The issue of Big East football expansion is huge with the fans of potential member schools. Almost 700 people have voted in the record-setting Card Game fan poll (at top right). And it appears that most of them are coming from East Carolina. Click on the “Comm
ent†section beneath the questionnaire to see all the multi-colored balloons representing voters up and down the East Coast. Lots of interest, incredible amount of interest.
By Charlie Springer
Charlie Springer is a former Louisville editor and sportswriter, a public affairs consultant, a UofL grad and longtime fan.
7 thoughts on “The Big East Question”
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Just say no to ECU,
Your comments make little sense. As a Big East supporter, heres how the future looks if they were to follow your expansion plan.
UCF – Florida is a hot bed for recruits, yet already has the Big East presence needed for the market to be sold on the conference. USF is our new darling, and need not compete when we can expand to another state. UCF is a puppy in the D1 game, and needs years to push there program to where it can show consistancy and history. They haven’t ever won a bowl game, and need to beat more BCS teams on a regular basis to prove eligable to enter a BCS conference.
Memphis – While having a stellar basketball program that can compete with the best, Memphis is lacking a BCS argument with its football team. The market is solid, and presents a great argument for a revenue dynamo in the conference. The big downside is the history behind the program. Having gone 3-2 in bowl games in its history against lackluster teams, Memphis is lacking a football team who knows how to compete. It’s obvious they have no consistency and pay much more attention to basketball than football.
ECU – Being located in a relatively weak market area, East Carolina doesn’t exactly have cash cow potential. On the other hand, they are very close to the Raleigh market and I see quite a bit of exposure all the way up the east coast to DC. If their fans are as spread out as I think they are, then they add fierce BE competition to the NC region while eventually catapulting their market to right size. The history is outstanding here as well. They have a great bowl history with a win in the peach bowl, and 11 or 12 wins overall. They also have played BCS-level competition for years , and have won against them. The hurt for a period due to a poor coach and AD situation, yet look to have bounced back even stronger. There are many more reasons why I’d like to add ECU to our conference, but those spell it out clearly. Good luck Pirates, I hope your future is bright.
We should only add ONE school for football.
9 total football playing teams, gives you an even 4 home, 4 away games in conference every year.
UCF should be first choice (market, better upside)
Memphis should be second.
Then ECU third.
ECU hit their pinacle in the early 90’s. They have a great baseball team, and program. But so what? College baseball doesn’t drive conference strength, otherwise CUSA would be one of the most sought after conference affiliations in the country. And schools are DYING to get the hell outta CUSA.
^^Even if they did stuff the box – look at where they were stuffing it from. They are getting props out West and the entire east coast. None of the other choices got that kind of geographical representation. This is impressive to me.
It could also be indicative of East Carolina fans stuffing a voting box.
Richmond – what are you basing your statement on as to the schools you mentioned being in ECU’s corner?
As an ECU supporter, I hope you are right.
It’s interesting if you look at the distribution of votes for ECU. Not only is the vote widely distributed in the state of NC but they have heavy voting up and down the East Coast. The distribution is also greater across the US than any of the other schools. That says alot to those people who worry about marketability.
This is very indicative of the Big East’s feelings. UConn, WV, Louisville, South Florida, Cincinnati all want ECU for BE football inclusion. And if this poll has been taken by mostly ECU fans, then it shows how strongly they feel. I have seen them play- they are good and their fans travel very well and are respectful. There are several options out there, but I think ECU is at the top.