University of Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun spoke with the Orlando Sentinel recently about possible Big East expansion, discussing some of the programs that might be added to the conference.
Calhoun mentioned current Conference USA members Memphis and Central Florida as candidates, expressing more love for the Tigers than the Knights.
He told the Sentinel’s Iliana Limon that over the next few years, the Big East will have to make some decisions regarding the future of the league.
“Whoever you bring, I like sexy names. So what names? Central Florida would be kind of good but it’s not a sexy name right now. Yet it has, I think, the largest population enrollment of any school in the state of Florida. I don’t think South Florida will care about that, having them come in so close by.
“I’ve always liked the name Memphis as a name and it’s an in-and-out city, so it has some advantages.”
But Calhoun doesn’t believe the Big East can remain intact with the disparity between basketball only schools and football playing members. Toss in the fact that Notre Dame is an independent in football, and the Big East has issues going forward.
With TCU set to join the conference in 2012, the Big East will have nine football members and 17 basketball programs.
Obviously, the league will have to add another school that plays both football and basketball to even things out, or the conference might see some defections of basketball playing members to other leagues.
Big East commissioner John Marinatto believes the conference can negotiate a major television deal that would keep the league together.
But a deal of that magnitude can only happen if the Big East adds another football playing member and establishes a conference championship game, a daunting task considering the ever changing landscape of college football.
For Tigers’ fans getting excited at the prospect of receiving an invitation from the Big East, they might want to curb their enthusiasm.
Memphis joining an already strong basketball conference would certainly be a nice addition for the Big East, but basketball isn’t where the league needs to focus.
The key to building a sustainable conference is football, and that is where the University of Memphis fails.
It’s football program is, to put it mildly, pathetic, and there’s no chance the Big East or any other major BCS conference is going to invite the Tigers with a football program as inept as theirs.
It will be interesting to see how the Big East addresses the conference’s future, but one thing is for certain: at least for now, the University of Memphis isn’t part of the plan, despite what anyone may think.
