The Big East May Survive As The Big Whatever

by Sean Keeley on Jun 14, 2010 6:19 PM EDT

It's kinda amazing at this point that the Big East has remained intact, on the outside looking in while the Big 12 demolition job continues. Like the many radio shows I've been listening to all day, we can sit here and speculate about the different scenarios that depend on which teams leave the Big 12 and which ones are left and which ones want out and which ones want to stay. But since the story changes every 12 hours, we're just giving ourselves headaches trying to piece it all together.

The major concern for the moment is that, since the news is big and volatile and mostly backed up with actual results, it's given every anonymous source and inside source and source close to the situation free reign to spill their guts about what they may or may not know. Who do we trust? Who could we EVER trust? It's better to just roll with things for the time being.

It's a little like the end of the horror movie when you think the killer is dead, everyone breathes a sigh of relief and someone makes a witty quip JUST AS THE KILLER WAKES UP AND STABS HIM! I don't want Jim Delany to stab you.

So let's just enjoy this little nugget for how absurd...and yet possible....it sounds.

A Big East source told FanHouse that the league is seriously considering pursuing Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State if those schools are left without a conference.

"Most people [in the Big East] are for it," said the league source.

There's something sublime about the thought of a basketball conference that pits Seton Hall against Iowa State twice a season. Still, let everyone else talk about pods and divisions and realignments. Don't waste your time sorting out what this 20-team behemoth will look like. Cause by the time you do, the next rumor will have the Big East swallowing up the WAC and you'll just have to start all over again.

The important thing to take from all this is that the Big East may just survive, but only if the Big Ten and ACC are content with the meat they've picked clean from the Big 12. If both conferences decide they want more, then I don't really see the point. But stranger things have happened in college sports. And that's just in the last 48 hours.

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Seton Hall vs Iowa St

would be the biggest rivalry in the country, nay, the world according to Pat Forde.

Without Gerry McNamara we wouldn't have won 10 f-- games, not 10

by PoetryInMoten on Jun 14, 2010 6:23 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

I had hoped all along...

…that the Big 12 would completely be torn asunder, so that we could swoop in and add the remnants. We are pretty much on par with the Mountain West on football, but in basketball? Forget it. You would have to think that Kansas would be far more interested in competing in the Big East than the MWC, and hopefully the other schools would follow Kansas along (to keep some of the old Big 12 rivalries intact).

Alas, if the Big 12 is able to stand pat at 10 teams (and keep all-important Texas, which apparently has become – overnight – the Most Important School in America), then this is a moot point. But if they leave, and Texas A&M leaves…whoo boy. The 20 team Big East in whoops would be a monster, but in football? It would be a 12 team league with some serious new recruiting areas opened up. That would be awesome. And I’d LOVE to see the Jayhawks regularly squaring off against ’Cuse (and Georgetown, ’Nova, UConn for that matter).

"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998

by kotite4ever on Jun 14, 2010 8:03 PM EDT reply actions

*hoops (not whoops)

"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998

by kotite4ever on Jun 14, 2010 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m hoping that the Big 12 (minus 2) manages to stay afloat, the Big Ten (plus 2) stops with Nebraska, the Pac-10 adds one more from the WAC or something and then all of this expansion nonsense can stop.

And then the Big East can kick out Rutgers and replace them with Memphis. Take that you ungrateful fuckers.

by stumpycuse on Jun 14, 2010 8:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Agree

Frank’s board was full of Rutgers fans and their statistics—all of which began in 2005.

by ezcuse on Jun 14, 2010 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions

From textbook standards to college athletic conferences

Texas decides what direction everyone else is going to go.

by adselver15 on Jun 14, 2010 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Scary thought

"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998

by kotite4ever on Jun 14, 2010 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions

It would be a terrible fucking football league...

Iowa state is garbage, kansas sucks. And it would still be a national laughingstock, as a conference for teams that couldn’t find a legit conference to get into. I’d rather pick up UCF and have 9 football schools and leave it at that.

by noro on Jun 15, 2010 1:26 AM EDT up reply actions

Um

How on earth is UCF better than ANY of those football programs? Iowa State is really the only bad one in the bunch.

"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998

by kotite4ever on Jun 15, 2010 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions

More football, maybe less basketball??

I wouldn’t mind adding Memphis, the only issue is the fact that if we want more football teams, we either need to promote ones that already play, (Villianova), or we need to shed some schools that don’t play football. (Depaula, seems like the best choice honestly) If Rutgers does leave, Memphis would be a good replacement. An okay football team and a good basketball team.

by Gregory Tuers on Jun 14, 2010 10:53 PM EDT reply actions