Can the Big East survive?

UMass?
Kansas, et al?

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with so many basketball only schools, has been a major factor in their future demise.

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This might be the reason they live on. Schools that are bad in football tend to migrate to basketball (schools bad in both go to baseball). There is a lot of money for these school in that sport vs. football. While the Big East might drop to I-AA they would never drop division I status. Basketball schools will stay with them. Programs (like Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and WVU) that have a quasi-decent football program might try to switch, but don't count on these schools trying to realign as much as the Big XII schools are.

Serious question here for people likely more in the know. Would the ACC take a look at USF, particularly if FSU were to leave for the SEC? They're a very young football program but are already building into one of the best in the Big East and have been for a few years now.
I'm not sure how good academics and other sports are there, but I was surprised to learn that USF has one of the largest enrollments of any school in the country.
They just seem like a promising young program that would benefit greatly from a move to a bigger conference and I'd think ACC makes the most since if they were to do so.

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fsu isn't leaving the acc

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while I'm not sure FSU does, I still wouldn't rule out an ACC to SEC defector.

Big East survives but loses automatic BCS bid, at least as long as BCS survives

If we get to 4 Super 16 team Conf I would have to think we get at least a Plus1 game if not a playoff.

It happens for a few reasons, first of which is the new Conf will all want to renegotiate TV deals for more $$ with larger viewer footprints. Can't see the networks coughing up more $$ without getting at least one more high profile $$ making game.

Would also bet they will push for more attractive OOC matchups.

In the end for the top 35-40 football programs this will be great and I think good for fans but for teams like Baylor and Iowa State in AQ conferences and teams like Boise in nonAQ and the current BigEast it's real bad news.

Just my 2 cents.

Short answer is realignment is just starting Big East teams like Uconn, Rutgers are targeted by the Big, WVU by SEC etc.

Further if we get to 4 Super 16 conferences that certainly even with TCU a step or 2 behind, so you add a Baylor and Iowa State that does not help.

The end game of the Super Conf format is the that the 4 Super Conf will all try to renegotiate TV deals to represent the new footprint.

The networks hold the cards and do you really think they want to see Louisville-Baylor-TCU as a BCS team? Not gonna happen.

IF we get to a 16 team PAC, SEC, ACC and Big that is where the networks will go and either change the BCS to the detriment of the BigEast and NonAQ schools and possibly force a PLUS1 or some playoff.

This whole deal is about $$, TV money and the Supers simply have more to offer than the BigEast and unless the networks believe that the BigEast offer something they aint gonna pay for it.

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Would the ACC take a look at USF

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I dont think so, the ACC favors themselves an elite academic conference.

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I was surprised to learn that USF has one of the largest enrollments of any school in the country. They just seem like a promising young program that would benefit greatly from a move to a bigger conference

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45,000+ students plus one of the largest endowments in the country and a top tier research facility. I'm a USF season ticket holder and all the discussion at the game last night was on the future of USF and the Big East. The talk is that the Big East will implode with the loss of Cuse/Pitt to the ACC and speculation that WVU will go to the SEC. USF lacks the history and pageantry of the SEC but would make the jump in a heartbeat if approached. The feeling in the stands was that USF would end up in a revamped Big East or a Big East/Big 12 combo.

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acc just voted unanimously to increase the buyout to leave to 20 million

dont think anyone is leaving

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$20M makes it more difficult but not impossible.

If the SEC wants an ACC team bad enough, each current SEC member can kick in some money and the conference can kick in some money. The new member can pay a little bigger share, or even take a reduced amount of conference revenue the first few years in exchange for the other schools fronting the buyout fee.

The bigger buyout just makes the ACC members look less attractive to another conference, relative to schools who wouldn't need to pay a buyout.

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it really does

-$20 million buyout
-increased travel expenses (the VA Tech AD Weaver has said they love being in a 'bus league'& 'SEC travel would cause other issues')
- A&M and team 14 aren't getting a full share to begin with (their take is prorated until a new TV deal is signed)

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Still just makes ACC teams less attractive.

On point 3, it just means the current 12 could each kick in $1.5 million (that gets you to $18M). They'll do that if they really want FSU or VT or whoever.

The point of the buyout is to get the SEC looking at Big East or Dwindling XII schools. If the free school is even close to as good as the one you'll have to help withh a buyout, you'll take the free school. If VT/FSU is still so much more desirable than the alternatives, the SEC will gladly kick in. Point is just to TRY to make the ACC schools more expensive than they're worth.