Just Do It Already

There's a simple line, but a good one, in Ocean's Eleven when Elliot Gould (Reuben) and Casey Affleck (Virgil) were at McCarron Airport in Las Vegas toying with Terry Benedict's goons and the remote controlled van:

"Just do it already."

Well, that brings us to the current state of the Big East. My favorite league of all time. Or is it the Big East-West?  The Big USA? The Big Country?   

College sports has entered a new era with the recent new conference alignment.  Schools are throwing away long time tradition and rivalries for the promise of greener (as in money) pastures.  Television and football are the driving forces behind these moves. 

The lure of a big payday for the opportunity to play in one of the four coveted Bowl Championship Series (BCS) games has schools looking like a teenager in love. Forget your conscience, forget your long-term goals, forget your family (hello student-athlete welfare), it’s a dream date that so many schools are hoping for the chance.

The Big East (red) reaches nearly all four
corners of the US for football

I’m a traditionalist and want to think that I am somewhat of a realist.  I love the history and I love the history of the Big East.  When I was young, my brother and I would gather around our tiny little tv and watch the great battles of Syracuse – St. John’s, Boston College – UConn, Georgetown – Villanova, Pitt – Providence (“send it in Jerome!”).

The above references are about basketball, and not to be confused with any football reference.  Football can help pay the bills, but at the same time, those bills tend to be quite expense (most teams run a deficit just playing in a bowl game).

With all of that, I just think it’s time for the basketball schools to stick together and take charge.

1. Georgetown

2. Providence
3. St. John’s

4. Villanova

5. Marquette

6. Seton Hall

Time to set sail, and add into the mix:

7. Xavier

8. Temple

9. St. Joseph’s

10. Dayton

And there you have a nice, solid league from top to bottom. A regional alignment that makes sense.

Sure the cache of the might “Big East” name may stick around with the remaining football brothers: UConn, Rutgers, South Florida, Louisville, SMU, San Diego State, Boise State, to decide what they want to do.