Andrea Adelson

  (4:01 PM)

Let's chat!

sofork (boise)

what is the latest about Boise State joining the Big East this fall in football? It would seem the Big East would assist in the buy-out from the MWC since it got a bunch of money from WVU.

Andrea Adelson

  (4:02 PM)

Looks like that might not be diminishing as an option. Big East is in talks with Temple about joining for 2012.

Chris (Houston)

UTEP:vs. Oklahomaat Ole Missat WisconsinWho's bright idea was that? Toughest OOC schedule in the country?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:04 PM)

Gotta pay the bills somehow I suppose. Reminds me of Tulsa last year with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Boise State.

daniel (texas)

How true is it about temple joining the bigeast in 2012 to replace wvu

Andrea Adelson

  (4:04 PM)

Discussions are ongoing.

Jerry (Indianapolis)

It looks like the Big East has come to their senses and is inviting Temple. They want Temple to join for next year but the MAC has a 2 year waiting period which Temple signed up for. A conference couldn't possibly allow a school out of a 2 year waiting period that they signed up for, could it?????? If Temple is not allowed out, is the BE up to plan F?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:05 PM)

Isn't it interesting that the Big East wants Temple to do to the MAC what West Virginia just did to the Big East? I don't see how the Big East enters into these discussions without having a good idea that they would work out. But then again, this is the Big East ...

Russ (Idaho)

Really, Temple in the big east? I can see the basketball thing, but football.. As a boise st fan, I think the mtn west and conf usa will be a better football conf than the big east. I think that cinn and louisvlle will be gone in two years. what do you Andrea?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:06 PM)

I think it is a very real possibility that at the very least Louisville will be gone whenever the Big 12 decides to move back to 12. For now, Boise State had to make this move for financial reasons and to gain more exposure for the program. Let's face it, being on The Mtn. is not what any fan wants, right?

Danny (Lousivelle)

what is the big east doing? I can only hope that the big 12 invites lousivelle into there conf soon. Temple in the big east is a joke!!!!

Andrea Adelson

  (4:07 PM)

Well it was a very big joke last time Temple was in the Big East.

john (idaho)

I was just curious who you thought would be the highest ranked non Aq at the end of the season?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:07 PM)

Great question. If there is any non-AQ ranked at the end of the season, I put my $ on Boise State.

Mike (Miami)

If FIU were to knock off Louisville, UCF and Duke (all early season games) would that be enough to get them ranked in the Top 25 before heading into conference play ?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:08 PM)

Doubt it. UCF and Duke were bad last year. Not much cache there.

Ryan (Ohio)

AA Do you think the C-USA teams snubbed by the Big East, namely Southern Miss and ECU, will come out and play inspired football against the teams moving onto greener pastures? Should we expect to see them run up the score against Memphis?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:08 PM)

I don't know that the players really care about that to run up the score, to be honest.

David (Crofton, Md.)

Andrea, how do you think Navy will do in the Big East? Why wouldn't Army and Air Force join?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:11 PM)

I think it is going to be tough for Navy in the Big East, at least at the outset. Navy has to upgrade its staffing, facilities and the players it recruits to compete for championships. I think Army is probably a little apprehensive about joining based on its last experience in a conference. Air Force is quite content playing regionally and keeping some of its rivalries alive out in its part of the country.

Greg (Houston)

What do you think the likelihood of Southern Miss being lured away from C-USA?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:13 PM)

If you mean lured away into the new merged conference between C-USA and the Mountain West, absolutely! To another conference -- unless it has an interest in the Sun Belt ...

Ryan (Ohio)

Does the Big East go for 14 (AFA?, ECU?) or will Providence wait to see if Louisville is still in the fold in 2014?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:14 PM)

Great question. I think they have to wait on Louisville before making additional moves. If you get to 14 and then lose Louisville, I guess you could make a 13-team conference work but my guess is an even number is ideal for divisional alignment and scheduling purposes.

Michael (Provo)

Hi Andrea...there is a somewhat nationally-prominent CFB sports blogger who shall remain unnamed who continues to report that BYU to the Big12 is NOT dead but still a possibility. Should BYU fans continue listening to this guy or turn a deaf ear and accept reality as it is now constituted?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:16 PM)

I am not going to sit here and comment on the reporting of others. Everything I have heard is the Big 12 is at 10 for 2012. They already released their schedule. Could it happen in the future? Who knows. I would not be surprised if BYU remained on the list but I am sure something would have to be arranged in regards to BYUtv.

Ryan (Ohio)

Should Army be giving a MAC membership some thought? Army would have a conference home where they could be competitive, still be able to play Navy and Air Force, and schedule their 2 remaining OOC games against a southern and west coast opponent to maintain their national brand? Thoughts?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:17 PM)

If what I heard from Navy stands for all the independents, it seems as if scheduling is going to be increasingly difficult with some conferences moving to 9 game league schedules. It has made life hard for Navy in terms of scheduling games in October and November. That was one factor in its decision to join the Big East. That could force Army to think about conference alignment. But again, I think the program needs to be on a more solid footing before it ventures into conference affiliation again. It is not quite on the Navy level right now.

Rocky (Fresno,CA)

Andrea how you doing??? It is a shame about what is happening to the WAC especially with the incoming arrivals of UTSA and Texas St. Any chance you see that those 2 teams would just get picked up by Sun Belt at the least?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:19 PM)

Well it certainly sounds as if Karl Benson wants to expand the Sun Belt. What I forsee happening is the WAC teams will just be picked up in the MWC/C-USA merger and then the Sun Belt. What that does for its other sports, including Boise State, is obviously going to be something to watch. But I just don't see how the WAC survives all of this.

john (idaho)

Who will you talk about in this chat once boise state joins the AQ ranks?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:19 PM)

Hey I think this is the first Boise question today!

Andrew (Utah)

Andrea, what's your non-AQ Top 5 going into the 2012 season?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:20 PM)

I get asked this a lot. Come see me after the spring. I want to see a lot of these teams before I make up my mind. A lot of the bigger ones are losing their QBs so that is going to factor into my evaluations.

chad (Reno, NV)

Andrea, dont you think that the mtn west and conf usa thing will be a better football conf than the big east in football?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:21 PM)

Without Boise State? Only Hawaii of those remaining schools has made a BCS game. The Big East has Louisville, Cincinnati, UConn and Boise that have made it. So the answer is no.

Jiim (AL)

Where do you see the Sun Belt in terms of teams gaining some national respect this coming year?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:23 PM)

The Sun Belt has to win some of its marquee national games. I think people are going to be paying more attention, though, with Gus Malzahn at Arkansas State. He has a good team coming back, and he is a household name. People are going to be paying attention to FIU as well with Mario Cristobal's name being thrown around for several jobs. I think a lot more people know who he is right now. Mark Hudspeth obviously did nice things at ULL. But as always, an undefeated season would be super nice for the Sun Belt!

Mark (Malibu)

AA - BYU plays at Utah, Boise State, Notre Dame, and Georgia Tech. Can they win any of them?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:23 PM)

Of course they can! Why not? I could easily see a 2-2 split.

Tom (LA)

How long do you give the geographic nightmare of the merged Mt West/C-USA to fall apart? I say under 4 years and ECU, UAB, Marshall, and S. Miss will leave because of travel and fan base concerns.

Andrea Adelson

  (4:24 PM)

Where are those schools going, the Sun Belt? Remember, these schools are going to be contained to their own regions. ECU is not going to go play Air Force and Hawaii. They are going to stay with the same CUSA teams for scheduling and travel.

Rick (TN)

What no love for Willie Taggart and WKU?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:25 PM)

How did I know that was going to come up!

Andrea Adelson

  (4:25 PM)

Is it a conflict of interest for an assistant coach to leave his school for a rival school, given all he knows? A CEO to go from Pepsi to Coke? As they say, that's business.

Tom (LA)

So what, they are only going to play themselves in all sports? Not realistic.

Andrea Adelson

  (4:26 PM)

In football, it is all but guaranteed. In hoops there are going to be some crossover games, but C-USA already does that with the schools in Texas!

Andrea Adelson

  (4:27 PM)

I think there is going to be some sort of split between the Sun Belt and MWC/CUSA merger. So based on geography, then I would put them in the CUSA/MWC merger conference. But that is just my guess. Or what I think makes the most sense.

Rick (TN)

Still no analysis???

Andrea Adelson

  (4:28 PM)

Huge kudos to Willie Taggart, but this school needs to make some more national waves to get in the convo. A bowl appearance has to be made, first and foremost. That was real rotten luck last year.

Andrea Adelson

  (4:29 PM)

I don't think so. They would be No. 3 in the Big East if I am picking.

Chris (DC)

Karl Benson never met a D1-AA program he didn't like...

Andrea Adelson

  (4:29 PM)

South Alabama joins the Sun Belt in 2013.

Ryan (Ohio)

Which side gets disenfranchised and pulls out of the Conference Mountain USA West first: The eastern schools or the western ones?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:32 PM)

I think they can make it work. I don't see it as much different than this "alliance" they had talked about. Bigger is better these days, at least that is what the conferences seem to be telling us. As for your other question about the MAC, I think the league is serious about wanting to hold Temple to that waiting period just for scheduling and planning purposes. But as we saw with West Virginia, there is always a way to get around a deal.

Rick (TN)

That just makes it a circular argument. Not known in football enough for the crappy bowls last year, and can't get in the convo without it...dont be part of the problem AA

Andrea Adelson

  (4:32 PM)

Don't blame me. Blame Pitt for that.

Rocky (Fresno,CA)

Derek Carr is going to throw bombs next season! If our defense adapts well to the 3-4 scheme, then Fresno St will be a factor in the MWC. Offense will be stacked

Andrea Adelson

  (4:33 PM)

Hey I talked with coach DeRuyter the other day, so watch out for a story next week. Rocky, doesn't it always seem that the defense comes up year after year? There should be hope that there is a defensive-minded coach in town. But I'm always skeptical with first-time head coaches in Year 1. I want to see how they do in the spring with the new offense. Totally different from the pro-set that Carr is used to running.

Kyle (Raleigh)

Andrea, Why do you think ECU has been left out so far in the conference realignment? Market I would assume, but are there any other reasons? The fan base and support are strong, even despite the past 2 slow years.

Andrea Adelson

  (4:35 PM)

Yes market is a definite, but if you take a look at Memphis and potentially Temple, the Big East was going for basketball as much as big-city market. It is a dual-personality league in that basketball also plays a major role. They let the Big East have their up-and-coming/major football programs. Now they want some love for hoops in return.

Tom (LA)

Ryan - the East, way more out west to be content than there is east.

Andrea Adelson

  (4:35 PM)

I would like to see where they would go/how they would survive.

Tim (Idaho)

Where do you see boise st in 5 years? will they still be in the big east or a bigger conf?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:36 PM)

I can barely tell you what will happen in two days let alone five years. I do not want to think about 5 years down the line anyway. Somebody I know turns the big 4-0.

Ryan (Ohio)

Is Temple asking for an all-sports membership or a football-only invite? Is Villanova going to bless this move?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:36 PM)

All sports. And obviously Nova is onboard if the discussions are taking place.

Randy (Hawaii)

Do you believe the MWC/C-USA merger will work? What's the difference between it and the failed 16-team WAC of the 90s?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:38 PM)

I think it is a good solution for what is facing college football right now. The alternative is to raid other conferences and then what happens? Will this be doomed to fail like the 16-team WAC? Maybe. But it appears all these other conferences are headed in the super-size direction. It will be interesting to see how the SEC and ACC do with 14 teams.

Rick (TN)

You want my WKU prediction. 11-1. Take care of sun belt, austin peay, s. miss, and UK, lose to Bama. almost went undefeated in sun belt last year, close loss to UK last year adn UK will suck and WKU will be better. S. Miss loses a lot of seniors and WKU returns everyone (but Bobby Rainey, but Taggart will re-load at RB to fill his offensive system needs)

Andrea Adelson

  (4:39 PM)

Rick, I have that written down. I think a lot of UK fans will be interested to know you think WKU is winning that game. Watch the language, though!

Tom (LA)

Randy - nothing, that is why it will fail in the end. The reason the WAC split was that they all complained of being too spread out and did not get to play thier rivals enough...

Andrea Adelson

  (4:39 PM)

Tom, which rivals are you afraid of not playing?

Ryan (Ohio)

Do you think this BE-Temple thing is happening b/c the football schools suspect that the Catholic basketball schools are seriously mulling the idea of leaving and adding Xavier, St Louis, and possibly a few other private basketball schools?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:40 PM)

Maybe. I think there is a more immediate need to get a team in for 2012 and prepare for the potential loss of Louisville if the Big 12 decides to go to 12.

Tony (Columbus, OH)

Thoughts on Akron? They hired Terry Bowden and brought in Jim Tressel. How long before they are the Class of the MAC?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:41 PM)

Well Jim Tressel is not going to be putting on the sweater vest. Maybe Terry will wear one. I think it was an absolutely brilliant move. He's not going to be a lifer there, but I absolutely believe he will get that program turned around in two years.

Ryan (Ohio)

Can you give us your way way too early predictions for who will win the 5 non-AQ conferences?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:42 PM)

After the spring. I gotta do a little bit more studying to give you an educated answer. I've been buried in a bit of Big East news here the last month. I will say the one school I am worried about is San Diego State. No Lindley, no Hillman, entire OL has to be replaced, losing major players on D as well. Big, big test for Rocky Long.

Tom (LA)

Just stating one of the reasons why the monster WAC failed per the schools when they left.

Andrea Adelson

  (4:43 PM)

I know, but you seem to be concerned about rivalries dying. Just curious on your thoughts about that because you asked earlier.

scott (boise)

if the wac falls in all sports, where does boise place there other sports in what conf?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:43 PM)

It would have to be in like the Big West or Big Sky, right?

Rick (TN)

And I want credit come December since you wrote it down.

Andrea Adelson

  (4:43 PM)

Rick, duly noted.

Tom (LA)

But it has been statistically proven that geographically closer schools, regardless of perceived status, have higher relative attendance than when playing geographically remote schools.

Andrea Adelson

  (4:46 PM)

Well I think that the merger conference is probably going to try to go after schools like Louisiana Tech and FIU/FAU to get some more Eastern schools in the mix to help out the geography. That would give you Southern Miss, ECU, Marshall, UAB, 2 new East schools and then only a few crossover games, which already happen in CUSA East/West.

Branden (Boise)

What do you think of a playoff?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:47 PM)

Two thumbs way, way up!

Jabber (Des Moines)

How's McCarney going to bounce back from his stroke? Think North Texas could win the Sun Belt?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:50 PM)

I wish nothing but all the best to coach McCarney as he recovers. He still plans on being out there for spring ball, but of course I am not a doctor so I cannot say how he is going to bounce back. I can only hope that he follows doctors orders and gets better as soon as possible. I think there are a few teams ahead of North Texas this year. I don't see a championship.

Steve (OHIO)

Assuming the Temple to Big East move actually happens, could that affect the UMass to the MAC move since without Temple UMass is not a great geographic fit?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:51 PM)

Great question. I do not have an answer for you there, but I can tell you that UMass is subject to the same two-year waiting period and $2.5 million exit fee as Temple if it changes its mind.

scott (idaho)

how much money does boise st really get by joining the big east?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:51 PM)

All depends on the new TV deal, which will be much, much larger than what the Mtn West gets now. Plus factor in the potential for a bigger BCS windfall as well.

Tom (LA)

You are assuming that FIU/FAU will leave for the merger one instead getting them to come to them....

Andrea Adelson

  (4:51 PM)

So you think the Sun Belt is going to add Southern Miss and ECU?

Rob (Boise)

Serious question now: Let's assume the AQ statuses remain for the next several years. With all the additions to the Big East, do you think the quality of football is going to drop severely to the point of losing its AQ status? Boise State, and Houston are good additions, but Memphis and Army are horrible. Could the commissioner's desire to add basketball-strong schools actually doom the football aspect?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:52 PM)

*Navy* not Army. And I'm sorry but Navy has been better than Memphis, Temple, SMU and UCF over the last 10 seasons. Last year was the first losing one in a long time. But I am not going to assume AQ status stays. I truly believe it is gone after 2013.

Rob (Boise)

Oops. I meant Navy. Thanks.

Andrea Adelson

  (4:54 PM)

Welcome!

Zolty (NY)

Do you think Ryan Katz will be the opening day QB at SDSU?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:54 PM)

I would have to guess yes, he obviously has the most experience of anybody on the roster. We'll see how he does in the spring.

Adam (Boise)

What do you think of a 12 team playoff and keep all the bowl games for those teams that lose in the playoff

Andrea Adelson

  (4:55 PM)

I don't think a 12-team playoff happens. Jim Delany all but said that today.

Tom (LA)

Perhaps with UAB and marshall too...or the more likely scenarios is half a dozen of the sun belt schools plus those east c-usa schools will make a new league, like the mt. west did when it formed...going back to my original point - less then 4 years....

Tom (LA)

plus maybe UNC-C in that new league.....

Andrea Adelson

  (4:55 PM)

I still think the CUSA/MWC merger is a stronger overall conference.

Rob (Orlando)

Andrea I cannot seem to understand why there has been no consequences internal for Marinatto. The BE is now the biggest laughing stock for the WVU departure....I am sorry but in the working world if someone screws up this bad...well....there fired.

Andrea Adelson

  (4:56 PM)

That one has to be directed at the university presidents. He works for them.

Bob (Provo)

What does BYU have to do to get AQ like ND

Andrea Adelson

  (4:56 PM)

Change its name to Notre Dame?

Randy (Hawaii)

Being a Hawaii fan, I worry that we will be left out of a conference if the MWC/C-USA thing doesn't work. Do you think Hawaii could survive as a football independent?

Andrea Adelson

  (4:57 PM)

Doubt it. First and foremost, who would give Hawaii a TV deal to sustain its entire program?

Rob (Boise)

For Randy (Hawaii), I don't see why Hawaii doesn't talk to the Pac-12 about admittance. They ARE a research university, have a 50K seat stadium, and you can't get much more "Pacific" than completely surrounded by it. I'm surprised Hawaii hasn't even tried.

Andrea Adelson

  (5:00 PM)

I think you know the drill, Rob. Gotta be invited. They can talk all they want!

Rob (Boise)

Since you think AQ status is going away, I assume you think a playoff is on the horizen. So, if college football does go to a playoff, will all the independent schools be required to join a conference?

Andrea Adelson

  (5:00 PM)

Why would that be a requirement? I still think they would use the BCS standings or something else to determine teams 1-4.

Andrea Adelson

  (5:01 PM)

All right everyone, thanks for joining me today! Great conversation, I enjoyed it!