SluSignGuy Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 College basketball: Big East holding its ground ... for now Thursday, June 26, 2003 BY TOM LUICCI Star-Ledger Staff With Miami and Virginia Tech expected to make their defections to the Atlantic Coast Conference official today, the Big East will react in a way that may surprise a lot of people -- by doing nothing, at least immediately. Key Big East officials said they will take their time before reorganizing and deciding which schools they will pursue for football and basketball. They are prepared to play the 2004 and 2005 football seasons -- with Miami and Virginia Tech in the ACC -- as a six-team conference. According to Bowl Championship Series officials, the Big East would keep its automatic BCS bid as a six-team league in 2004 and 2005. Conceivably, that means Rutgers would have to win only five games in 2004 or 2005 -- sweeping the reduced Big East football schedule -- to earn the league's automatic BCS bid. At the same time, Miami could win 10 games in either year and be shut out of a BCS spot because of its membership in the cluttered 11-team ACC. Big East and BCS officials declined to comment but confirmed the league's automatic bid won't be jeopardized by the loss of Miami and Virginia Tech for the final two years of the BCS contract. The contract expires after the 2006 Rose Bowl. After receiving formal invitations from the ACC yesterday, Miami and Virginia Tech officials have indicated the schools will accept them today. The schools will play the coming school year in the Big East before joining the ACC for the 2004-05 season. Despite last-minute hopes by the Big East that Miami might change its mind, the school has scheduled an executive committee meeting for 3 p.m. today, when university president Donna Shalala will put the invitation to a vote. The school's executive committee is expected to accept the invitation despite Shalala's disappointment yesterday that Boston College and Syracuse were not part of the package. Virginia Tech's governing board voted unanimously yesterday to accept its invitation, after ACC officials hastily completed a site visit required under conference bylaws. "I'm obviously disappointed that Miami and Virginia Tech appear to be leaving, but I'm ecstatic that Boston College and Syracuse are remaining," Rutgers athletic director Bob Mulcahy said. When the Big East reacts, it almost certainly will reinvent itself as a two-division conference, with football-playing schools on one side and basketball schools on the other. "We're going to take our time and do this right," said a Big East official, who requested anonymity. With the departures of Miami and Virginia Tech leaving six football schools -- Rutgers, Boston College, West Virginia, Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Syracuse -- the Big East will add from two to four more. Louisville, Central Florida, Cincinnati, South Florida and Navy are candidates to join the Big East's football division. The basketball side will start with a nucleus of six, assuming Notre Dame remains. The others are Seton Hall, Georgetown, St. John's, Villanova and Providence. Marquette, DePaul, Xavier and Dayton are candidates to be added. Left with 12 basketball schools for the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons, the Big East would take all 12 to New York for the Big East Tournament. The Big East's decision to proceed slowly in its expansion plans is in stark contrast to the ACC's bungled six-week expansion process, with Miami, Boston College and Syracuse originally targeted by the league on May 13. Lacking the votes to add BC and Syracuse because of Virginia's reluctance to leave Virginia Tech behind in a crippled Big East, the ACC called an audible and voted to invite Miami and Virginia Tech on Tuesday night. Tech had been a staunch supporter of the Big East until Tuesday night, and was part of a lawsuit against Miami, Boston College and the ACC. The presidents of Rutgers, Connecticut, Pittsburgh and West Virginia reacted to the news yesterday by saying in a statement that Boston College has been dismissed as a defendant in the suit, while Virginia Tech has withdrawn as a plaintiff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillikenButch Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 If they do go slow, SLU should move quickly to shore up our athletic future. The ability to raise funds for the new arena is undoubtedly easier with assurances of quality competition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 Agreed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 >>The basketball side will start with a nucleus of six, assuming Notre Dame remains. The others are Seton Hall, Georgetown, St. John's, Villanova and Providence. Marquette, DePaul, Xavier and Dayton are candidates to be added. Perhaps, then, the best thing that SLU fans could hope is that Notre Dame will join the Big Ten, creating a stronger possibility that SLU (the furthermost west university) would be added. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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