Big East: How the Expansion Helped

Back in 2005, final defections for Virginia Tech, Miami, and Boston College from the Big East to the ACC were complete. Temple became an independent, but no one seemed to notice.

In preparation for this defection, the Big East moved Connecticut, which was already a Big East member up to a football member in 2004.

They also made a deal with some programs from Conference USA.

South Florida was an upstart program, having only had a football team since 1997. With no schools in the state of Florida and the loss of Miami, the Bulls helped hold the market and recruiting in the state.

Cincinnati is a more established program, and has been playing football since 1885. The Bearcats have shown success, going to bowls in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2004. In 2002, they were also the Conference USA champions. A nice resume that showed them as a team that brought something to the Big East.

Louisville was another team that appeared to be at the top of the Conference USA pecking order, having won the conference in 2000, 2001, and 2004. The Cardinals had also made seven consecutive bowl appearances from 1998 to 2004.

The deal wasn’t just a football thing, though. Marquette and DePaul also joined from Conference USA for other sports.

The Big East was left for dead.

People questioned how these new programs, once part of the mid-majors, would fair in a BCS conference.

With the new look, people wanted to know why the Big East should even remain as a BCS automatic qualifying conference.

The teams in the Big East didn’t get that memo.

The already solid West Virginia took the 2005 title, and went to the Sugar Bowl where they beat SEC champion Georgia. Louisville, in their first year in the Big East, took second place.

That second place finish in 2005 set up Louisville to take the conference title in 2006. The Cardinals went to the Orange Bowl, where they beat ACC champion Wake Forest.

Along with Louisville at 12-1, Rutgers and West Virginia also recorded 11 win seasons. These three, along with South Florida and Cincinnati, turned in a 5-0 bowl record.

In 2007, the title was shared. West Virginia stayed at the top, and won another Big East championship. By having an identical record, the title was shared by Connecticut. Since West Virginia beat Connecticut, the Mountaineers were conference representative in the BCS. The Mountaineers went to the Fiesta Bowl and beat Big 12 champion, Oklahoma.

Cincinnati came in third with a 10-win season. The momentum led into 2008. The Bearcats posted a 6-1 conference record, and won the Big East. They earned a trip to the Orange Bowl, where they lost to the ACC champion Virginia Tech.

Commissioner Michael A. Tranghese—the man who guided them through all this—will be stepping down at the end of June. He has been commissioner of the league since 1990.

Tranghese will be replaced by John Marinatto, who will be stepping up from his position as senior associate commissioner of the conference.

If you’re asking why I am giving a history lesson, I do have a point.

Although nobody though the Big East should still be give a BCS berth, they have proven everyone wrong. The Big East have went 3-1 in BCS games since the restructure and have taken down champions from the SEC, ACC, and Big 12.

People questioned the addition of the mid-major programs—three of the four additions have won, or shared the title.

The teams in the Big East have been fighting to prove they belong. While there is no clear-cut annual title contender, nor a perennial power, the Big East has shown they can play with, and compete, at the highest level.