BeyondU Sports has learned that Rutgers, West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati and UCONN are heavily leaning towards bolting from the Big East on Sunday when the league presidents meet.
With these five schools leaving simultaneously, only TCU and USF will be left as Big East football members in 2012. The coordinated move is designed to implode the conference. It’s believed that by dismantling the conference, these schools will avoid paying a penalty and won’t need to wait 27 months if they wanted to change leagues.
Since the ACC or the Big Ten would probably take either or both Rutgers and UCONN, these schools are in a great position. West Virginia would be swept up by the Big 12 in a heartbeat even though the Mountaineers mind is apparently set on the SEC. In fact, our WVU sources have said that the school has a handshake deal with the SEC.
The SEC is also reportedly in talks with Missouri but it’s unclear which program – WVU or Missouri – would get the first offer. It’s also unclear whether the SEC will try for 16 teams by the start of next season. We’re hearing that a possible hang up for Mizzou is that their facility upgrades, additional sports programs that would have to be added, Big XII exit fees, etc. could total over $40 million. These costs would undoubtedly hurt Missouri’s immediate chances of joining the SEC.
Louisville and Cincinnati have been brought up in Big 12 discussions but Texas and OU would have to sign off on the deal. This could be a significant hurdle but a lot is predicated on Missouri’s decision. If Mizzou jets to the SEC, WVU may become available to the Big 12 thus making Louisville and Cincinnati a little more desirable to its members.
It has become clear that John Marinatto does not want to be the commissioner of a football conference. Ask yourself this: If the Big East and Marinatto were interested in saving the football side of their conference, then why haven’t they invited Navy, Army and Air Force to join as was apparently their intention before Pitt and Syracuse suddenly fled to the ACC two weeks ago? Is it because Marinatto knows the writing is on the wall for the football part of his league to disappear? Sure seems like this is the case to us.
As of tonight, it looks like the Big East will be the tipping point to full scale conference realignment. But, like any good soap opera, there are swerves, cliff hangers and “gotcha” plot changes. If half of what we are hearing is correct, then Sunday’s scheduled meeting of Big East presidents in DC will be wild.
For more on the disarray of conference expansion and realignments, listen to Mike Leach on ‘Beyond the Coach Speak’ Episode 1 here.
Ari Russell
After reading this article, it’s quite clear, that Marinatto and the bb playing schools allowed this to happen. I also believe that they’re quite content with letting this happen. How, for the life of me, do you allow, 2 of one of your bigger programs to defect is mind boggling?
But here’s the thing, does the ACC really want to add to the conference with RU or UCONN? I can see UCONN, because they already bring both powerhouses in basketball, and not anything in football, they can solidify the bb playing schools there. I’m not so sure with RU, especially with the NY market. The B1g has been suspiciously quiet on virtually all fronts on this matter, and they can see a shift happening nationally, but would they really go after RU, especially with big sexy ND still firming their stance on maintaining their independent status?
You don’t know what the Hell you’re talking about. NOBODY wants UConn or Rutgers.
The only shot either of them has is if the ACC can get one (and only one) football power like Notre Dame and Penn State and then they need to add one more to balance divisions. If the ACC can’t get another football power, they’ll stay at 14.
Both UConn and Rutgers are headed for the MAC.
They are not football powers, but they have huge media markets. UCONN is in ESPN’s backyard, that’s big deal, fair or not. Rutgers is outside of NYC. For the ACC getting UCONN or Rutgers or both, would lock down the North East market. There are more TV households from Central Jersey to Massachusetts than there is in the entire South. Even if only a small percentage will actually watch CFB, the numbers will help the ACC. Would they enhance football? No way. Would they add viewership? No question. That’s what this is all about. Also from an academic standpoint, Rutgers and UCONN would do just fine. We aren’t the only people talking about this move. Will any of this happen? That’s anyone’s guess. But both Rutgers and UCONN have value, and that’s location.
The ACC would be dilusional to think either Penn State or ND would even consider the ACC. IF the ACC is looking at the north east it needs to invite two of these three UCONN, RUtgers or Temple. SYR did not join a conference to play a southern schedule so since the ACC NORTH wants to be the new BE it should be the new BE.
TCU will be in Big 12… not left holding the Big East bag
Trust me, no one wants RUTGERS, UCONN, WVU, CINCINNATI, LOUISVILLE, or USF. No one. The Big12 will get TCU and be done with it even when Missouri leaves to the SEC. It will be the Big9 for now on. These Big East football schools should just form their own league, the ECLC, East Coast Losers Club.
Posting from Mommy’s basement I see.
More like the tree house. When are folks going to come with something more original?
This article contradicts pretty much EVERYTHING I’ve seen regarding realignment. Has “reporting” really come down to just making up your own story or guessing? Louisville will be in the Big12 no matter what happens with the Missouri or WVU. WVU was denied by both the ACC and the SEC. Nobody wants UCONN. The Big10 has remained silent through this whole deal and said publicly they are happy with 12. The number 16 is a media fantasy and not anyone else’s.
WVU is way more desirable than Louisville. Anytime. All the time.
Brett, you lecture about making up stories, yet you quote one PROVEN false story as fact. Wvu was not rejected by the acc or sec.
theses comments are ridiculous from some of u. wvu was not denied by either the sec or acc. rutgers n uconn have great location thats their selling point. theyre going to ACC in my opinion. wvu is waiting on sec. if not they go b 12. its that simple.
Rutgers has 35,000 students, is an AAU school, and has just invested 110 Million into their football stadium!! The ACC is holding out for the ‘dream’ of Notre Dame and ACC basketball AND the ‘dream’ they can somehow convince Penn State to ‘come home’ to the EAST. The new TV Deal with ESPN and those two teams would be HUGE!!!
I don’t see this happening, however. So, Uconn and Rutgers fill two new states the ACC doesn’t have and get’s the ESPN/ACC network into NEW YORK CITY. This will be a win for the ACC either way. Lastly, it is the ACC Presidents who vote on all of this – Rutgers and Uconn will get the invite over WV due to academics. Uconn pleases the ACC ‘basketball mafia’.
Well said. Also UCONN pleases the ESPN mafia. You need the families to be aligned to be in a position to be accepted.