So the Big East conference is doing pretty much the exact opposite of what I suggested over a week ago and is opting to invite teams to become football only participants in the conference. 

There of course has not been anything made ‘official’ just yet, but since the September announcement that the University of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University are leaving for the ACC, the Big East has been in constant communication amongst its members and now with West Virginia announcing last week that they are leaving for the Big 12 the Big East has to act.

I thought the remaining members who participate in football should become independents, but the Big East has decided differently I guess.

On November 2 it was ‘leaked’ that the Big East intends to invite Air Force, Boise State and Navy to be football only members of the conference and invite Central Florida, Houston and Southern Methodist University (SMU) to participate in all sports.

The plan of attack that the Big East conference has embraced is to have a 12 team football conference which would be separated into an East and West division which would then meet for a year end conference championship game but even if all six teams accept their invitations the conference remains one team shy of their 12 team goal.  So what would be their next move, because I can’t imagine Notre Dame revoking their football independence and joining the conference in all sports?  Who then is next on their hit list, a MAC team, more Mountain West or Conference USA teams or why not just get all the military teams and invite Army. 

Does the Big East really think that adding Air Force, Boise State, Central Florida, Houston, Navy and SMU will make them so much more attractive now and allow them to keep their automatic bid to the BCS games?  Boise State is definitely the best of the lot (when would you have ever thought you would say that) because of their recent run in the Top 10 of the football rankings and constant beating on the door to be an at-large bid to the Championship Game, but can the Big East seriously think that this is such a fantastic move.

The conference is gripping at straws, trying to save something that might not be in their overall best interest, but I guess this is why I write about sports and don’t run a collegiate level conference.  Perhaps the leaders of the Big East conference know what they are doing, or perhaps not.