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Big East move is best of a bad situation for TU
Published: 1/16/2013 2:45 PM
Last Modified: 1/16/2013 2:45 PM

Not blessed with either great geography or a top television market, Tulsa has been on the outside looking in during much of the ongoing realignment saga.

But as our own Bill Haisten reported in Wednesday's paper (read the full story here) that could change soon.

It appears the Hurricane may be on the verge of accepting a Big East invitation.

An invitation was thought to be coming TU's way if San Diego State opted out of its deal with the Big East and returned to the Mountain West Conference.

According to reports by CBSSports.com and ESPN, the Aztecs made the decision to stay in the Mountain West on Wednesday (read the full story here).

For Tulsa, a move to the Big East -- completely in self defense -- makes the best of a bad situation.

If Tulsa does receive an invite -- presumably in time for the 2014 football season -- the new Big East will just be a renamed version of the old Conference USA.

The 2014 Big East football roster as it stands right now: Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, South Florida, SMU, Temple and Tulane.

Navy joins for football in 2015 to make 11 and Tulsa would make 12.

There's no guarantee current Big East members Connecticut, Cincinnati, South Florida and Temple stick around -- those teams will take the first available train back to a BCS conference.

But if you're Tulsa, what does it matter? If they stay, all the better. If they leave, get on the phone to Marshall and Texas-El Paso and really get the band back together.

Tulsa can't feel good putting its faith in a handful of schools who sold the Hurricane down the river just a few months ago. But Tulsa doesn't really have a choice.

Realignment, as has been proven time and again, makes for strange -- but necessary -- bedfellows.

The new Big East allows TU to remain with familiar foes, provides a nice basketball upgrade if UConn and Cincinnati stick around and keeps the Hurricane attached to the valuable football recruiting pipeline in Texas.

Although a move west wouldn't be a bad option for TU, it would be tough to recruit Texas without any ties to the state. And that doesn't take into account the negligible difference in potential revenue and dozens of women's basketball, volleyball and other sports contests played after 9 p.m. local time.

To its credit, C-USA has been proactive in adding teams. But the new league simply has the look and feel of an inferior product to even the crippled Big East.

Tulsa has played a pat hand for long enough. It's time to make a move and hope for the best.

Reader Comments

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orangecrayon (last month)

The Mountain West would be a better move for TU than the Big East, or at least a move into a more stable environment. I can understand wanting to stay with SMU and, to a lesser extent, Houston and Tulane, but given the high turnover in the conference, is it really worth it? They'll probably be right back in the same situation in a few years.

Additionally, although the seven Catholic schools are on their way out the door, does TU expect to get a better reception from the remaining/incoming Big East schools than what Tulane received? As you pointed out, several of these schools are the same ones that recently sold the Golden Hurricane down the river. Why would they roll out the welcome mat for a proverbial ex-girlfriend?

LaffALot (last month)

Reform an adaptation of the 'ol SWC.
Take TU, SMU, Houston, UTEP, Tulane, S Miss, & Memphis, then take the 4 Rocky Mtn Schools out of the MWC:New Mex, Air Force, Colo St & Wyoming, add UTSA you got 12 schools located in huge TV markets in Texas, Colo, & New Orleans.
It would have immediately strong fan base & interest.

Boulevard (last month)

The Big East is like one of those old West movie sets--it looks like a town from outside, but it is nothing but fake store fronts.

There is nothing of value left in the Big East. Just because some good schools USED to be in it means nothing.

True, it may be their only opportunity--I don't see any way the MWC adds Tulsa, even though it would be great for Tulsa--but a conference is judged by the schools in it, not by the name.

The Big East is a big zero.

DowntownDan (last month)

TU is not of the caliber to be in one of the Big 5 conferences, and quite frankly it would be damaging to the program to be in the cellar of the Big XII or SEC. Their rightful place is atop one of the mid level conferences. The new Big East is basically the old CUSA, which is perfect for TU. The new CUSA is below the MWC and the new BE. TU should join the BE if invited. SMU, Houston, and Memphis make for good local opponents. Being with UConn and Cincinnatti, even if just for a year or so, would also be nice. The new CUSA is basicallly the old sunbelt. TU is better than that. The ties to Texas and bigger eastern markets also make BE better for TU than MWC. MWC probably has better product but really only because of Boise State. The best TU can aim for is to be the Boise State of the Big East if they can ever go undefeated while beating a few BCS teams along the way.

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Tulsa World Sports Editor Michael Peters has nearly 20 years of daily newspaper experience. A 1993 graduate of Texas A&M, he worked at papers in Bryan-College Station, Texas, Beaumont, Texas, and Galveston, Texas, before joining the Houston Chronicle as High School Sports Editor in 2008. While in Houston, he coordinated coverage of the 2008 Texas Class 5A state football championships and the 2011 NCAA Men's Final Four.

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