Saturday night was an interesting night to say the least, watching twitter one got the idea that many outside of Boise was hoping that Boise would back out of the move to the Big East, as if!
There was never any doubt in my mind that Boise State was leaving as I have stated earlier it was a no brainer. There is no need to beat a dead horse but no doubt a few people lost their reputations Saturday starting with the sports news room of channel 8 Los Vegas.
It would be easy to knock people who have posted what can only be understood as poorly thought out articles about weather or not this was a good move for Boise State, make no mistake this is the only move Boise State should of made. While it’s clear to this writer that the negative articles come from departing Big East sites and other BCS and non-BSC sites and news rooms. I won’t rehash some of the illogical and sometimes hateful articles out there as they are both irrelevant and unintelligible.
Before addressing the future, there was a common theme by the Big East folks out there that are very happy with Boise State finalizing the move. That theme why the all the mellow drama, where was the big presser making the announcement, where was the Hype? These question and others like them I believe in the future is going to drive many a Big East writer nuts when it comes to Boise State. Boise State does not spike the football, not their style as well Boise State is one of the most secretive schools in America, and they are not big on telegraphing what they do, so welcome to the world of a BSU blogger which comes with much waiting and requires patients.
While Boise State is huge on marketing they are equally huge on controlling the message and the info, it may sound like the marketing side and the business side are on different plans but actually they are not which really can be frustrating to many. The Obama White house could learn much from Boise State in how to keep a secret! This in the end has been a very beneficial aspect to Boise States success and not just on the football field. Organizations involved with dealings with Boise State know one thing and that is Boise State is an honest dealer which keeps things confidential. Bloggers should love this as it adds to suspense and allows for multiple conspiracy theories to arise.
So let’s start future Big East speculating! I have a long term view of just what the future holds for both Boise State and the Big East. While some call this a stepping stone for Boise State I see this more as a long term comment to the future of the Big East which I believe is just in its infancy of what it will come to be over the next 5 years. What would be better than helping build the Big East into such a conference that even if the PAC comes calling and Boise State refuses! That’s just what the Big East needs to do if they wish to hold on to Boise State as well if it wishes to be considered one of the top conferences in college sports. The Big East needs to morph in to what I will call The Big American Conference and to do this they will need to be able to absorb all the western teams into all sports and that will require more growth westward. One cannot be considered a real conference if most of your schools only play a single sport or Olympic only sports. Right now the Big East is seen as a Basketball conference all be it the premier basketball conference but a basketball conference none the less and this hurts perception of their football schools and we all know regardless to the four team play offs perception is going to be a big part in who gets selected.
BYU is now on the clock and the new playoff format has all but delivered BYU into the Big East. If Boise State was critical to the Big East future BYU you is even more so now! The only thing that gets in the way of BYU coming to the Big East is the big 12 or the PAC extending an offer. The PAC is more likely to do so then the Big 12 simply because they may start reading the tea leafs and if they have designs building a Super Conference they might find themselves having to do a preemptive strike. BYU wouldn’t be the only move in such an event, I believe when BYU makes the move the Big East would make Air Force which is under pressure by the other military Academies then Nevada and UNLV. While UNLV wouldn’t at this time be considered a help football wise, Olympic sports and academically wise it’s a nice pick up giving a future Western Division a creditable basketball school.
If this can all come to pass you would see the Big East break down in to 4 divisions Northeast, South East Midwest and Western. Think of it, you would have 2 playoff games just to get to a Conference Champion! Extending the regular season by a week, shortening the time between the start of the future playoff, and National championship game. Talk about improving the conference strengthen of schedule, having the four top teams face off to make it to a conference championship would have huge impact not only on perception but money as well. You end up with 3 conference games that lead to a conference champion. This would bring massive regional interest massive fan involvement as well would over shadow ever other conference in America .
There would still be one more move to make that would solidify the conference for the next hundred years a move that would lend creditability to a new conference name as large as The Big American Conference, as well it would be the biggest catch for the conference and the most difficult but with all the changes made with the BSC it has become even more possible. That school, Notre Dame. Many might say Notre Dame is a bridge to far, but is it? Notre Dame over these next few years is likely to find its self-siting on the outside of the playoff system as well if all the above happens the money would be equal to what other courting conferences. Considering the other conferences as well makes this all the more possible. The B1G frankly I don’t see Notre Dame playing 4th fiddle, as well there is some bad feelings left over from passed attempts from the B1G to get Notre Dame to come aboard. The ACC and SEC don’t fit and the Big 12 well there is that Texas school who plays no one’s second third or fourth fiddel to anyone in conference to say the Big 12 is Texas then everyone else is an understatement and I don’t see Notre Dame saying hey lets help out the Big 12 poor WV it’s up here all by itself. Nope if just once in the next 5 years the Big East can do what Notre Dame doesn’t and that is get a team into the four team play off add in the increased media money from such a super conference it will become a no brainer for a school who has already been a long standing member of The Big East in Olympic sports now.
Imagine if you will a conference with these divisions.
West
Boise State
BYU
Nevada
SDSU
UNLV
Midwest
Air Force
Cincinnati
Louisville
Memphis
Notre Dame
North East
Army
Connecticut
Navy
Rutgers
Temple
South
Central Florida
ECU
Huston
SMU
South Florida
Granted there is a couple teams that would be yet to be had but are very do able ECU if not them Tulsa, Southern Miss, and or Tulane.
Imagine if you will four in division games four in conference games out of division games leaving 3 out of games for a total of 11. Now you have a playoff with the highest ranked team of the four playing the lowest ranked team, with the game played at the highest ranked team’s home stadium. Talk about having a true conference championing talk about media contracts. With 20 teams playing 11 regular season games plus three to determine a conference championing, it would be orgasmic for a college football fan! Just think of the Western division Boise State would play in BYU, Nevada, SDSU and UNLV.
Certainly with twenty teams quality is diluted but if you have say a 4 year pre-release of the conference schedule, years when you might have weaker competition you can set up strong out of conference games. While no one can see into the looking glass and know for sure what teams would be weak and what ones strong you can at the very least be strategic.
The media and pundits would certainly have plenty of negativity to say about such a conference but have no doubt, but when you come to say a playoff of South Florida vs. Notre Dame, a Boise State vs. Rutgers that lets say leads to a Notre Dame vs. Boise State Championship, how could the winner of such an event be left out of the four game play off? They couldn’t the hype and perception would be through the roof and every in conference and out of conference game would matter like never before. Certainly with this format there would be no reason for schools like Boise State not to roll all of their sports in to one conference.
I believe it is a vision such as this that was the driving force of Boise States decision to move to the Big East and I believe this is the vision the Big East is moving towards. In five years when the next TV contracts are coming up for negotiations I believe some version of above is what they will be bidding on. Let’s dare to dream.
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