davidnark Posted September 20, 2003 Share Posted September 20, 2003 http://www.bonesville.net/Articles/OtherAr...03_JumpShip.htm Conference USA dominoes teetering Bonesville.net Staff Report Has the clock started ticking on Conference USA’s final days? It may be too soon to tell, but word is filtering out that a few league programs could be preparing to abandon ship. According to a source, four C-USA members — Charlotte, DePaul, Marquette, and Saint Louis — have recently expressed an interest in fleeing the league. Previous speculation in the media had included scenarios that would land the 49ers and Billikens in the Atlantic 10 Conference and the Blue Demons and Golden Eagles in the Big East. It also was noted by the source that a teleconference will apparently be held Sunday, with presidents from each of the league's 15 member schools expected to be hooked up for the session. The purpose of the call was not disclosed. C-USA members agreed over the summer that the league would remain intact through at least the 2004-05 season. Whether or not league presidents will revisit that Sunday is unknown. The information emerges as events relating to the continuing shakeup of conference alignments appear poised to begin rapidly unfolding. On Friday, the Hartford Courant quoted a C-USA source who characterized Louisville as "a 100 percent lock" for an invitation to join the Big East. That same source, according to the report, indicated that Cincinnati lacks adequate support among Big East schools to be assured of receiving a bid. Cincinnati had been thought by many knowledgeable observers to be headed to the Big East with the Cardinals, but the newspaper's story alluded to the high-profile Bearcats basketball program's history of off-the-court distractions and noted that UC's desirability is diminished by its inability to generate a groundswell of fan support for its winning football program. According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese notified University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson in a phone call this week that the Tigers would not be a part of the Big East's expansion plans because of the school's location far from the eastern corridor. The Courant speculated that Big East interest may be refocusing on C-USA member South Florida because of its location in the talent-rich Sunshine State, long a recruiting hotbed for Big East schools. But geography may conspire against the Bulls, too. Tranghese has publicly questioned the past and future wisdom of his conference extending its footprint the length of the Eastern Seaboard to Florida. If that line of thinking factors into the formula the league follows in selecting a school to accompany U of L into the fold, East Carolina could emerge as a logical choice. ECU has fallen on hard times of late in football but that is likely to be viewed as a small blip on the long-range radar in light of the program's traditional success and the sustained support the Pirates have enjoyed in terms of fans in the seats and dollars from boosters for capital infrastructure. While its struggling basketball program might have been considered an insurmountable barrier to ECU's inclusion in the Big East a few years ago, the school has raised its recruiting horizons, increased its talent level and boosted its home attendance figures since leaping from the Colonial Athletic Association to C-USA two years ago. Along the way, the Pirates have spawned a formidable Williams Arena environment and sprung some notable home upsets. Most prominent were a headline-grabbing win over Louisville (2001-02) and a pair of shockers over Marquette (2001-02 and 2002-03). A potentially interesting twist is the legitimate Eastern pedigree of Pirate hoops coach Bill Herrion, who achieved significant success at Drexel, located in Philadelphia, prior to taking the ECU job in 1999. Herrion is well-regarded in Big East circles and has particularly close ties to Mike Jarvis, head coach of one of the Big East's linchpin basketball programs, St. John's. Herrion once served a five-year stretch as an assistant under Jarvis at Boston University and George Washington. Other factors that could shore up a bid by ECU to join the Big East include the school's rapidly expanding enrollment, projected to reach 27,000 by 2008; a base of living alumni expected to surpass 100,000 during that same time span; and the generally positive reputation of its athletes in terms of academics and character issues. 09.20.03 05:00 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted September 20, 2003 Share Posted September 20, 2003 >>According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese notified University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson in a phone call this week that the Tigers would not be a part of the Big East's expansion plans because of the school's location far from the eastern corridor. How is it that Memphis is too far away, but Marquette and DePaul, at practically the same longitude, are not? Either they will have to rethink the plan of inviting Marqette and DePaul, or they need to say Memphis is too far from the NorthEAST (not the East). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted September 20, 2003 Author Share Posted September 20, 2003 It is a psychological thing. Memphis is a southern city and Marquette and Chicago or northern cities. Chicago and Marquette are also closer to the New York and New England, which are the heart and sole of the Big East. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted September 20, 2003 Share Posted September 20, 2003 I am pretty sure the Eastern corridor does not refer to just the East coast but is sort of a line from Boston to NYC To Philly To DC. In that case going into a midwestern southern state is kind of a stretch, but I think that is a convenient excuse for not telling memphis that their football team stinks. For the life of me I can't see how the BE would not want Cincy. Cincy is a middling major conference is a national power and consistent championship contender, put them in a real power conference, they could easily rival the Dukes and Kansas' as the best bball team year in year out in the nation. And their football team wins, just nobody watches it. How can you blame them, this city is home to the bengals. Still football exposure would be greatly enhanced by playing in the BE. I don't know, but to me Cincy is the best bball team in the BE and top half in football, how do they not get an invite? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 .... I've said this very same thing about St. Louis being too far west. I can't answer your question, thicks, but being of east coast mentality and upbringing, the fact that they would invite Milwaukee and Chicago and not Memphis makes twisted sense up this way. Cold weather. Steel belt. Big NorthEast. Frankly, it never made much sense to have Miami and VaTech in the Big Northeast either. They were and are ACC schools tried and true. Conversely, BC and Syracuse in the ACC just doesn't jibe either. But all things shall pass .... Penns State in the Big Ten felt all wrong from the start as well. I don't know how to rate it now ... I guess it makes sense from a collective same school mentality process. If we go A-10, I get to see more games in person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzzah Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Dave, is Louisville a northern city? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted September 23, 2003 Author Share Posted September 23, 2003 Obviously not, but it is very close to Cincy, which is typically considered a northern city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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