FanHouse MikeTranghese

The above video appears to show UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma and Syracuse forward Nicole Michael exchanging words as they go through the post-game handshake line, followed by Michael trying to trip Auriemma when they cross paths again, and Auriemma being restrained by his players from going after Michael. A bizarre incident, to say the least.

Woo Hoo! Well, not really a network like the Big Ten. But most certainly this was a lot less painful than the Big Ten's fight with Comcast. The Big East announced yesterday that it has signed an agreement with SNY to carry Big East football and basketball.

The deal, terms of which were not disclosed, gives SNY, which televises 120 Mets games and 250 hours of New York Jets-related National Football League fare, a 16-game Big East football slate in the New York area. In addition to the "game of the week" coverage, SNY will produce pre-, halftime and post-game shows, as well as an array of football coaches shows.

This is great news for Big East fans in the New York area, but I would guess the rest of us will plod along as if nothing ever happened. This shouldn't have any effect on the ESPN Plus Big East football game of the week. That's a shame, because the Dave Simms/John Congemi announcing duo make Pam Ward look like Howard Cosell by comparison. And that's not a good thing.

Since no terms were disclosed, we have no idea how long the agreement is set for. With the possible split of the Big East in 2010 looming, I doubt it's more than two years. Hats off to outgoing Big East commissioner, Mike Tranghese, for putting this together. Especially with so much uncertainty in the future of the Big East as it currently stands. The possible split of the football and basketball schools along with the possibility of the Big Ten picking off Syracuse, Rutgers, or Pitt makes a long term deal look bad in my eyes. For now, though, more money for us!

Quote the Penn State coach last week:

"To be frank with you, I don't know what the reasons are not to have a playoff," Paterno said during a speaking appearance in Pittsburgh. "You can talk about missing class and all that kind of stuff, (yet) you see basketball go on forever. You have a lot of bogus excuses.

Now, far be it from me to lay into one of college football's most decorated coaches, but Joe Paterno's argument itself is bogus. First of all, he cites exactly one argument against a playoff here, that of the game becoming a two-semester event and taking student-athletes away from the classroom.

I don't personally buy into that argument either, since there are much better ones against a playoff. But it isn't "bogus". I hate to bring up that childhood example but it fits so we'll run it: if your friends go and jump off a bridge, do you jump as well? The answer is of course not. Just because college basketball's jumped off that bridge doesn't justify college football doing the same.

Furthermore, Paterno's being patently dishonest. Most of the time I see public arguments against a playoff, they have little to do with the academics. Even the conference commissioners are starting to cite other quite solid reasons besides the academics charge.

Examples? After the jump.

There are two off seasons in college football. The one before spring games and the one after. The one before is bearable because at least there's news about recruiting and your teams big win in the BCS bowl is still fresh in your mind. For me anyway. The one after, however, is filled with long periods of boredom and sprinkles of athletes misbehaving.

And then there's stories of the Crimson Permanent Assurance corporate raiders otherwise known as BCS conferences raiding smaller conferences for their best teams. Only this time that story is in reverse as both Memphis and East Carolina are chomping at the bit to get into the Big East.

East Carolina desperately has wanted in to the Big East since the re-formatting a few years ago. They still want to find their way in. Even if just in football.

The Big East still won't bite. They don't have to. As much as it makes things difficult to schedule in football, even a provisional, part-time new member would likely upset the delicate balance with the basketball schools. Until the conference realizes it has to split, ECU has no chance

Memphis on the other hand, seems to be in top secret negotiations with the Big East. Even though Mike Tranghese has stated way too many times for me to count that it ain't gonna happen.

Ever since the Memphis Tigers got left behind in the Great Bum Rush to leave Conference USA-- also known as the Big East expansion in 2003-- Tiger fans have had one singular goal. To follow their old rivals from Louisville, and Cincinnati to the greener pastures of the Big East. And here's where it gets interesting. Sources have confirmed to FOX13 Sports that University of Memphis officials have been in serious talks with the Big East about joining the conference.

I tend to agree with Charles that there is no way that the Big East is going to move on any of this. East Carolina is a fine football program by Conference USA standards. But would they really bring anything to the table that doesn't already exist? The conference is already littered with programs that seem to be just on the threshold of breaking the top 25. What good would one more do? And if the Big East does split, is there anything else at East Carolina that is Big East worthy?

Was it really only four years ago that the Big East was in danger of losing it's BCS status? Miami and Virginia Tech left in 2003 and Boston College in 2004. The conference sent Pitt, one of several 8-4 teams in the Big East to lose to Utah in the Fiesta Bowl. And there wasn't much reason to think the conference was going to get better any time soon. The conference was written off by the media and the blogospher didn't even bother to poke fun.

But something happened last week that most of us didn't even notice. The Big East was granted a spot in the BCS through 2013.

The reason is simple: no one noticed the news. No one questioned the Big East's place at the adult table. The reaffirmation wasn't even a note in BCS meeting coverage. "It was quiet,'' Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said Tuesday. "The way I like it."

You'd never make it as a blogger Mr. Tranghese. You need to rub it in someones face every once in a while. The least you could do is hold up one of those foam we're #1 hands. Or one of six, I guess. How bout a little woot-woot? Oh fine!

Despite the picture on the right, you can't just point to West Virginia and say their two BCS bowl victories and three straight top ten finishes are the reason. But I won't argue with you if you do. It really has been the improvement of several teams in the Big East that has brought the conference back to respectability. Louisville was expected to be one of the better teams in the conference. And mostly, they've come through. But the real surprise has been the improvement of South Florida, Rutgers, and Cincinnati. And more recently, Connecticut.

While the conference still isn't flooding the first round of the NFL draft with players, it is putting a lot more teams in the top 25. Sure, some coaches have left for "greener" pastures. Others like Greg Schiano and Jim Leavitt have made commitments to their schools that don't involve contracts. There's a balance, and certainly enough rising programs and programs that are there to keep the Big East respectable. At least until the Big 11 10 decides to add another team. Wankers.