Big East to Nova: We're not waiting for you

[hebmskebm]

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2011/01/villanova-central-florida-big-east-expansion/1

What does this mean? Would this make Villanova more or less likely to move up?

[49RFootballNow]

Villanova has an open Big East invite waiting for them (as does GTown). This won't mean anything to Nova, it could mean a lot to Central Florida though (sorry Menpiss).

[HailSzczur]

It means nothing to us. It just means BE is gonna take action regardless. That most likely means adding UCF. If we move up, they will be happy, but they arent letting us keep them from getting to the magic number of 10 teams.

We decide in April and really I would not be suprised either way with the decision. There are moer factors then what meets the eye in this whole thing

[Lehigh Football Nation]

This can't be good.

Also, I'll let DFW chime in, but it's clear that Villanova's and Georgetown's Big East football invites are, um, not the same.

[DFW HOYA]

Villanova has an open Big East invite waiting for them (as does GTown).

It does not.

[Tim James]

Very stupid of the Big East to not take Temple instead when they are ready right now. If they want the Philadelphia area just take Temple.

[HailSzczur]

Very stupid of the Big East to not take Temple instead when they are ready right now. If they want the Philadelphia area just take Temple.

Temple really isnt that much more lucerative then Nova. They lost to Nova last year and failed to make a bowl this year(despite being bowl eligible). The Temple program is currently doing much better then it did during its last go around with the Big East, much is still below the very low caliaber of BE football

[CFBfan]

Villanova has an open Big East invite waiting for them (as does GTown). This won't mean anything to Nova, it could mean a lot to Central Florida though (sorry Menpiss).
what are you reading (or smoking)? where do you get GTown with a BE invite from????????

[49RFootballNow]

what are you reading (or smoking)? where do you get GTown with a BE invite from????????

Just because they can't do it doesn't mean that they wouldn't have an open door if they could. They are Big East members. If they had the resources they'd get in, no questions asked. Membership has it's benefits.

[HailSzczur]

what are you reading (or smoking)? where do you get GTown with a BE invite from????????

the big east pretty much has said they will allow any of the non football members the opportunity to join if they so choose.

[glsjunior]

Temple really isnt that much more lucerative then Nova. They lost to Nova last year and failed to make a bowl this year(despite being bowl eligible). The Temple program is currently doing much better then it did during its last go around with the Big East, much is still below the very low caliaber of BE football

Its funny when people think that competitiveness on the field has a flying flip to do whether someone gets an invite or not.

[49RFootballNow]

Its funny when people think that competitiveness on the field has a flying flip to do whether someone gets an invite or not.

True.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Just because they can't do it doesn't mean that they wouldn't have an open door if they could. They are Big East members. If they had the resources they'd get in, no questions asked. Membership has it's benefits.


the big east pretty much has said they will allow any of the non football members the opportunity to join if they so choose.

Come on man, look at any article written about this subject in the last three months. Vilanova's whole bid to be a part of Big East football came about, I believe, because Marinatto chose to have active discussions about it with Villanova in the first place. Marinatto, to put it charitably, had no such discussion with Georgetown. There are theoretical "invites" that are open to all, St. John's, Seton Hall... and then there's what Villanova has been offered/pushed. These are two completely different situations.

And back to the subject at hand. Having the commissioner tap his foot impatiently while Villanova goes through the process that they have talked about for month remains in motion? "They've got to determine what's in their best interest, and we've got to determine what's in our best interest?" I don't know if that means that the drive for FBS is dead, but I'd be looking to check for a pulse. Like I said, this can't be good.

[DFW HOYA]

the big east pretty much has said they will allow any of the non football members the opportunity to join if they so choose.

The Big East doesn't quite get along with Georgetown on matters like this. There's no offer.

[henfan]

I've said all along, to the protestations of some VU folks, that the BEC FB invite has zero impact on VU's status in the BEC. The conference can strong-arm or hurry them all they like. At the end of the day, VU's got to make what they think is the right financial decision for the school. VU Olympic sports will still be part of the BEC next year and into the future, regardless of the decision ultimately made for the FB program.

The BEC is not about to jettison highly competitive, highly visable sports (especially MBB) programs in major markets like Philly, DC, NYC, etc. If the BEC can't wait and wants to go solicit membership for another FB program, they should have at it.

[Accelerati Incredibilus]

Personally I think they would crazy not to go, but it isn't like the BE is going to kick them out altogether if they don't.

[HailSzczur]

I agree, this doesnt have as much to do with the Big East anymore as it does the school itself. The only thing other then money that plays a part is making sure the basketball teams position is secure. That is in part what the orginal fear on all the bball boards was over the summer as the PAC 10, Big 10, and BigXII jockeyed themselves around was
1 other confrences swallowing up a good portion of the Football Big East (Uconn, Cuse, Pitt, West Virgina, Cincy) leaving the other football members to jump ship as well, collapsing the conference
2. The Big East adding teams and possibley sheding the non-football members as it becomes a football power conference.
Since the dust has settled, none of that has really happened(except the addition of TCU) and theres nothing in the forcast that says it will happen(UCF wont change things too much)

Other then money, fan base, and stadiums, one of the bigger obstacles is the University president. He is not a sports fan at all, hes a theater guy and only likes sports because of the notarity and the money they bring the school. Thats the snag we currently seem to be at

[carney2]

Very stupid of the Big East to not take Temple instead when they are ready right now. If they want the Philadelphia area just take Temple.

Let's see:

The Big East booted Temple out of the conference after the 2004 season for not complying with league minimums such as attendance.

Now, the league is "very stupid" to not extend an offer to Temple.

Exactly how does that work in human terms? I want to be at the press conference where Big East mukkety-muks swallow their pride, admit a mistake and croak out a loud and clear mea culpa after giving a death sentence to the Owls. That will be a day for the ages.

[GannonFan]

I wonder how much basketball attendance and how it fluctuates may end up factoring into this. nova people will try to tout that they put 23k into the Wells Fargo Center to see nationally ranked nova basketball play, so then they'll put up at least that number when they play big time football. But interestingly enough, nova basketball does see pretty big shifts in basketball attendance, especially if the team isn't really a title contender. Throughout the 90's you could walk up to the Pavilion on the day of a game and get a ticket, and a half filled arena in South Philly was typical. Jay Wright has certainly improved the program from the Lappas days, but even a team like they have this year - a very good one but likely a long shot to make the Final Four - they're not packing them in at the Wells Fargo - through 3 games at the arena (for nationally ranked Louisville and G'town as well as an OOC game against relatively local Maryland) nova's only averaging 16.8k, well short of the capacity down there. And no crowd has topped 20k this year. If crowd sizes will dip so dramatically for the basketball program in years when they are still a top 20 team but not really a title contender, how will football fare, especially if they're not viewed as real BCS contenders, which they probably won't be for a long time, if ever?

[bluehenbillk]

I wonder how much basketball attendance and how it fluctuates may end up factoring into this. nova people will try to tout that they put 23k into the Wells Fargo Center to see nationally ranked nova basketball play, so then they'll put up at least that number when they play big time football. But interestingly enough, nova basketball does see pretty big shifts in basketball attendance, especially if the team isn't really a title contender. Throughout the 90's you could walk up to the Pavilion on the day of a game and get a ticket, and a half filled arena in South Philly was typical. Jay Wright has certainly improved the program from the Lappas days, but even a team like they have this year - a very good one but likely a long shot to make the Final Four - they're not packing them in at the Wells Fargo - through 3 games at the arena (for nationally ranked Louisville and G'town as well as an OOC game against relatively local Maryland) nova's only averaging 16.8k, well short of the capacity down there. And no crowd has topped 20k this year. If crowd sizes will dip so dramatically for the basketball program in years when they are still a top 20 team but not really a title contender, how will football fare, especially if they're not viewed as real BCS contenders, which they probably won't be for a long time, if ever?

Well in their defense they're basically sold out for the Cuse game next month. Good thing they sold all those tix before Cuse went on their 4-game losing streak with UConn looming mid-week, ugh.