You know, there’s something about the Big East and the member programs that continually miss opportunities, moments and chances. I don’t know how or why, but as much as anything else the history of the Big East is about moments that could transform or change the entire face of programs and the conference — and waiting until after the moment has passed to make a move.
If Villanova had made the decision anytime before 2010, they would be in or on their way to being a full Big East member. The stadium would have been less of an issue to the members simply because the Big East football schools really, really, really wanted that 9th football member.
Up until the point last fall when it came out that TCU would join the Big East, the only way it seemed that the Big East would add that 9th member in football it would be from within. The basketball schools seemed intent on blocking other options, and there was no slam dunk option out there.
Instead Villanova was overly cautious and waited until the deal with TCU came together. At that point, the Big East football schools had the chance to take a step back and really, really look at Villanova and their plans. A closer examination and the lack of an air of desperation put it in a different light.
It dates back to the very founding of the Big East. One of the major reasons the Big East was formed was because Penn State and Joe Paterno began aggressively pursuing the ethereal Eastern sports conference. It was highly flawed and doomed to fail since it sought to create a conference but exclude football revenue from any sharing. Still it was enough to spook schools like Providence and Seton Hall about the future. They purused the idea of a basketball based league. Syracuse was convinced and Boston College backstabbed Holy Cross by joining without them (the Big East only wanted one school from Boston, and BC and Holy Cross had agreed that they should both be included or not at all).
Fear of football and the possibility of a competing Eastern conference, led the Big East to offer an invite to Pitt. When Paterno finally gave up the dream and sought to join the Big East in the early 80s, the Big East membership rejected them. The basketball schools still feared the influence of football interests with a conference membership that would have included Pitt, Syracuse, BC and Penn State.
It isn’t pleasant to say, but Syracuse, BC and Pitt blew it. They were short-sighted about the importance of conference affiliation in football. While Paterno’s plan was unfeasible economically for a true conference, the failure to push harder for Penn State in the Big East or to try and negotiate a better revenue set-up for a full sports conference has done more long-term damage to Syracuse and Pitt than anyone else.
Really a watershed moment that haunted the Big East since. Every action taken by the Big East with membership since then has been a reaction to football interests while trying to keep the focus on basketball.
The move by Penn State to the Big Ten several years later shook Eastern college football tremendously. Pitt, Syracuse and BC suddenly found themselves part of a dwindling and weakening cadre of independent football programs. Especially with conferences cutting TV deals for football after the US Supreme Court busted the NCAA control.
The Big East wanted to keep their basketball club intact so they put together the Big East football conference in 1991: Pitt, Syracuse and BC with Miami, WVU, VT, Temple and Rutgers. Except for Miami, the other football programs were treated like junior members. Temple was completely blocked by Villanova, while Rutgers and West Virginia had to wait until the fifth year before becoming full Big East members. Virginia Tech didn’t get full membership until 2000.
Notre Dame was given a lifeline for all sports except football in 1995 — yet another move that missed an opportunity. Allowing ND to preserve its football independence while playing in a major conference.
Meanwhile on the football side, little was done after 1991, except periodically encourage UConn to think about moving to 1-A football. So what if the Big East was the smallest football conference in the the BCA then BCS? While membership moves were done to placate the football side, nothing else was done to grow or build the football side by the conference. Treating it more like a cash register but little else. Letting discontent grow because of the conflicting interests. Those conflicting interests seem so amazing as the football revenue was so outstripping anything the basketball could produce.
By the time the ACC raid took place, the Big East had nothing to offer Miami to stay. Even an offer to effectively go to a modified Paterno-esque revenue system to let Miami keep more money was not enough.
When the Big East finally splits, expect more of the same. Big East offices not seeing it coming. The basketball schools surprised and unaware of the discontent of the football schools.
Just saw something come over the wire.
As we look back at failed decisions of days gone by, we wish people had made better decisions about the long-term future of the conference and member schools. So what’s wrong with looking at UCF right now in terms of long-term potential for the conference? (Sorry to beat a half-dead horse here.)
I like the part that JJ decided to transfer (and not decided by Jamie). A pattern has been established.
Best of luck to JJ. He plays hard and did whatever was asked. Hopefully he’ll get into a program where he can get some playing time because it probably was not going to happen at Pitt with Taylor, Robinson, Birch, Zanna and maybe even Gilbert ahead of him.
“I believe this, and I told [Tino] this — if he becomes a disciple of our offense, meaning he disciplines himself and totally believes in what we are doing and he executes and just distributes the ball and just executes the system — I believe he has a chance to surprise a lot of people.”
Wow! I wonder if TG thoroughly thought thru his statement. It seems like TG sometimes will really, really go out on a limb with his predictions.
Paterno angry over BE snub went after Syracuse and BC to form his football conference expecting Pitt and WVU to jump at his revenue deal of no sharing of football money. Syracuse and BC went back to the Big East and said if Pitt was invited to the BE then there would be no threat to pull the Big East apart. Pitt was among the better Easten Eight programs. And that is why Pitt was invited to the BE.
Football on the other hand, has not flourished at all in the BigEast, again being below .500 since we joined for football in 1991 and that is far below our overall winning percentage of 59%.
For that reason alone I’d like to see Pitt and the other football members split off. It’s been nice knowing you BigEast but we’re off to bigger and better things. One small caveat, if the football onlys split off, ND might be more receptive to joining since there’ fewer teams to share revenue with. A conf. with Pitt, Syracuse, Uconn, WVU, Rutgers, TCU, Louisville and the others and say adding Houston and UCF could command a pretty big TV contract as long as ND was part of the deal. Maybe sweeten the pot a little for ND.
It’s Dokish’s post on the roster being in flux for the hoops team. He talks about how this was JJ Richardson’s decision and he was definitely not pushed out.
Pitt (constant debacles on national TV), Syracuse (Program went anemic) and Louisville (Never lived up to the hype)…
I put no blame on WVU. They have done MORE than their share to become an alpha dog and brand builder in this conference, have won multiple BCS games against good competition, and was one game away from a National Championship (13-9).
I put no blame on UCONN, Rutgers, Cincy. The factthey are even relevant is because of the three aforementioned teams allow them to be. In no world should UCONN or RUTGERS or Cincy be winning a BCS bid over PItt, Syracuse, WVU or Louisville.
I blame USF a little for being a Louisville Light…some high expectations, could be the next Florida, yadda yadda, then always choking and gagging.
And if you take a look at it, we really have no one to blame for the BEF brand stinking more than ourselves.
Excellent analysis. Pitt on t.v., Syracuse disappearing, and Louisville was gonna be the next U. of Miami!!!!
WVU has done more than it’s share beating Oklahoma, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Auburn over the past years. They’ve done their part.
2011
Cincy————Tennessee, NC.St
UCONN————Vanderbilt, Iowa St.
Louisville——-Kentucky, North Carolina
Pitt————-Iowa, ND, Utah
Rutgers———-North Carolina, Navy
S.Fla————N.D., Miami
Syracuse———Wake Forest, Southern Cal
WVU————–Maryland, LSU
There are 17 games or so, that is up to the teams to gain a little respect for the conference. Up to them and no one else.
I’m trying to stay positive for the TG era at Pitt, but he needs to make the level jump sooner rather than later if we expect to have a true Football Conference.
All that High Octane horseshit will quickly fall to deaf ears if he takes his team down to Iowa and loses 24 to 3….on a national TV broadcast.
Why? Because we have NO equity with the national perception. Let’s hope 2011 will change that perception…
Barton in 3 years with Duquesne did not bring one player from Notre Dame Prep to Duquesne. so what good is it that he was the coach there. I am open to your thoughts show me that this is a good deal.
Comment by FRANKCAN 04.15.11 @ 9:43 pm
Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think schools like Marshall and Duquesne are in the running for the same type of players that Notre Dame Prep usually puts out. We are currently recruiting 2 players from Notre Dame Prep, one is Brandon Knight’s cousin, Myles Davis….no he doesn’t play the trumpet but he’s supposed to have a mean game and he’s so good he’s turns his back to the crowd.
SU and BC tried to negotiate for better revenue sharing, but Paterno wouldn’t hear of it. JoePa wanted revenue sharing for all sports BUT football. SU sells 25,000 tickets for a basketball game and had to share that ticket revenue with Penn State, while PSU sells 100,000 tickets to a football game and keeps all that money? Wasn’t going to happen.
JoePA’s greed was the only reason why his all-sports conference never got off the ground. He wanted all his football cake, and he wanted to eat everyone else’s basketball cake too. He might have strong-armed Temple and Rutgers, but SU and BC wouldn’t agree to JoePa’s unfair terms … and neither did Pitt.
Had to check some history. PSU and Paterno were considered for a membership invite before Pitt — but not from PSU’s side. It came from some Big East members that felt it best to get PSU in the league while he was still talking about his Eastern Conference. Instead, Pitt was invited in 1982.
The Supreme Court broke the NCAA Control over the TV contracts in 1984. Paterno pushed for his Eastern conference — which failed miserably because of the greed you mention. Then he sought the Big East membership. Interestingly, one of the schools that actively opposed Penn State for membership: Syracuse.
Re. the missed opportunities, all the cliches come to mind.
Hindsight is 20-20.
If if’s and but’s were candy and nuts…
Etc., etc.
We can only go forward from where we stand.