Conference Realignment: Loss of 'Cuse and Pitt Makes Big East a Minor Conference

It was recently announced that Pittsburgh and Syracuse would be leaving the Big East for the ACC, and while the conference adjustments seem to have stopped for now, the Big East as a football conference is in serious danger.

This most recent move leaves six football teams in the Big East, and seven when TCU joins in 2012. 

As a power conference, the Big East is now seriously lacking firepower. Actually, they were already lacking firepower, it's just even worse now.

Sure, schools like South Florida, West Virginia and Cincinnati still remain, but these are by no means football powerhouses. 

If things continue the way they are going and we end up with a couple of super-conferences, the Big East is going to be on the outside looking in as a minor conference.

With the schools they have now, there's just no way the Big East can compete with the Pac-12, SEC, ACC or Big Ten for the prize of the nation's best conferences. 

South Florida and West Virginia just don't match up with Alabama and LSU in terms of football programs.

The addition of TCU to the Big East in 2012 helps, but if this conference has any chance of staying in the national football spotlight as a power conference, the leaders need to go after Notre Dame.

The Big East needs to do whatever necessary to court the Irish. Let Notre Dame keep their current TV deals. Arrange schedules to let them play non-coference games wherever the Irish want.

Without some drastic additions, the Big East Conference is on it's way to being a major basketball conference and a minor league football conference.