Why would a Blue Chipper consider the Big East?

[ysubuck]

Maybe this belongs on the recruiting forum, but it's not a question about a particular player ( I know Gwaltney is considering WVU strongly and McCoy liked Pitt ).

My question is this: Now that the Big East has become a second tier conference, why would a big time recruit ( a la Gwaltney and McCoy ) consider playing there? I don't have any idea what goes on in the recruitment of a big time player, but I don't really see what the Big East has to offer now. Home town school or childhood favorite aside, the Big East is not going to be competing for a NC anytime soon. So what's the attraction?

If a player is getting recruited by ONLY Big East schools, or is getting recruited by Big East, MAC, conferenceUSA schools, then I can see where it might be a heated battle. But if a kid with superior talent is getting courted by the likes of Miami (FL), USC, and Ohio State, it is beyond me why a Big East school would even be in the running. Can someone help me out here?

 

[gbearbuck]

They still have the auto BcS bid... so they are still a "major" conference... if they lose that auto bid, then I think their recruiting would be hurt... that would put them on the same field as the WAC, MAC, CUSA, Mountain West, Sun Belt, etc...

In short it would put them where they belonged... too bad more of the Big Ten's bowls aren't against the Big East... that would make our bowl records look a lot better

 

[exhawg]

The Big East has become a second tier conference but they still have a BCS bid (for now). One great player might be enough for one of those crappy teams to win the conference and go to a big bowl.
If I remember correctly there is a clause in the BCS that if the best team in a conference isn't in the top 10 for 3 years they lose the BCS bid.

 

[osugrad21]

The automatic BCS game allows those coaches to promote a shot for the NC every year...imagine a crop of blue chippers going to a school like WVU or Pitt and running the Big Yeast Infection. This is a rare year with so many udefeated teams, but in a normal year, there is possibly one or two. I'd say the BE has some serious opportunity to at least consider...

 

[LoKyBuckeye]

Playing time. Some of these kids want to go to a school where they can play early. Why go to Miami where you will have to wait 3 years to see that field or go to a school like UWV and play right away. That is what helped the MAC become a better conference IMHO.

 

[BB73]

The Big East has become a second tier conference but they still have a BCS bid (for now). One great player might be enough for one of those crappy teams to win the conference and go to a big bowl.
If I remember correctly there is a clause in the BCS that if the best team in a conference isn't in the top 10 for 3 years they lose the BCS bid.

Here's the BCS rule:

"The conferences whose champions have a guaranteed annual berth in one of the BCS bowls are subject to review and possible loss of that guaranteed annual berth should the conference champion not have an average ranking of 12 of higher over a four-year period."

For reference, Miami was #1 BCS in 2001, #1 in 2002, and #9 in 2003.

Pitt is currently #23.

 

[tsteele316]

its basically been said that rodriguez has promised gwaltny the starting job should he come to WVU. That's pretty enticing. Plus WVU was the first school in on him and they have been with him the entire time. However, we were the first school he came to visit when he began his visits, and ours will be the only gameday visit he takes.


If he doesnt come away raving about his usc visit in 2 weeks then osu has a legit shot.