The Big East is in serious discussions to add more programs to its eight-team football conference, the New York Post reports. The conference is considering TCU (currently in Mountain West), Houston (C-USA), Central Florida (C-USA), Temple (MAC), and Villanova (FCS) among others.
While football is usually the most lucrative sport, adding more programs is not a slam dunk, due to the Big East's awkward structure.
The conference already has 16 members, but only eight compete in football. The Big East towers over college basketball, but is the smallest and weakest of the BCS football conferences. Adding two programs – particularly a powerhouse, like TCU – would raise their profile and get them closer to the magic number of 12 that is needed to host a championship game.
However, it would also bloat the schedule for other sports and further distort their geographical boundaries. The Big East last expanded in 2005 when it added 5 teams, including Marquette, DePaul, and University of Cincinnati – not exactly beachfront property on the East Coast.
But if the Big 10 can have 12 schools, then certainly the Big East can have a team in Texas.
The ideal solution is for Notre Dame – a member of the conference in all sports but football – to bring its marquee program into the conference fold. But as long as NBC continues their exclusive contract, that's not happening.

TWO POINTS FOR WHY THIS IMPORTANT FOR A&M
1. I had hoped that the Big 12 would go back to 12 teams and one of the obvious choices is TCU (others being UTEP, and Houston for geographical reason)
2. With more conferences expanding it almost forces the Big 12's hand to go back to 12 teams.

Thoughts?

here is the link, sorry

http://www.businessinsider.com/big-east-looks-1000-miles-west-in-expansion-talks-2010-11

I know it was only a side point to your entire post, but TCU, UTEP, and UH would not be candidates to join the BigXII. The Big XII does not add any major television market with any of those teams. It would make much more sense to add a team that comes with a new television market.

Adding TV markets is one option and that would lead to possibly Tulane, but that does not take into the competition aspect. The teams I mentioned are geographically pertinent and are for the most part competitive raising the AQ rating of the Big 12

quote:

---

Adding TV markets is one option and that would lead to possibly Tulane, but that does not take into the competition aspect. The teams I mentioned are geographically pertinent and are for the most part competitive raising the AQ rating of the Big 12

---

Its not "one option", its the only option.


The problem with the Big12 is a competition issues, its they don't command enough TV sets outside of Texas & Missouri, and little states like Oklahoma and Kansas. Adding TCU and/or Houston does not do what the Big12 desperatly needs: expanding its TV base.

I wonder if they would consider dropping Notre Dame (and someone like DePaul) so that they could add teams like ECU, UCF, Memphis, TCU, etc and still stay at 16 for basketball.

[This message has been edited by Iowaggie (edited 11/3/2010 12:27p).]

TCU turned down the Big East's football only offer and told the Big East it was all or nothing.

What the Big East is trying to do more than anything is force Notre Dame into football or make them leave all together. Notre Dame has a sweet gig with the Big East but it really doesn't benefit the Big East all that much because the real money is in football and the Big East would be fine in basketball without ND.

I think the Big East really isn't sure what's going to happen but know that the ND/NBC deal expires in 2015 and ND's ratings are down considerably. If NBC doesn't pony up and ND looks to join the B10 the Big East wants to make sure they've covered themselves and aren't scrambling as other conferences like P10 and SEC expand.