The Big East: Depressing Death Throes Continue Unabated
By Ty Duffy
The Big East sent a press release affirming it still exists. The way things are going that may not have been unnecessary. Some of the recent developments…
Negotiations with ESPN during its exclusive window were scuttled out of spite. That’s the only rational justification for the Big East’s reported demand of $300 million per year for its TV rights, $50 million per year more than the Pac 12.
Boise State chose to pay $5 million not to join the conference and stay in the Mountain West. San Diego State looks poised to follow them and stay in the conference as well. That leaves the conference with a membership of Cincinnati, UConn, UCF, South Florida, East Carolina, Houston, SMU, Memphis, Navy, Temple, Tulane.
That number could reduce further. Cincinnati and UConn want out. The pair could wait to be probable replacements after the next round of ACC poaching. They could protect their basketball programs by joining the Catholic 7 in its new conference in all sports and finding a place to stash their football teams. That new conference has been negotiating a 12-year $500 million TV deal with FOX.
It’s not obvious what the next step is. Disband? Some form of merger with the Mountain West? Poach a few more teams from Conference USA and rebrand itself as…Conference America?
[Photo via USA Today Sports]