The end of an era (Big East and AAC split)

[adoraz]

Breakups are always rough, and the high-profile split between the Big East football and basketball schools back in 2012 still has a lot of people upset 7 years later.

Sure, the rivalry died down in recent years as the conferences headed in different directions (despite the efforts of a few people to keep it alive), but today the one genuine connection has ended.

UConn is back home, and there is nothing else for the Big East to gain from the AAC. There is nothing for the AAC to gain from the Big East. There is no more competition besides meaningless bragging rights of "which conference is better".

Going back to the peak of the Big East... the 2011 variant which sent 11 teams to the Dance:

1. Georgetown (Big East)
2. Villanova (Big East)
3. St. John's (Big East)
4. Marquette (Big East)
5. Seton Hall (Big East)
6. Providence (Big East)
7. DePaul (Big East)
8. UConn (Big East)
9. Pittsburgh (ACC)
10. Notre Dame (ACC)
11. Syracuse (ACC)
12. Louisville (ACC)
13. Cincinnati (American)
14. South Florida (American)
15. Rutgers (Big Ten)
16. West Virginia (Big 12)

Half of the conference is in the Big East, and as for the other half:
ACC is still relevant to the Big East because:
1. They poached 4 Big East teams this decade (and others in the decades prior)
2. They tried to steal MSG and destroy our league (which they failed at, fortunately)
3. We share a geographical overlap
4. The Big East and ACC are the only conferences to win the Tournament over the past 7 years (yes, counting UConn), and also 10 of the past 11 years
5. We still schedule H&Hs with a lot of their former Big East schools, such as Syracuse, Louisville, Boston College and Notre Dame

The Big Ten and Big 12 are very relevant to the Big East as well. Sure, we don't care about Rutgers or WVU and there isn't much bad blood between our leagues, but we do of course have our conference challenges every year.

Then we get to the AAC. Only two AAC teams were in the Big East this decade (and Temple a long time ago). Of those two, South Florida was completely irrelevant in the Big East (and still is). Cincinnati does have some history, but no more than any of the teams the ACC took. AAC is not a threat to ever take MSG, they are not a geographical rival, and we will never set up a conference challenge with them. In short, they are no longer relevant to the Big East. This is not to say I expect the league to fail. The top of the AAC like Memphis, Houston and UCF may become good or even great programs over the next decade. However, they are not former Big East schools and we don't share geographical overlap with them.

In the end, I think things worked out fine for everyone (some better than others). UConn got completely screwed in conference realignment but realized that a power invite was never coming and made the right decision in returning to the Big East. The AAC is becoming a southern football conference and they leveraged that into a stable contract. The Big East has remained an elite basketball conference and even got the one thing they desired from the AAC.

Now, am I naive enough to think this will be the end of online bickering about which conference is better? Of course not, but the Big East took the one thing it wanted from the AAC and the AAC is not a threat to the Big East in any way. So while people will still bicker, that's all it will be: bickering. The Big East won and there is nothing for either conference to gain going forward besides bragging rights.

Wild ride and all of us Big East fans should count our blessings. Things really worked out better than any of us could have hoped for!

[gtmoBlue]

where did you put Miami and BC?

[adoraz]

where did you put Miami and BC?

They weren't in the 2011 Big East, which is the one I listed. I picked the 2011 BE because it was the best, biggest, and most recent version of the old BE (11 teams in the Dance with UConn winning the Title). We also had a 2012 version where WVU left, but aside from that no changes.

I also did briefly mention BC in the post.

[anXUfan]

I agree - the AAC is free to go forth and forget about the Big East. It’s over.

[billyjack]

To get a better understanding, basically:

C-USA in 2011:
Memphis*
Tulsa*
Houston*
SMU*
UCF*
East Carolina *
Tulane*
Rice
Southern Mississippi
UAB
UTEP
Marshall

Projected American in 2021:
Memphis*
Tulsa*
Houston*
SMU*
UCF*
East Carolina *
Tulane*
Cincinnati
Temple
South Florida
Wichita State

Swapped out:
Rice
Southern Mississippi
UAB
UTEP
Marshall
for:
Cincinnati
Temple
Wichita State
South Florida

[VCE]

To get a better understanding, basically:

C-USA in 2011:
Memphis*
Tulsa*
Houston*
SMU*
UCF*
East Carolina *
Tulane*
Rice
Southern Mississippi
UAB
UTEP
Marshall

Projected American in 2021:
Memphis*
Tulsa*
Houston*
SMU*
UCF*
East Carolina *
Tulane*
Cincinnati
Temple
South Florida
Wichita State

Swapped out:
Rice
Southern Mississippi
UAB
UTEP
Marshall
for:
Cincinnati
Temple
Wichita State
South Florida

I signed up to make this point about CUSA circa 2003 vs current AAC. It’s not flattering.

[gtmoBlue]

You C7 folks can't let it go. The OBE broke up years ago...get over it already. Who cares where the football contingent went? The S'cuses are gone, long gone. that's old news.
They are not returning. Stop attempting to write revisionist history. Let the past stay in the past.

We have the current Big East now. The bickering over which iteration was/is the best is also old news. The OBE was what it was and this iteration is what it is. Let's all live in the present
with an eye towards our collective futures. We have a very promising future ahead of us. Let the past stay in the past. You folks keep nostalgically eyeing the rearview mirror and the Big 3 (Butler, Cr8n, & X) are gonna
dust your butts. Learn from history, don't keep reliving it. And stop playing Bayheim in the Garden.

[Husky_U]

Reinvented Big East >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Reinvented CUSA (now called the AAC)

Only AAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK (did I do that right?) apologists would disagree.

[adoraz]

You C7 folks can't let it go. The OBE broke up years ago...get over it already. Who cares where the football contingent went? The S'cuses are gone, long gone. that's old news.
They are not returning. Stop attempting to write revisionist history. Let the past stay in the past.

We have the current Big East now. The bickering over which iteration was/is the best is also old news. The OBE was what it was and this iteration is what it is. Let's all live in the present
with an eye towards our collective futures. We have a very promising future ahead of us. Let the past stay in the past. You folks keep nostalgically eyeing the rearview mirror and the Big 3 (Butler, Cr8n, & X) are gonna
dust your butts. Learn from history, don't keep reliving it. And stop playing Bayheim in the Garden.

Gtmo- I get that you're not a fan of the Big East's history prior to Creighton, but this topic is about "the end of an era" lol. The entire premise is how with UConn gone the AAC is no longer relevant to the Big East going forward. It did have some relevance these past 6 years, and for a very good reason (UConn).

[gtmoBlue]

Gtmo- I get that you're not a fan of the Big East's history prior to Creighton, but this topic is about "the end of an era" lol. The entire premise is how with UConn gone the AAC is not longer relevant to the Big East going forward. It did have some relevance these past 6 years, and for a very good reason (UConn).

The AAC has only had relevance in Stever20's eyes.