Are the Big East’s Days Now Numbered?

Saturday, April 16, 2011

John Rooke, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

For the past few years, the tremors on the national collegiate landscape have continued to make their presence felt. When Boston College, Virginia Tech and Miami left the Big East Conference for the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004, the seismic shift around the country – not just in the Big East – led to a ripple effect still being felt today.

Louisville, Marquette, DePaul, South Florida and Cincinnati joined the Big East. Nebraska bolted from the Big 12 and joined the Big 10. Colorado is now in the newly-minted Pac-12, which now leaves the Big 12 at 10 member schools. Boise State moves from the WAC to the Mountain West. Brigham Young goes independent in football and from the Mountain West to the West Coast Conference in other sports. And Texas Christian University – located in Fort Worth, TX - felt the lure of opportunity in the Big East (because they were asked), and jumped at the chance to join.

Are we done yet?

At the heart of this issue is the real question – “why?” Why do schools, and their athletic programs, see the need to abandon long-standing regional relationships for newly-minted, potentially unstable (not to mention non-sensical) national partnerships? The answer is, of course, money…and a lot more of it, being promised primarily by television partners and corporate sponsors who have a constant need for programming options, and a continuing need to attract audiences to a “fresh” product. Say what you will about schools and athletic programs going on a “money-grab,” or about true amateurism going the way of the dinosaurs…this is our world now, and it could very well mean the end is near for the Big East as we know it – and have known it – since 1979.

The announcement this week that Villanova and the current 16-team Big East need more time to discuss a potential football marriage doesn’t come as a surprise. What is surprising is that the current football-playing members of the league don’t seem to believe that Villanova is what they need as a football partner right now.

Former Providence basketball coach and athletic director Dave Gavitt launched the Big East in the late ‘70’s, with Villanova joining in 1980. The basketball program has long maintained a national presence. They have not been a “big time” football program, preferring to remain just out of the glare of Division 1-A (now the Football Bowl Subdivision) and play in 1-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) with smaller crowds, less expense, fewer scholarships, etc. The Wildcats did win the FCS national title two years ago, so the thought was…maybe they could eventually succeed at the highest level?

With only eight current football-playing members in the Big East, constant scheduling issues persist (only seven league games, every other year only three home league games, and difficulties scheduling strong out-of-conference matchups), putting football schools like Rutgers, West Virginia and Connecticut at a financial disadvantage compared to schools in other leagues around the country. The quick “fix” to this problem, has been to further expand. Add one new football member, and you balance the schedule. Add two new members (making 10 football schools), and reduce the number of non-conference games needed, while potentially strengthening a league that has had strength perception issues recently. And, oh yeah – you gain a majority of voting shares within the Big East itself over the basketball-only members…furthering the “football drives the bus” theorem in present-day collegiate athletics.

2011 Rose Bowl champ TCU joins the Big East in 2012, giving the football league nine teams (17 overall in the membership), and a new geographical (read “income opportunity”) footprint on the national map. The addition of Villanova on the football side makes sense, seeing that they are already a league member in other sports. That caps the membership at 17, puts 10 on the football side…and everyone is happy.

Or not.

Apparently, there are some (Rutgers? West Virginia? UConn?) who don’t believe Villanova’s football addition is strong enough to actually benefit the current membership, since it will take time for them to become competitive in Big East (and FBS) football. And there are stadium issues like capacity and location – which means money – to confront as well. Add to this the national perception of the Big East as a weak link among the major conferences and a new direction may be warranted by some of the membership. Hence, the decision announced this week for all parties to “complete due diligence” on the matter.

What new direction could be explored? More expansion to include additional schools? Membership reduction? Both issues have been discussed. Or…a split between football and basketball members, long rumored to be inevitable anyway, which could leave programs like Providence College looking for a new home. There’s more than just a touch of irony here, seeing as PC was largely responsible for the creation of a conference that is no longer merely “big,” in name only.

Whichever way this goes, one thing is becoming certain – the shaking of the landscape isn’t going to stop. The Big East Conference is going to change, again. Will the schools get along? Will the athletes benefit? Will fans and TV networks like it, and buy in?

Will we recognize it?