TCU to the Big East

[valporun]

I was surprised by this illogical decision made by TCU. Why go to a conference that has 16 teams already? I know it's more of a money grab because of the Big East having a couple of BCS slots for football, but honestly? Do they really feel the need to go to a conference where they'll be the next "Memphis" in one sport, but then they'll provide nothing major to the rest of the sports in that conference, besides a financial shock to the travel budgets of the other 16 schools? I honestly believe the Big East would be best to do some consolidation before they agreed to expansion. If the Big East were more like the Big Ten in more than one sport, then yes, I could see them expanding, but honestly the Big East is only a major contender in basketball.

This conference expansion talk has gone too far. The old farts in Indianapolis need to step in, and vote down anymore of this frivolous expansion.

[rlh]

They now don't have to fight for the right to play in a BCS game...that's it, pure and simple

[valporun]

Hence the reference to being Memphis in one sport...what real competitive football teams would keep them out of the BCS race in the Big East?

[vuweathernerd]

their baseball and women's basketball teams were pretty solid in the mwc. but they don't even offer men's soccer according to their website. i guess i have a new favorite team in the big east, besides whoever's playing notre dame.

[bbtds]

Nov 29, 2010 16:46:27 GMT -5 valporun said:

The old farts in Indianapolis

I resemble that remark.

What makes you think all the people at the NCAA are old farts? I actually know a couple of young guys that work at the NCAA headquarters. The NCAA is actually the member institutions of the NCAA. I'm sure Valpo has a representative that helps make decisions at the NCAA. They are just school administrators after all.

[drewsaders11]

I agree that 17 is way too many for one conference. Its not even symmetrical. The travel expenses for all the sports involved will be more expensive in the Big East. The higher payout from football may simply cover that alone. I think the ideal number of teams in a conference is 8-10, like the ivy, horizon, or current pac10. It creates a fair conference schedule of home and away, and is easier to get a geographically located group of schools together. However, with the expansion into d1 of teams such as siue, bryant, njit, south dakota, north dakota, etc., all conferences will eventually be in the 12 team range with teams gradually moving up the pecking order. Difficult decision for TCU that I don't like, but they probably feel it needed to be done. They will most likely be playing slightly better competition in other sports, too, I'd imagine.

[blackpantheruwm]

Don't forget the much larger piece of the BCS pie

[valpotx]

I am on the other side of the coin here, in that it is a great move for TCU. Being a Horned Frog fan/football attendee (MBA at TCU), we no longer have to hear how we don't compete in a conference with the 'big boys.' It is so tiresome hearing how great the other BCS conference are, now we will get to compete continually in bowl games against such teams for a few years until hopefully the Big 12 picks us up/Baylor stops blocking their admittance. The Mountain West was not going to be the same conference with Utah and BYU leaving. Boise State is a solid addition, but Nevada, Fresno State, and possibly Hawaii are no different a conference than the WAC used to be before movement.

Valporun, as mentioned, TCU is very good at other sports (not basketball anymore), having gone to the NCAA championship game in baseball last year, losing to UCLA. Women's basketball is continually in the top 20, tennis does well, good C&C, etc. Basketball did have its years in the late 90's/early 2000, but nothing since unfortunately. The funny thing is that TCU would have played Valpo in our Sweet 16 run if they would have won their first two games as I believe the 4 seed in our region with Lee Nailon that year.

This move is a matter of convenience. We get our BCS bid so that SEC/Big 12/Big 10 shutup about us not playing the big boys, and they get a solid athletic program for a few years. It won't last but maybe 4 years hopefully, as it is hard to build rivalries over such distance though. The Big 12 needs to tell Baylor to get over having to compete for recruits with TCU and SMU in all sports if all were in the same conference, as they are already losing out to both schools even with lesser conferences.