Posted today in Bloomberg News: the Big East might address the transcontinental nature of the conference with a name change.
Per Bloomberg news, Big East's interim commissioner Joe Bailey spoke at the Bloomberg Sports Business Summit, mentioning that the athletic conference would commission a study to consider alternative names in light of the new membership coming in the next three years - Temple, Memphis, Southern Methodist, the University of Houston, Central Florida, the Naval Academy, and Boise State and San Diego State Universities. That's a lot of change to bring under the Big East banner, along with traditional teams like St. John's, Providence, and Connecticut.
As a national conference, Bailey said, "[the Big East] extends to four time zones in major markets. In one sense, it almost represents the United States in that diversity."
He also said the conference would tweak the name a little as opposed to a wholesale change. And in the article, Bailey also acknowledges that the Big East has some brand equity. How to change the name to properly reflect what is a very different football conference than it was in 1999 while preserving the traditional feel? How traditional IS the feel for the football teams?
Only longtime doormat Rutgers and once-booted member Temple remain from the Big East of 13 years ago.
Maybe a change is needed, even though the traditional basketball powers like St. John's and Georgetown remain dedicated to the league.
What to call a new league?
The Big East + other time zones?
The Big Transcontinental?
Mike Aresco was hired last month to be the commissioner, though Bailey is still working in an interim capacity. the 60-day exclusive negotiating period with ESPN is open, and the Big East is reportedly discussing a new media rights deal, lead by Big East assistant Chris Bevilacqua.
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