BYU vs TCU: Why BYU Should Try To Take TCU's Empty Big East Spot

The rumors never stop flying. It seems that a new team is deciding to join a different conference every other day.

One team wants to join the SEC, another wants to leave for the ACC and then another wants to become independent.

Over the last few months we have heard it all.

TCU was supposed to join the Big East next season but decided that the conference wasn't stable enough and switched over to the Big 12 instead. BYU was rumored to be interested in joining the Big 12 as well, but it seems that spot has been taken by the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Now that some of the teams have found a new happy home, BYU should take the spot in the Big East that TCU was going to fill.

The Cougars have a strong fan base that includes over 30,000 students and the 33rd-largest TV market in the country. Their following is about as strong as any, as they average over 60,000 fans per home game and had the 27th-best attendance rate last season.

The football program has appeared in six straight bowl games and has won 10 or more games four times in that period.

They would also provide a solid basketball school to a conference that has lost several great teams in the past month. BYU has made the NCAA tournament the last five years and has won 78 percent of its games in that time frame.

Joining the Big East would eventually provide the university a chance to receive an automatic bid to a BCS bowl, too. It would also make them one of the top teams in the conference, since West Virginia and Pittsburgh are leaving.

Most importantly, it would save the Big East because more teams would be willing to make the switch. Teams like Boise State, Houston, SMU and Air Force would be more willing to make the switch to a competitive and more stable Big East conference. 

"Boise State has also made it known that it would like a western partner should it join the Big East, meaning that Air Force’s role in the future of the league becomes even more critical," reports the New York Times. "It is also possible that Brigham Young could emerge as a more serious candidate now that it is officially out of the Big 12’s plans. The Cougars would meet Boise’s definition of a western partner."

What has been widely labeled the worst BCS conference in college football may be saved after all.

BYU just needs to make the first move.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]

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