[4everfsu]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5756898

[TDDance234]

Here's our chance!

(Someone had to say it...)

[prototype]

I would go hard after this. Wouldn't hurt to try... Why not?

[coastalalum]

I would go hard after this. Wouldn't hurt to try... Why not?

go hard after what? what would you try?

please tell me that you don't mean to try to be one of the 2 teams they add...

[thepostman]

we won't get it, but if we are serious about moving up there is no reason not to at least try...whats the worse that can happen? We get a "no"?? OH NO!!!

[ATrain]

Nova, UCF and TCU seem to top their list. Doubt the Mountain West lets TCU go for football only, and not sure if Conference USA will do the same for UCF, or that USF won't try to block it. My prediction: Nova and an independent in football already (Army, Navy, BYU)

[From the class of 09]

Nova, UCF and TCU seem to top their list. Doubt the Mountain West lets TCU go for football only, and not sure if Conference USA will do the same for UCF, or that USF won't try to block it. My prediction: Nova and an independent in football already (Army, Navy, BYU)

The Big East wants to add a team from the Mountain West??? I can't really see this being worth it for TCU. The Mountain West should get the BIG Easts auto bid anyways.

[From the class of 09]

I would go hard after this. Wouldn't hurt to try... Why not?

I'm with you and a decent consolation prize would be moving to the CAA.

[ALUmnus]

Notre Dame is still out there. It's their only chance of ever getting back to a BCS bowl game.

[From the class of 09]

Notre Dame is still out there. It's their only chance of ever getting back to a BCS bowl game.

That would be a real coup for the Big East as the Big 10 has been after ND for years.

[Sly Fox]

Notre Dame has plenty of options including TV-friendly Big XII.

[Cider Jim]

I wish that the Big East really meant east and the Big South really meant south.

[prototype]

I would go hard after this. Wouldn't hurt to try... Why not?

go hard after what? what would you try?

please tell me that you don't mean to try to be one of the 2 teams they add...

I'm not saying we have a chance, BUT it does let conferences know we are looking... I don't think the teams being mentioned here are much better than us and do think that there is some weight in being the largest Private Baptist school - If we keep growing - there is no reason LU can't become the next ND or BYU.

We are growing a complete athletic program here and putting money in to it, have our own TV Network, have 63,000 current students around the country, and are alumni pool is growing faster than most every other college in the country.

Unlike Coastal - where the one selling point is - "We have a beach..."

[soccer7]

They already gave Nova an invite to the conference and think they are going to look at ECU and I am sure ECU is licking its lips because they want in BAD. I really hope that LU goes after as well and I have been saying that if they got in to the BE I will be at every game they play home and away.

[LUconn]

Nova won't take it. I bet it's ECU and memphis.

[jcmanson]

I think nova will take it. They can't risk losing their affiliation with the BE for bball.

[coastalalum]

Unlike Coastal - where the one selling point is - "We have a beach..."

i'm not sure what this has to do with anything...other than me having coastal in my screen name.

me giving my $.02 worth wasn't an attack - merely a reality check.

[ToTheLeft]

The Big East presents an even bigger hurdle to jump considering our religious affiliation.

There's no way Catholic school AD's are going to want the most outspoken conservative Baptist school in the country in their conference.

I thought we'd be a great fit geographically for the Beast, but we're not a fit for them, plain and simple. That's why I think ND should be a shoe-in, they fit the profile of the conference.

[ATrain]

The Big East presents an even bigger hurdle to jump considering our religious affiliation.

There's no way Catholic school AD's are going to want the most outspoken conservative Baptist school in the country in their conference.

I thought we'd be a great fit geographically for the Beast, but we're not a fit for them, plain and simple. That's why I think ND should be a shoe-in, they fit the profile of the conference.

Since this would be a football-only move, I don't see how the Catholicism will play into it. Pitt, WVU, Cincy, Louisville, South Florida, Rutgers, Syracuse and UConn (all the football schools) are not Catholic but public universities. ND football won't join, they're happy being indy and having a home for their other sports.

[ToTheLeft]

The Big East presents an even bigger hurdle to jump considering our religious affiliation.

There's no way Catholic school AD's are going to want the most outspoken conservative Baptist school in the country in their conference.

I thought we'd be a great fit geographically for the Beast, but we're not a fit for them, plain and simple. That's why I think ND should be a shoe-in, they fit the profile of the conference.

Since this would be a football-only move, I don't see how the Catholicism will play into it. Pitt, WVU, Cincy, Louisville, South Florida, Rutgers, Syracuse and UConn (all the football schools) are not Catholic but public universities. ND football won't join, they're happy being indy and having a home for their other sports.

So the other BEast AD's wouldn't have any say in the football side of things? I'd find that hard to imagine, but I guess football is where the money is...

[thepostman]

is it a football only expansion?? The way the papers are talking down here is a complete membership. The Orlando Sentinel has several articles stating this...but they have always jumped the gun whenever it looks like the Big East is expanding when it has to do with UCF

[JK37]

Sorry I'm late to the party here; busy time of year. A few thoughts:


1. This decision is made by the presidents, not AD's.

2. Do not underestimate the power the catholic school presidents throughout the Big East, especially now that they're dealing w/ Marinatto instead of Tranghese.

3. Notre Dame is BE's #1 target.

4. Villanova joining is just a matter of time.

5. The CAA vacancy left by Nova should be the primary concern of everyone on this board and at LU.

6. ECU is at best 5th on BE's list, w/ schools in front of them (UCF) who will accept before an ECU offer can even be made.

7. Going after TCU is as much protective as aggressive, since the MWC poses the greatest threat to BE's hold on the much-coveted BCS bid.

8. Whoever suggested a blockade of UCF by USF doesn't understand the politics at play in both of the typical channels to perform such a maneuver. USF doesn't hold the clout in either the BE or the Florida legislature to block such an invitation.

[LUconn]

I don't think it's football only. I've been reading talk about an 18 team basketball league. Man that sounds stupid.

[ATrain]

Per the article posted at the top:

League sources indicated to ESPN.com Big East reporter Brian Bennett that TCU and Central Florida are the top possible outside candidates, along with Villanova. The Big East would prefer to bring in schools as football-only members so as to not add to the 16-team basketball alignment. The question for TCU is whether the Horned Frogs would be willing to join only for football, since the Mountain West likely would not allow them to stay in that conference for other sports. The issue for UCF is possible opposition from potential rival South Florida.

The only thing is finding a conference that sponsors football to let a fulltime member play football somewhere else.

An 18-team basketball league sets up the eastern version of the WAC drama in the 90s.

[JK37]

In a perfect world, ND and Nova would do it all. Any other schools just create as many headaches as they do solutions for the BE.