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Only a couple news items to get to, but they're big and painful ones, so let's get this over with:
In a move long expected by everyone and long dreaded by us, the soon-to-be-renamed Big East conference has added East Carolina as a full member, starting with the 2014-15 season. The rumor mill consistently puts forth Tulsa as the eventual 12th school in Conference Whatever. (Speaking of which, I still like "Conference TBA" for the name of the new league. Conference TBD, Conference TFN, Conference TBNL work too.)
Whatever you call this group of schools, their next piece of business was inking a TV deal with CBS Sports. The only substantive detail is:
The contract includes up to 12 appearances per season. Half of the appearances each season will be conference games. CBS Sports retains the right to have the first selections among conference, non-conference and neutral site games. Financial terms of the agreement were not announced.
Of course, all CBS wants is UConn and Memphis, with a little Temple and Cincinnati thrown in. I doubt any other schools will ever be broadcast on CBS, beyond the occasional token home game against one of those glamour teams. Still, it's additional shared revenue, and a broadcast partner who's vested in the new league's success. It's heartening to see Mike Aresco making creative deals like this. I would call him the best thing USF's new league has going for it, but that would be saying very little.
Finally, speaking of teams we hoped never to play again: USF has booked Stony Brook and Elon as their annual I-AA opponent for 2017 and 2018, respectively. USF beat Stony Brook in 2010, and Elon in 2007. Also, USF played a home-and-home with Elon in its early days, losing 41-13 in 1997 and winning 35-7 the year after. But still no revenge match against the bane of USF's early existence -- Georgia Southern. But with GSU joining the Sun Belt and upgrading its football program, we'll probably book a home-and-home with them around 2023 or so.
Let's also mention that UConn just got a home-and-home with Boise State, because they're are so many more recruiting opportunities in Hartford than in Florida. And that's not something our fan base wouldn't give their right eye for presently or anything. Might be time to, I don't know... #DoSomething??