Was everyone paying attention when Notre Dame forcefully confirmed over the weekend that one of its priorities is preserving the Big East Conference?
The league has reportedly scheduled a conference call later this week with the school presidents and athletic directors to discuss conference expansion and alignment issues.
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More than likely, the conference call was scheduled before Monday’s news that the Big 12 Conference will be sticking around. Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Missouri are not packing their bags.
The Big East, if it is indeed being proactive, has some serious matters to resolve. First and foremost should be whether to add at least one more football member. The issue is too important for the conference to ignore any longer. Too important for even the Irish to ignore.
Even though it doesn’t play football in the Big East, Notre Dame is the Big East equivalent of Texas to the Big 12. When Notre Dame speaks, conference members listen, believing them when they say the Big East Conference is a priority.
Irish administrators have said twenty hundred times that they want to remain independent in football. So if Notre Dame doesn’t intend to play Big East football, how will the school contribute to the long-term viability of the conference?
Presumably Notre Dame is actively involved in seeking answers, working with conference members in recent days, putting its brain trust to work while applying clout. Generating creative ideas and innovative solutions, furthering the Notre Dame agenda of protecting the league.
And conference members will be all ears.
12/20 configuration is the answer for the Big East. We need to add:
Central Florida
East carolina
Memphis
Temple
Then we will have the numbers to survie a raid. All four of those schools will get better with BCS inclusion. Temple has new people in charge now that are sports friendly.
Maybe I just do not get it, but I do not see how adding UCF, ECU or even Memphis makes the Big East a more attractive BCS conference. If anything, it just gives more ammunition to those who think that the Big East is already not BCS worthy.
Well said Charlie. Notre Dame, as much as I don’t like it, provides a lot for the Big East and does carry a big stick.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Big East make a move for 1 or 2 current BCS members for expansion. I anticipate UCF receiving an invite during the next few weeks/months.
Kinda get that feeling too, Michael. Some one needs to get these franchises before another conference gets them. Too few candidates available outside of them and East Carolina.
Notre Dame is not the linchpin for the Big East. If the Midwestern Irish don’t pony-up to The BigTen where they belong, then they need the BE much more than the BE needs them. The BE is doing fine, they simply need to be proactive and add a few more football schools such as Memphis and Central Florida. Then there’s Boston College and Penn State they should go after as both schools are thought of as stepchildren in their present conferences. Maryland is another natural geographical target the BE should target.
Notre Dame may have, in fact, already saved the Big East by seeing through the Big Ten’s bluff that it would take Rutgers and/or another team from the conference.