The Collapse of the Big East.

The Big East is a conference that has long had a problem with membership and alignment, from the Penn State controversy in the 80's to the Miami led defections of '03, this conference has been through plenty. All along the way, Basketball has been the marquee fixture for the league, the problem being, football is the name of the game in collegiate athletics. The additions of South Florida, Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette, and DePaul created the best collection of college basketball teams ever assembled under one unified league.  It also created the worst major college football league in history as well.  The league has often put basketball as a main priority, understandably so, considering the league was formed with the notion it would be a strong basketball league, but that often placed the football schools in an awkward state. Yes, Basketball is a good, marketable, and popular product in the Northeast, yet the revenue it brings in is not even comparable to that of Football. Thus, creating a sense of division within the league.
              The Big East is still the best Basketball conference hands down, and it would remain that way as long as these teams stayed together.  The problem is that Basketball does not pay the bills for half of the teams in the conference.  We live in a football driven world of college athletics, it is what it is.  No matter how one rationalizes or shapes it, there is not one good reason that Pitt and Syracuse should have stayed in the Big  East, in fact it would have been downright foolish if they turned that opportunity down.  The revenue, and more importantly the stability in which the ACC provides is unmatched in comparison of the Big East. Pittsburgh and Syracuse, along with West Virginia had the biggest voices in the league, and they have most pull, so it appears that they should have been compelled to stay and fight for the league, much like they did in 2003.  But in a world of a college athletics' arms race, it was not possible to sustain another losing battle.  For anyone to fix the Big East at this point, it would be like putting a band aid on a growing wound, it would do no good. TCU recognized the problem before they even played one game under the Big East banner, and went from a league in which they would have competed annually for championships to a league where they will have to fight tougher battles with more powerful in-state institutions. TCU cannot be criticized, the travel of this league is going to be outrageous, especially if the moves that are rumored to be in the works, are true.  The other major conferences have made serious strides in strengthening positions and futures for their respective leagues, yet John Marinatto of the Big East has the wonderful solution of bringing in teams like SMU and Air Force to fix the problem.  The league is looking more, and more like a glorified Conference-USA. Pitt and Syracuse are going to be criticized for leaving this?  They have the chance to be playing all their games down the East Coast, and avoid trips to Texas, Colorado, and Idaho, big EAST remember?

           The problem and the root of the conference dissolving is simple.  Different agendas.  Before the raids, the conference had seventeen institutions, and by no measure were they on the same page.  The 8 Football schools knew they were playing in a league that was more concerned with basketball, than football. Any talk by the ACC, SEC, or Big Ten was more than worth listening to, and two schools heard that calling and made the move. TCU also made the jump before anything got serious with the Big East, and that was easily the best move for them.  Despite, the "commitments" by the six other teams, they will run and jump to leave the Big East, sorry John Marinatto if you believe those are sincere pledges.  The exit fee has been raised, but that still may not deter teams from leaving this sinking ship.  The 7 Basketball schools certainly had their own agenda as well.  They were going to hang on to this thing as long as they possibly could. The exposure for these teams was a great thing The thing with Big East basketball, most of the lore comes from the football playing schools.  Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Syracuse, West Virginia and Louisville have had the most success of late. The Basketball only schools have been resting their laurels with these football teams.  And Notre Dame is completely on its own page.  They get to blood suck from the league, yet keep their precious independence in football.  They have the deal of all deals in this one. To put things simple, had Notre Dame joined the Big East for football at any point, this conversation would have never be happening,period.  So in essence, this league is far from being on the same page.  Thats an issue that is not found across the country, at least among the BCS conferences.  The Big East is in its own world, and the greed by every school individually is to blame.
            I get the disappointment and anger by all the great basketball minds of the world. Andy Katz and Dick Vitale have been adamant in opposing these moves. They are more less blaming Pitt and Syracuse for all of these troubles. Its hard to point fingers, or even lay blame to them.  Why should teams have to sacrifice the well being of their football program, you know the one that brings in the money, for the sake of Providence and Seton Hall Basketball?  Its irrational and dumb to think that.  I know loyalty is a big thing people are pointing too, but without Syracuse there is no Big East at all.  And it were not for both Pittsburgh and Syracuse, the conference would have collapsed in 2003, both schools could have entered the ACC back then.  They chose to stick things out, and held the league together. Things change, they can't always be what you want them to be.  Big East Basketball the last 6-7 years have been great, and there will never be anything like it.  Big East Football the last eight years has been awful and a disgrace to the BCS system.  The Big East is collapsing, and no addition by SMU is going to stop it.