TCU Joins the Big East

 TCU accepted an offer to join the Big East in all sports. Here's the report from ESPN.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. TCU to the Big East reminds me a lot of Louisville's move to the Big East. Sure they are a great team right now - but 3, 4, 5 years down the line - is this still going to be a top 5 team?

This one has nothing to do with basketball.

“We’ve got enough basketball programs,” Boeheim said. “I don’t think that’s an issue. It really doesn’t matter if they’re strong or not.”

He added: “I think that it’s obvious that the football side has to get better, either with the addition of someone or our teams have to get better. That’s pretty obvious. They have to do what they have to do to keep the B.C.S. thing going. That’s the bottom line.” 

...

“If you go to 18, you have to have divisions and figure out how you do it,” Boeheim said. “It took us three 12-hour days to get the divisions the last time, and at the end of it, no one was happy with the divisions you have.

“No one is ever going to be happy. They all want certain teams in their divisions.”

I can't shake the feeling that this is the beginning of the end of the Big East.
Don't get me wrong, TCU is in the middle of a great season. Do I think a Texas school is going to save the Big East? No, I don't think they can nor do i think they will save the Big East.

TCU just dilutes the football Big East by becoming another mouth to feed. Is TCU really that amped about the annual shot at Birmingham and the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl? For TCU the move is a no-brainer. BCS cash and exposure is at stake and TCU is riding high with their 12-0 Rose Bowl season.


So am I being led to believe that TCU will bring down per team payouts from the conference while providing a grossly overestimated TV market. I just don't see getting a team as that necessary to run out and grab TCU right now. The Big East will weather this stormy 2010 football season and return to showcasing national contenders - with or without TCU. My point is: If the Big East will be fine without TCU them then why even bring them in?

My only hope now is that Pitt can escape The Big East's sinking ship quickly and fortuitously.


More on this one later after I add a TCU blog to the BIG East links.