Big East Expansion: Why Conference Will Still Suffer Compared to Rest of BCS

The Big East conference continues to strive to become better, but amidst all the conference realignment they will still remain at the bottom of the BCS. 

According to the Idaho Press Tribune, Boise State was given approval to accept a Big East invite. Joining the Big East would be a wise move for the Broncos as it would put them in a legitimate BCS conference.

However, adding Boise State doesn't boost the Big East in terms of the BCS. If anything, it just sets up the Broncos to dominate the conference for years to come. 

In addition to Boise State, the Big East has sent invites to UCF, SMU, Houston, Air Force and Navy, according to the Washington Examiner. 

Toss in Cincinnati, Louisville, Rutgers, UConn and South Florida, who are already in the Big East, and you still have a conference that few people will care about. 

Of course, all of those new teams must accept the invite and get the OK to join, but why wouldn't they? A chance to play in a BCS automatic-qualifying conference is something those schools shouldn't turn down. 

UCF president John Hitt told the Orlando Sentinel that he doesn't think UCF will compete in the Big East until the 2013 season, which is also when all the other schools would likely join.  

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"You look at all this and if it holds together as it's shaping up, it could be a heck of a good conference," Hitt said of the Big East. "Maybe stronger than it was."

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That's quite high praise for the Big East if in fact this is how the conference would look when everything is said and done. 

Unfortunately, Hitt is way off. The Big East will still be subpar compared to all the other BCS conferences. 

In order for the Big East to become a much better and stronger conference it needs to add Notre Dame, but everybody knew that probably isn't going to happen. 

The Big East will still need to find a 12th member, but the conference probably won't focus on that until all of these schools are officially in. 

It would have to make a big splash in order to emerge as a true threat in the BCS. 

Some say that other member might be BYU, which is far from the big addition the Big East needs. 

It would help Boise State in terms of traveling, but in the end it's not going to fully put the conference where it needs to be.

Will the Big East ever thrive in the BCS? 

The conference took a major hit with the realignment, and while it's done enough to stay alive, it won't be a big contender in the BCS for a while. 

At least the Big East still has basketball.