Well that didn't take long. Less than two weeks after Auburn won the BCS title game over Oregon, college expansion rumors are back in full swing. College Football Talk has the first report of a rift between Texas and the rest of the Big XII after Texas signed that massive 20 year/300 million deal with ESPN to host the Longhorn Network. Of course Texas A&M doesn't like that their main rivals get the lion's share of the Big XII TV deals, and now will get an additional 15 million dollars a season to upgrade facilities and staff.
So now the rumors of Texas A&M and Oklahoma running off to the SEC will start up again, and that will leave six Big XII teams in a huge bind if those two leave. (Oklahoma State would go to the SEC as well, and Texas would be fine as an independent or off to the SEC as well.)
So where does the Big East have to do with all this? Remember the report that TNIAAM found linking Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Missouri to the Big East if the PAC 16 happened? Well, if something happens and A&M bails, I'm sure Marinatto will be on the phone with the two Kansas schools and Missouri to join and form the Mega Big East.
If this did happen, both the basketball and football schools would be happy with the results. Basketball would be thrilled about bringing three Top 25 programs and makes the Big East the de facto number 1 basketball conference in the nation. Football brings three solid football programs, a conference championship game, and better longterm options than what's out there with UCF, Houston, Villanova, and others. We'd have to add one more conference basketball game to have a 19 game round robin schedule, or they could just #BootDePaul. Either way.
Just talking a quick look, I could see the following divisions being formed.
Sunscreen Division:
- TCU
- Missouri
- Kansas
- Kansas State
- Louisville
- USF
Parka Division:
- Syracuse
- UConn
- WVU
- Pitt
- Rutgers
- Cincinnati
USF is the odd man out, but I think it would be a bit easier for them to head west than north.
Who knows if this actually happens, but if the cracks are already showing in the Big XII, I wouldn't be surprised if it does.