The good news for lovers of the Big East? Last week's announcement that the conference is adding five new football schools -- the Boise State Broncos, San Diego State Aztecs, SMU Mustangs, Houston Cougars and UCF Knights -- is the first sign in quite a while that the league is willing to be aggressive in its fight for football survival.
The bad news? It still might not be enough to keep a grip on its long-shaky status as a top-tier BCS conference. The crystal ball is clouded by an imperfect storm of opportunities missed, work that remains to be done and more unknowns than not.
Here are five reasons why the Big East is still walking a very tenuous tightrope, one for each of the new members:
1. The map
During last week's expansion announcement, Big East commissioner John Marinatto talked very matter-of-factly about how future conference football schedules would work. There will be two six-team divisions with eight conference games on every team's schedule, five within one's own division and three against the other.
Let's hope everyone's got their frequent flier accounts up to date.
To read Ryan's full take on the Big East and potential issues that could doom the conference, sign up for ESPN Insider.
Ryan McGee | email
ESPN The Magazine, NASCAR- ESPN The Magazine senior writer
- 2-time Sports Emmy winner
- 2010 NMPA Writer of the Year
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Ryan McGee
Ryan McGee is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. While you may know him for his extensive and very popular NASCAR coverage on this site and television, he's also been a constant in the Mag's coverage of college football. Why? Well, to wit:
• He started working in college athletic departments at 16 (Furman, Tennessee). Got his first sideline pass (UNC @ Virginia) when he was 12 and was totally run over by Tar Heels LB Micah Moon.
• His father was a college football official for 36 years (FBS 1981-2009), working 20 bowl games and two national championships.
• Ryan's a member of the FWAA (Football Writers Association of America).
• He's covered college football for ESPN The Magazine for the last five years.
• He's all over college sports -- Ryan authored "The Road To Omaha: Hits, Hopes and History at the College World Series."
Follow Ryan on Twitter: @ESPNMcGee
