Pete Thamel of the New York Times reports that the presidents of the Big East will be holding a conference call sometime Friday to discuss the future of the Big East and expansion possibilities.
With the news of TCU deciding to skip the Big East altogether and align with the Big 12, this is not at all unexpected for the Big East. The conference is crumbling and the lifespan of the football side of the conference is getting shorter and shorter it seems. They have already lost Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the ACC, and TCU decided it was best to not step a foot in the mess. Rutgers and Connecticut appear to be in search of a way out of the mix, and West Virginia would ideally like a more secure situation as well. Add to that Louisville and Cincinnati remaining in the conversation for the Big 12 and John Marinatto has a huge mess on his hands.
So where does the Big East turn to right their ship, if possible?
Thamel suggests that East Carolina, Central Florida and Temple will be among the options discussed, as those universities have long been in the Big East expansion rumor mill. We have seen reports about Air Force, Army and Navy being added as football members but with the premature departure of TCU that appears to be less likely.
From a membership point of view, the Big East has to do something, but if that means depending on the likes of programs like East Carolina, Central Florida and Temple, what does that say about your overall product? Are these schools that will convince West Virginia to stay put? Probably not.
While I cannot speak intelligently enough about the East Carolina and Central Florida options, I feel I can speak about Temple a little bit. For those unaware, I live in the Philadelphia region and have watched the Owls be kicked out of the Big East and rebuild to where they are today. While Temple still has a long way to go before they will start packing the stands in Lincoln Financial Field on a regular basis (without the aide of Penn State fans), this program is far from where they were when last in the Big East. They have improved slightly in terms of marketability in the region and have refocused their dedication to supporting their football program. It has been good to see as a college football fan living in this region.
That said, there are still a number of issues that need to be addressed.
No conference should base their decision on a team off of one game. After speaking to people from Temple, that appears to be one of their concerns as well, even if it benefits them (people remember the Maryland game more than they will remember the Toledo game). Even Temple acknowledges that this would not be the right way to make a decision. But overall, Temple feels pretty good about their situation, even if it means staying in the MAC. The impression I get is that Temple is ready and willing to accept an invitation if it can be worked out. They know they have a leg up against current Big East member Villanova, if the Wildcats happen to stand in the way at all. Playing in a big NFL stadium certainly helps their cause, but the attendance numbers leave plenty to be desired. With the state of the Big East what it is becoming, will there be visiting teams worth getting excited for? The people I have talked to form Temple feel that this is a legitimate factor in any decision they may have to make down the line, if it comes to that point.
I am certinaly not going to speak for anyone from Temple, or any other school for that matter, but I think they would jump on any invite to the Big East, and would do so rather quickly. By now they have done their research, although I would advise any school to seriously take their time. Like TCU found out, the Big East may not be the conference they think they are stepping in to.
But no invitations have been extended yet. Don’t be surprised if we hear some more rumblings about this over the weekend and pay attention to the teams that lose this weekend. That seems to be when schools and conferences make these kind of announcements this season.
Pittsburgh and Syracuse lost the weekend the ACC news broke. Texas A&M lost to Oklahoma State and then finalized their move to the SEC. TCU lost to SMU last weekend and now they are going to the Big 12.
Is it a coincidence? Well, maybe.
Follow Kevin on Twitter @KevinOnCFB.
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