1. So, because Tranghese is retiring, then the next commissioner is going to HAVE to deal with expansion, AND SOON??? Why?

2. Where does is suggest that the basketball only - and the football only schools in the Big East HAVE this massive conflict? (Things have gone very well for both sides. There’s absolutely NO evidence that there’s conflict there.)

3. And, WHOEVER this new commish is, it MAY make things worse between these “factions” forcing a split — what????

So then THIS statement is made — (which makes no sense at all):

Realistically, there is only one choice for the Big East to save itself: either Big East Football expands to have between 9 and 12 teams (10 being preferred,) or the football and basketball schools will be forced to split and form new conferences.

How exactly is splitting a conference SAVING itself??? That makes no sense.

Why are 10 schools preferred exactly?? 9 is a better number — 4 home and 4 away games in football, and 16 game round robin in basketball. THAT is perfect.

East Carolina is on the short list of expansion candidates. But they have some work to do to be at the top of that list. Memphis and Central Florida are ahead of you at this point.

The key point everyone seems to forget is that Mike Tranghese does not/did not make the decisions in the Big East. The school presidents are the ones making the decisions, Tranghese just sorts it out so to speak. He is a good leader, but most Big East fans will debate you on that one way or the other.

As far as conference expansion goes, the Big East doesn’t have to do anything right now. The BCS is set until 2014. No one even questioned the Big East’s membership at this past month’s recent BCS meetings. With 3 straight BCS bowl wins, I think our BCS affiliatin is locked up for now.

The Big East will not expand for expansion sake. The Big East signed a very lucrative deal with ESPN/ABC last year for basketball and football. If there were to be a split, the question of a lot of NCAA tourney credits would be forefront in the conversation. Also the Big East brand name (which may hold the tie to the BCS berth) would be a tough call as far as who can lay claim to it as charter members of the conference belong to both football and basketball. Breaking up would lessen the appeal of the basketball only side, and the Big East members have no desire to hurt their brother schools. Right now the basketball schools have a voice in the BCS because our commissioner represents both sides equally. If there were a split, the basketball only schools would become another Atlantic 10 also ran basketball conference. Losing Georgetown and Villanova would also be tough pills to swallow as far as the football side goes in basketball. Those a good markets you would esentially be throwing away, and you have to ask yourself if adding an ECU or UCF for football worth losing Georgetown in basketball.

The best bet is for a football only invite, and several Big East coaches have voiced their support for this. Unfortunately the coaches don’t make the decisions, and with the way coaches come and go these days, less school administrators are willing to heed the advice of a coach that might be gone the next time they win a bowl game.

ECU is one of the candidates for expansion, I think we all agree that they have to be included in the conversation. However UCF and Memphis are strong possibilities. Nothern Illinois was once discussed as well, because the Big East has a Chicago presence in basketball already.

The Big East is not in a postiion to go picking fights with other BCS conferences, and jumping into someone’s backyard just to spite them is not a good idea and the Big East presidents realize as much.

The best thing ECU can do is continue winning in footall, climbing up the ladder and making itself as attractive as possible. Stadium expansion is a plus, but so is attendance, taveling dan bases, bowl attendance and participation, winning, market, academics, geography facilities and relationships.

Keep doing what you are doing. There are no guarantees, but at the same time you will stand a better chance if you prepare yourself for the poissibility than if you throw up your hands and quit.

The current line up of the Big East was set up to establish a viable option to split in the future, IF that option became necessary. Right now the conference is doing well and I look for the commissioner and the schools presidents to ride it out until something changes that.

Expansion is not a necessity at this time.

Central Florida has a major obstacle to overcome to get admission into the Big East, and that’s South Florida. The Bulls hate them and don’t want to play them ever again. Those are some pretty tough words, and I don’t expect them to change except by power of legislature.

Any new Big East teams for football will come out of the MAC or C-USA. I would say the most likely candidates are Central Florida (don’t underestimate the Big East’s desire to stick it to the ACC by trying to get more of the Florida market), ECU, Delaware or Appalachia State (if they want to make the jump) and Memphis.

Ps - Full disclosure … this is coming from a Boston College grad/fan.

PPs - thanks for Coach Jags and Logan. They are great football coaches and we like what they did at ECU.

This makes a lot of sense.