Conference Realignment: Big East, Boise State Not a Match

The Big East and Boise State are flirting due to the effects of BCS Realignment.  With Pitt, Syracuse, TCU and possibly more football programs leaving the conference, the Big East is in search of replacements who play both football and basketball.  Otherwise, the Big East risks losing its BCS status along with the risk that it could collapse in full.  While the conference is desperate to find new members, the flirtation with Boise State couldn't be further from sanity.

While Boise State is in the minority of successful non-BCS programs, geographically, it's cost prohibitive to add the Broncos to the Big East slate of conference games, especially in the olympic sports that struggle to support themselves economically in the first place. 

Also, Boise State does not add anything to the Big East in terms of athletics, besides football.  More than a football conference, the Big East is a powerful basketball conference, an area where Boise will struggle to lift itself above the bottom tier. 

Finally, despite Boise's success on the football field, the Big East will struggle to put fans in the seats for matchups against Boise, simply because they are not a classically attractive program.  Big East schools will not be able to raise ticket prices, because "Boise is coming to town."

Once the two realize they fit together like a square peg in a round hole, the Big East will have to consider how to rebuild itself.  Will it raid the lesser conferences for schools, or will it reshape itself into a basketball-only conference?

The next slides consider the five most attractive schools the BCS should consider in their quest to reconstruct a conference with 16 basketball schools and eight football schools.

No. 5 Georgia State Panthers

Though a stretch to say the least, Georgia State has many positives that would be beneficial to the Big East in its plan to solidify itself as a prominent BCS conference.  As a football school, the Panthers haven't been around long enough to fill five classes at any level, so its inclusion marks a significant investment for the Big East.

Georgia State is in the heart of downtown Atlanta, a city that's aching for a team to claim it as a home.  While Georgia Tech resides on the otherside of the 75/85 Interstate from GSU, the citizens of Atlanta hardly call it their home team due, in part, to its character as an engineering school.  A Big East presence in downtown Atlanta would make it easier to recruit from a hotbed of talent, while injecting itself into a television market of over six million viewers.

Investing in the fledgeling Panthers could pay huge dividends for a conference looking for strength and viewership.

No. 4 Temple Owls

The Temple Owls have been a surprise on the football field, this season, going 4-2 in the first half of the season and nearly defeating Penn State at home.  With a solid football program and a historic basketball program, Temple presents a unique opportunity for the Big East.

Located in Philadelphia, the Owls not only bring with them a television market and a presence in Philadelphia, but they're a natural fit for basketball.  With in-town Villanova and with Rutgers, St. Johns, Seton Hall and Georgetown around the corner, Temple is a perfect fit ignite classic rivalries in the conference.

A solid football program with a distinguished history in basketball, Temple gives the Big East a much better option for replacement than Boise State.

No. 3 East Carolina Pirates

East Carolina has been a solid contender in Conference USA for years.  It regularly competed for championships in football and provided stiff competition for its BCS opponents.  While the Pirates do not have Skip Holtz at the helm anymore, ECU's football program is still very strong for non-BCS standards.

Geographically, ECU sits in North Carolina's biggest city—Charlotte.  Having a presence in the mid-Atlantic states would certainly help the Big East and provide basketball presence in a state traditionally dominated by Duke, UNC and NC State.  Furthermore, East Carolina would add continuity between South Florida and the rest of the Big East.

While East Carolina is attractive, it's olympic sports aren't the most desireable, but the geographic location, solid football program, and television market make it a valuable replacement for Pitt and Syracuse.

No. 2 Memphis Tigers

While the Memphis Tigers football program is a wreck, this year, it has much to work with, including a loyal fan base and a Big East presence in an area ripe with recruits.  West Tennessee has an intense animosity for the rest of the state, so providing the Tigers an opportunity to play in a BCS Bowl would solidify recruits who might otherwise leave home to play for an SEC program.

For the Big East, the most attractive part of Memphis athletics is its basketball program which boasts a rich history with many Big East programs, already, including Cincinnati and Louisville.  Bob Huggins and the University of Memphis have mutual resentment towards each other, as well.  The FedEx Forum also provides an excellent venue for these renewed rivalries.

Former Tigers include NFL running back Deangelo Williams, as well as current and former NBA players Derrick Rose, Rodney Carney, Anfernee Hardaway and the late Lorenzen Wright.

If the Big East seeks to penetrate SEC and Big XII territory, it could easily do so by adding the Tigers, while injecting instant energy into a conference born from Conference USA foes.

No. 1 Central Florida Knights

The University of Central Florida Knights, or UCF, is the most attractive option for the Big East.  Located in Orlando, Florida, it is only about an hour from Tampa where current Big East member South Florida resides.  With the ability to create a rivalry in a heavily populated region of Florida alienated by the strong programs at either end of the state, Miami versus the Panhandle, UCF is exactly what central Florida and the Big East need.

UCF did well to hire George O'Leary who has the program performing as well as a Conference USA program can perform.  The height of its success came with the defeat of the SECs Georgia Bulldogs in the Liberty Bowl, last season.  With the football program on the move and a basketball program that finished 2010 with a record of 21-12, the Knights would be a steal for the Big East, both in viewership and recruiting.

The Big East shouldn't pass up the opportunity to have two schools in the heart of fertile recruiting territory, especially if it can kindle an intense rivalry between UCF and USF.  Television revenue alone would be an attractive draw for the Big East, but it goes without question that UCF is an exponentially stronger candidate than the Boise State Broncos.