanova so we can target Vermont conference(PRUNE)
In all seriousness though, this saves The Big East’s AQ status for the time being. TCU can play football real swell and the basketball team will have recruiting pickup. It will take some getting used to but we have come out and basically told the country that geography is going to be a small bump when we expand again. Now if only our football team can win some games, we could have a blast in 2012 before it all comes crashing down.
Sorry for pokin’ a little fun but I think this is good news and it put me in a good mood. GO PITT!
TCU–55–PITT–13……”Hey, we knew they’d be tough coming in here”, “that is one fast team”, “we are gonna have to play catch up”, “the kids, the kids, have GOT to get focused”
A fellow alumni suggests the next invite be Yeshiva in order to cover all the bases.
North:
Pitt
WVU
Cuse
Rutgers
UConn
Nova
South:
Louisville
Cincy
USF
UCF
Houston
TCU
Looks pretty good.
How about the ‘Big Country’ conference.
I always liked that song ‘In a Big Country’
TCU has been to 6 Cotton Bowls (back when it was one of the Big 4 New Year’s Day Bowls), 2 Sugar Bowls, 1 Orange Bowl & 1 Fiesta Bowl, as well as 2 Sun Bowl games and a whole flock of lower tiered bowl games. (much like Pitt)
What’s really interesting in one of those Sugar Bowls they played Carnegie Tech and in the 2 of the Cotton Bowls they played Syracuse and get this, Marquette. (maybe we can get Marquette do to FCS football again).
TCU has also played PITT twice in a home & home in 1959 & 1960. We haven’t beaten them yet, as they won 13-3 and the other game ended tied 7-7.
So we better get prepared.
Welcome to the Big Country, glad to have you !
Temple would suffice on that order as well.
Sure the teams tend to be mediocre, and the stadiums aren’t always packed, but the teams are mostly in larger TV markets and still draw decent TV ratings.
The BCS values that.
Don’t know how to read this – it sounds like he’s being canned but since he says this kind of stuff all the time he might have just played back the tape…it is curious