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BIG EAST (revisited)

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BIG EAST (revisited)

latest thread on big east locked for some reason…

but i must comment:

currently there are 8 teams in the big east football conference; eveybody knows that;

many from the troy side think FAU does not deserve consideration for inclusion to this league and many from FAU think the same of troy;

however- it would behouve the big east to consider expanding with two teams to round out there league with 10 teams and create 2 divisions, and add a division championship;

a two division league in the big east would allow for a more flexible occ schedule for all involved, it would allow for the retention of bitter rivalry games, and for FAU, it could allow for the addition of teams like Miami, UF, FSU, USF, UCF, and FIU to play each other on a more regular basis.

games played closer to home would make for increased attendence, which seems to be a big factor in considering the growth and expansion of younger programs.

it would be quite a spectacle to have an FAU conference schedule including
west virginia, south florida, pitt, louisville, and troy

and an occ schedule including Miami, UF, FSU, Notre Dame, and FIU.

who knows more than the head coach?
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Re: BIG EAST (revisited)

Here is a thought. Would Big East REALLY be interested in adding two more teams, especially two teams from the SBC?

FAU has been to one bowl game. Granted they got there faster than any other program ever. But now they have one, single win one year removed from winning that bowl game.

Troy, a perennial contender for the SBC championship and a team that is constantly bowl eligible, is in a TV market that is too small to even be worth trying to tap into.

The fact is, with expansion, a conference has to have enough bowl tie-ins and enough bowl eligible teams, to make a larger profit. Not to mention the conference is also splitting TV money. Adding two teams like Troy and FAU would, more likely than not, decrease the profits for a conference and it's teams.

Another fact is, FAU has not even established themselves as a successful program yet. It'll be years before FAU is invited to a BCS conference.
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Re: BIG EAST (revisited)

posterchild said

Here is a thought. Would Big East REALLY be interested in adding two more teams, especially two teams from the SBC?

FAU has been to one bowl game. Granted they got there faster than any other program ever. But now they have one, single win one year removed from winning that bowl game.

Troy, a perennial contender for the SBC championship and a team that is constantly bowl eligible, is in a TV market that is too small to even be worth trying to tap into.

The fact is, with expansion, a conference has to have enough bowl tie-ins and enough bowl eligible teams, to make a larger profit. Not to mention the conference is also splitting TV money. Adding two teams like Troy and FAU would, more likely than not, decrease the profits for a conference and it's teams.

Another fact is, FAU has not even established themselves as a successful program yet. It'll be years before FAU is invited to a BCS conference.

I think if they ever wanted to expand the Big East they would pick schools with potential, not past.  FAU and FIU are both schools with over 25,000 undergrads and expanding every year.  The potential for both programs due to size of school, location, recruitment pool, etc are never ending.  Its only a matter of time before FAU has the facilities, Dothan and Murphesboro or whatever will never have the market of South Florida no matter how much time passes by.

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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Re: BIG EAST (revisited)

All fair points.  I'm not one of the people that thinks we are ready to be in the Big East.  It takes more then a Bowl win and a few successful seasons.  It is a fun topic to think about, but before we can even consider moving anywhere, the stadium needs to get built.  Even when that happens, the Big East is about more then football.  We would need better basketball and baseball facilities as well.

The thing that we have going for us is that we are in a desirable market for the conference.  They don't have a South Florida presence since UM left.  Also, unlike FIU, we don't have a major program directly in our backyard.  Unfortantely, I don't think we will be where we need to be if they decide to add teams in the next 3-5 years.  If they do, I think UCF would get the nod due to their facilities.  But then again USF wasn't exactly that much further along then we are when they got the invite.

Like I said, right now, the Big East or any major move up in conference is a dream.  We need to focus on 3 things…1. Facilities, 2. Winning, and 3. Attendance at all sporting events.  If #1 gets accomplished, 2 and 3 will follow right behind.  
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Re: BIG EAST (revisited)

It is simply about money and frankly the Big East isn't going to add a Sunbelt team right now. Not with its current perception as a very weak league. Now if in 4-5 years a Sunbelt team established itself with regular attendance of 35k+ and enough money brought in through tv and bowl alliances then maybe but I don't think that will happen either.
It is much more likely the Sunbelt is raided by CUSA.
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Re: BIG EAST (revisited)

Some Points.

1. Big East doesn't want more teams, already have too many (see Basketball)

2. 2 more teams wouldn't get a Championship game, NCAA says you have to have 12 hence the ACC realignment, so they need 4

3. Why would any of the teams want to split the revenue of bowl games even more?

4. FAU is not expanding its enrollment by much…the current plan approved by BOT has undergraduate in-state frozen at 2007 levels for the foreseeable future, 0.9% growth overall.

5. Assume the Big East wants to expand, we don't have the facilities… none of the Sun Belt does. And we definitely don't have the success necessary.

6. ECU is begging to be in the Big East, willing to forfeit all money from bowl profit sharing, and they have the facilities, the success, and yet the Big East says NO



Would it be great to be in the Big East? Of course!
Would things change for us…better recruits, more exposure, better students? Yes.

Are we going to be joining the Big East in the next Decade? 10% chance, if that.

Lets enjoy our lot in life, do what we can, hope that the BCS system as we know it changes, and then see what happens.

Florida Atlantic University Owls
2007 Sun Belt Football Champions 2007 New Orleans Bowl Champions 2008 Motor City Bowl Champions 2011 Sun Belt Basketball Champions No Bowls without Owls
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Re: BIG EAST (revisited)

Good points SeminOwl…to add:

The way the Belt is progressing, who cares…the Big Easy (yes, i meant to spell it that way) has gotten weak over the last few years…IMO we may be better off staying put…….
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Re: BIG EAST (revisited)

Florida_Owl said

Good points SeminOwl…to add:

The way the Belt is progressing, who cares…the Big Easy (yes, i meant to spell it that way) has gotten weak over the last few years…IMO we may be better off staying put…….

Are we better off staying put if the option is the Sun Belt or the Big East?  umm…NO!  Not when you look at the money associated with being in a BCS conference, or the national coverage, or the automatic BCS bid, or the public perception, etc…But it isn't like we have that choice to make.

The Sun Belt is consistently improving.  It is a competitve league that should continue to move up in stature over the next 3-5 years.  That said, I agree with a previous poster that it will likely be raided by CUSA in the next conference shuffle, if one occurs.

 
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Re: BIG EAST (revisited)

fauowls44 said

The Sun Belt is consistently improving.  It is a competitve league that should continue to move up in stature over the next 3-5 years.  That said, I agree with a previous poster that it will likely be raided by CUSA in the next conference shuffle, if one occurs.

Probably…i would agree with that…

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Re: BIG EAST (revisited)

CUSA or MAC...Buffalo and Temple are good schools, well established, they are turning their Football Programs around...decent markets

Florida Atlantic University Owls
2007 Sun Belt Football Champions 2007 New Orleans Bowl Champions 2008 Motor City Bowl Champions 2011 Sun Belt Basketball Champions No Bowls without Owls
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