Syracuse and Pittsburgh undoubtedly have been two of the top programs in the Big East for a while now but as of today, the are no longer.
The announcement has been made that both teams will be leaving the Big East and going over to the Atlantic Coast Conference, better known as, the ACC.
What seems to be a realignment of sorts has left the Big East with question marks all over especially with reports that Connecticut, Rutgers and West Virginia are also possibly attempting to head over to the ACC as well.
Though there is a 27 month waiting period before Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and who ever else decides to join them can be a part of the ACC, the Big East has to make moves to regain its "hardest conference in the nation" title by adding teams that have won on a consistant basis and can produce a nice swirl around the conference.
Here are some options:
- Baylor - A program that is on the rise thanks impart to two straight strong recruiting seasons, this years and next, could definitely use some exposure. Why not test the new found talents in the Big East?
- Kansas - Not quite sure what is going on in the Big 12 but there have been talks of Kansas possibly joining the Big East and with their track record over the years, they would definitely fit into the conference easily.
- Butler - If there has been any team in the past two years that has earned more respect than any other college team in the nation, it's Butler. Two straight years in the NCAA Finals definitely gives them the chance to make a run for a bigger conference. Only question is, could they sustain these runs in a harder conference.
- Arizona - A combination of the both Butler and Baylor, Arizona had a great stretch of run in the tournament last year and are poised to have 3 of the Top 20 recruits from the 2012 Class join them. A bigger stage for a bigger team seems suitable.
- Honorable mentions - Tennessee, Memphis, Kansas State and Xavier.
The question is though, which couple of teams are willing to join the Big East and which rather remain in their conference. There are plenty of teams in the nation other then those listed that could make the jump but would any of these teams help out a conference that has already lost two and could potentially see three of it's powerhouse programs gone by 2013?
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ReplyDeleteGreat story Tim. I was disappointed by Syracuse and Pitt. College sports is really focused on basketball and football programs.The Big East is known for basketball and those schools have extremely good basketball programs, and will be missed. But as Tim said, with the acquisition of other great programs, the Big East will be fine. So in the words of my roommate "screw Syracuse/Pitt, never liked them anyway." --But actually please continue to come to the garden, so we can continue to make money! GO RED STORM!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good story Mr. Dimas. This could be very devastating for the Big East Conference. These are two programs that bring in a lot of money and have a lot of fans. The ACC is a big winner after yesterday's decision to bring in Pitt and Syracuse. The Big East still has great programs in place, but it is very possible that the Big East could be taking a backseat to the ACC. Big East has to expand as well.
ReplyDeleteIt's ironic that the Big East was built on basketball and destroyed by football. Ultimately, I think the best option for the conference is to go back to its basketball roots.
ReplyDeleteThere are rumblings that basketball-only schools like Xavier, Dayton, and, as was mentioned, Butler, could join the conference.
Along with Pitt and Syracuse leaving, Rutgers, West Virginia, and UConn are rumored to be leaving, as well.
This will surely open up some opportunities for schools such as ours, Seton Hall, and Rutgers to make some noise. The departure of these clubs may de-value our successes in the future, but I would take Kansas into the league in a heartbeat.
ReplyDeleteI know it's not realistic, but wouldn't it be ideal if the leagues were formed based more on geography, like pro sports? The thought of Kansas in the Big "EAST" seems odd. But in this age, the finances are too big to pass up, leading schools to do this dance every few years, it seems.
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