Big 12 Expansion: Does TCU's Departure Doom Big East?

With the losses of Texas A&M, Colorado and Nebraska, as well as the constant rumored losses of big schools like Oklahoma and Texas, the prevailing thought has been, "What will happen to the Big 12?"

For all the world, it's looked like this conference would just fold. Now, it seems to have a counter strike, as they have asked TCU to join the Big 12, which would have the Horned Frogs leave the Big East before ever playing a game.

Assuming the additional rumored losses are just rumored, this is a nice bandage for the Big 12. Actually, it essentially saves the Big 12.

Tuesday, October 6 at 11:24 p.m. EDT

Pete Thamel of the New York Times reports that TCU is going to make the move.

So, does this Big East have any chance at survival? As a football conference, I would say no. The existing schools would be much better off trying to find greener pastures in other conferences, like the SEC, ACC, or Big Ten or even Big 12.

Geographically, each of those schools could move to a few of those conferences and it would make perfect sense.

In football, the Big East is left with six teams. Even adding Notre Dame wouldn't really do much for them. Sure, the name value would be big, but a conference can't bet by with seven teams.

Now, if the Big East has any desire to stay viable as a football conference, it needs to get Notre Dame. Forget about what they do or don't bring on the field, they are a big name that can attract other schools.

Right now, the Big East looks more or less doomed. In other sports, they are quite viable, even with some of the big names (Syracuse, Pittsburgh) being poached away. But in football, their best chance relies on something that can't be anything more than a desperate grasp in Notre Dame

Even if they make that grasp and hook the Fighting Irish, there are still more things that need to be done.

The Big East needs a counterstrike and a big one. From a football sense, that just doesn't seem on the horizon.