Conference Realignment: Big East Will Survive If Pitt and Syracuse Leave for ACC

The Big East will live on if Pittsburgh and Syracuse leave for the ACC.

It would be a major blow initially if Pitt and Syracuse were to make the move, but the Big East will forever survive.

Next to South Florida and West Virginia, the rest of the conference is already a cupcake conference in college football. Still, we can’t be prisoners of the moment just because we’re in college football mode.

We can’t forget about the second best collegiate basketball tournament available—the Big East tournament. The Big East tournament is one of the most exciting tournaments in all of sports. It actually made me scratch my head when I heard Pitt and ‘Cuse wanted to bolt earlier today.

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“The Atlantic Coast Conference has been approached by at least 10 schools about possible membership, a group that includes the Big East's Pitt and Syracuse, both of which have tendered letters of application, a high-ranking ACC official said Saturday morning…

"This is familiar territory for the ACC, which added former Big East teams Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College in 2004 and 2005 to get to its current 12-member format. Should it happen again, this move would likely be even far more difficult for the Big East to overcome.

"For schools to leave the Big East, they must pay $5 million and give 27 months notice,” according to ESPN’s Heather Dinich.

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Would it really be that difficult to overcome as long as the Big East basketball tournament still exists? As UConn’s Kemba Walker proved in March, very few tournaments in all of sports can match the intensity and excitement of this basketball tournament.

Having attended a Big East tourney game at Madison Square Garden, it’s odd that Pitt and Syracuse would even want to pay the fee to oust themselves from such a spectacle. The tourney is becoming one of the most hallowed spectacles fans can witness.

It’s also important to note that the Big East will be receiving a former college football powerhouse in TCU to bolster the conference. Syracuse and Pitt haven’t been stellar football clubs for some time, despite starting the season 2-0, so the addition of TCU would automatically ease the pain.

The pending conference shakes ups are incredibly interesting, but it won’t be enough for the Big East to completely disband. The Big 12 has more to worry about than the Big East because they don’t have the success of the Big East basketball tournament to fall back on.

Considering Syracuse is the founder of the Big East, according to Dinich, and also prides itself on their basketball program, I’m surprised they would consider bolting. Pittsburgh makes more sense to leave the conference and wouldn’t be missed much.

It doesn't even make much sense for Syracuse or Pittsburgh to leave the Big East. They won't survive, at all, football-wise in the ACC.

Still, Syrcause and Pittsburgh could both leave and the Big East will continue trucking along.

The basketball programs are well-oiled machines and will continue to fuel the conference, despite a lack of respect in the football programs. As long as Big East basketball continues to thrive in March Madness, the conference will survive.