That is ridiculous. There is nearly no one at the game. How does this conference get an automatic qualifying bid?

Damn MB, I thought I was tough on the Big East.

If you're still on the east coast, you're as aware of the lack of interest in college ball as I was when I spent my time over there. They don't seem to get into CF as much as us mid westerners... that said though, there were exceptions. The east coast is predominantly a pro game venue. The AQ status for all conferences is due for review I think in 2013, at which time, I agree, there should be a hard look at the Big East as being DQ'd. However, the market is huge, and the Big East approved expansion, a good move on their part though late I think, as I think they need to improve competitiveness more than they need to expand audience to increase interest.

I just can't believe every time there's a kick/punt it is obvious the lower bowl is half full (if that!). Why are the people sitting within the 20 yard lines not moving to the middle? There's plenty of room.

The Big East has certainly taken a shot in the mouth this year. The conference has been supposedly god-awful since they lost Miami, VT, and BC to the ACC in 2004-2005 but really this is the first year it has been bad. Teams like WVU and Louisville have won BCS games over quality competition in the past few years and there have been numerous times over the past few years where the BE teams have defeated teams from "real conferences" during the regular season.

This year the BE suffers from severe coaching drain and youth at the QB position across the board. Consider this: gone from the BE coaching ranks in the past five years are Kelly, Petrino, RichRod, Paul Pasquiloni and guys like Butch Jones, Charlie Strong and Skip Holtz are in their first season of coaching their teams. Ironically, the guy having the most success this year is a coach in his second year, Doug Marrone at Syracuse. Coming into this season UC's QB Zach Collaros had the most experience at the position, with a whopping 4.5 games under his belt while filing in for Tony Pike last year when he was hurt. The teams in this league are very young right now. Given them a couple years, and all of these teams will be very good.

As to the attendance, we're talking about a Wed. night game with two teams that have stunk up the joint this year. Fans in the BE are like fans every where else accept for the selected very few (Bama, TX, OSU, etc.)-- they are not going to come and pay money to watch this mess.

The issue I have for the most part with the Big East (their downfall too I might add) is the conferences general lack of focus on defense. Kelly, Petrino, RichRod, all focus on offense, very little defense. True, they're gone but that has been the philosophy of most Big East teams for quite awhile. Does offense put butts in seats? Probably not as much as an overall well rounded program. And yeah, they've won a few decent games in bowls, but not against "top quality" opponents. Not top enough to generate the interest they're going to need to keep AQ status.

^^ WVU beat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl
WVU beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl (Played in Atlanta that year)
Louisville beat a very good Miami team a few years ago during the regular season.

Do you know many total BCS bowls the ACC has won over the years of the BCS (and do not count Miami or VT wins during their years in the BE): answer ONE How many times has the ACC teams fallen to I-AA opponents over the years (now list how many times the BE has done the same).


Sagarin Ranks the Conferences

2009- 2nd, Ahead of all except the SEC
2008- 5th, Ahead of the Big 10/11 and the MWC
2007- 4th, Ahead of the ACC, Big 10/11 and the MWC
2006- 2nd, Ahead of the PAC-10, ACC, Big 10, Big 12 and the MWC
2005- 6th, Among Conferences ahead of the MWC
From- www.usatoday.com

BCS Ranks the Conferences

2009- 4th, Ahead of the Big 12, Big 10/11 and for the 5th straigt year the MWC
2008- 3rd, Ahead of the PAC 10, Big 10, the SEC and the MWC
2007- 4th, Ahead of the Big 12, Big 10 and the MWC
2006- 3rd, Ahead of the Big 10/11, ACC, Big 12 and the MWC
2005- 6th, Ahead of the MWC
From- www.collegebcs.com


If you look at the Big East vs. the rest of the BCS they have had an overall winning records for three of the last four years.

2009- 9-7
2008- 9-7
2007- 7-8
2006- 11-7
Big East Total- 36-29 .554

Same Time ('06, '07, '08) period other BCS Conference records vs. other BCS & Notre Dame.
ACC- .492
Big 12- .405
Big 10- .550
Notre Dame- .483
Pac-10- .500
SEC- .500

I know Danny, but the Big East has a gigantic, humongous, seeming impregnable issue with perception. When the Big East #1 defeats other conferences #3/#4, there's hardly a ripple in the respect pool, certainly among the writers who stoke the fires of it.

"When the Big East #1 defeats other conferences #3/#4,"

Exactamundo. WVU did defeat Georgia, but nearly blew a huge lead, and Oklahoma. Otherwise, the performances in the BCS bowls have been poor. After the BCS what do they have? The Gator Bowl, maybe? The Big 10 does send TWO teams regularly to BCS bowls, and has two January 1 (or the equivalent) tie ins against the SEC, plus the Alamo against the Big 12. No other automatic qualifying conference plays so many bowl games against non-automatic qualifiying teams.

MB, what you are talking about is bowl Tie-in games. It's no secret the BE has the crappiest lot of tie-ins--- doesn't necessarily mean they aren't competitive on the football field with the likes of the other conferences (other than the SEC who I will acknowledge is better top to bottom).

I am not naive. I do realize the major issue the BE faces as a football conference is the lack of a historical power program like an OSU, TX, Alabama, USC, etc. If there was that program the BE would not get half the grief it gets. The way things shake out now, it does not look like the BE will ever have one of those programs ever. Frankly, I am a fan of the Super Conferences myself, but I realize that is not happening in the next few years.

Only having one team that produces quality wins would help with the perception that the conference is anything other than weak, but not enough to elevate them from pretenders to contenders. Big 10, SEC, Big 12 have all had multiple teams contend and win national championships recently. It's a top to bottom thing imo and some participation on the defensive side of the ball.

Low attendance is nothing new with USF. They rarely if ever sell out. They play in a stadium that is too large. Also a wednesday game with two teams that have zero chance of winning the conference. USF sells out when a big team comes to Tampa... last years games against miami and Cincy both filled up Raymond james stadium 60+ thousand.

Northwestern, Indiana, and Purdue don't sell out regularly. If OSU is in town then yes they'll fill up.

I'd much rather watch the Big East than the SEC. I do admit, I usually look forward to watching the following 3 teams play each other: LSU, Florida, and Bama, but Florida and LSU are crap this year and now we get to watch freaking "We have played no one good and are #1 in the country" Auburn get overhyped to shit against a much better Bama team.

"Louisville beat a very good Miami team a few years ago during the regular season."

Was Louisville in the Big East then?

Attendance has nothing to do with determining AQ status. I know "the BCS" is about money and all that, but it isn't as simple as saying that a conference has low attendance so they shouldn't be an AQ conference. My question, though, is doesn't the Big East have attendance standards for its members - isn't that why Temple got the boot? Anyone know where some of those other teams stand in that regard?

As for the AQ status, there's some interesting info at this link as to what is going to be evaluated and ultimately help determine who gains/loses AQ status after the evaluation period. It isn't a perfect science at the moment because, well, (as the article notes) nobody has said exactly how the info is going to be weighted or used.

The article is angling for the MWC gaining an autobid, basically, and some of the numbers are quite interesting.

http://www.byucougs.com/2010/04/mid-term-standings-in-mwc-quest-for-aq.html

Nappy headed hooers