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Miami was never a good fit for the Big East, geographically culturally or competitively. What they did bring to the table was football money and the prestige of their national titles and BCS Bowl appearances. While they seem a bit mismatched culturally with the highbrow ACC, UM at least has Florida State as a neighbor/rival who can be just as cruel and cutthroat as they are. And the Criminoles' dominance of ACC football has been rarely questioned. Even when their QBs go to jail, Florida State still manages to get the BCS bid.

But the ACC wants 12 schools, not ten, so they can have a conference championship game and the money it makes. So they courted Syracuse and Boston College for no real reason other than the schools give them visibility in the New York and New England television markets. Geographically, an easier fit would be Virginia Tech and East Carolina but they don't help television-wise.

The Big East has always been strange for an athletic conference because it allows schools with no football program (Georgetown, St. Johns, Villanova, etc.) to join them for basketball and not football. So the football part of the conference has always lacked stature - that was, until Miami joined. Now, like the gold-diggers they are, Miami is moving on to what it sees as a richer boyfriend. They've had their boob job and are just marrying up.

The little five consist of two schools (UConn and Rutgers) that are unlikely to be football powers anytime soon. So what we are *really* talking about is Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Virginia Tech being left at the altar. They can fantasize about Notre Dame joining them for football, as it did for basketball but, get real. The Irish are in the ideal situation football-wise and wouldn't even seriously consider joining the more prestigious Big 10 (11) conference to give up their rich NBC contract. That 12th spot in the Big 10 is really reserved for Notre Dame. Everyone knows it.

Pittsburgh could make overtures to the Big 10 and might woo them with the appeal of competitive football and basketball programs and a good media market, not to mention a built-in rivalry with Penn State. But, to do so, the Big 10 has to give up its own fantasy of landing the Irish.

And there's a strong possibiltiy that the dominoes will land on Conference USA which has some schools (Louisville, Cincinnati) that would like to see their football programs move up and other schools (Tulane, Houston) whose football programs might go under. Might Virginia Tech and West Virginia find some new partners?

As for the politicians, why be surprised either at their mettling or their grandstanding? It's what they do and what some of their voters (alumni) even expect them to do. But, in the end, they don't have the authority to make anything happen here, other than troll for voters.

As someone who thought Miami and Florida State had a far too easy road to get to a BCS Bowl every year, I actually welcome the merger because then one or the other might not get to go every year. Let them find out what the Big XII and SEC schools already know - that you can beat yourself silly trying to get to a conference titile game, lose there, and wind up with the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl or the Culligan Water Holiday Bowl as your reward. They can ask Florida how fun that prospect is - if they're still on speaking terms with the Gators.

Great post Tall Texan. I've been following this Big East-ACC mess for a while now and I agree with your take on it all.

I'm a Syracuse fan, and personally, I wish the Big East could find a way to stay together, even if Miami leaves. Syracuse thinks they'll have no choice but to follow Miami & BC to remain viable in football. My thinking is that they aren't viable in football now, haven't won a football championship since 1959, and are probably never going to see the top of any conference with FSU & Miami anyway. Why should a basketball school walk out on a great basketball conference for the sake of the BCS? The only upside is it will give them the chance to prove on the court how overrated all the traditional ACC basketball powers down on tobacco road really are!

And the Criminoles' dominance of ACC football has been rarely questioned. Even when their QBs go to jail, Florida State still manages to get the BCS bid.

Yo...wait...halt...that is "QB" not "QBs." Singular. One quarterback.

Let's have a show of hands for all those college teams that haven't had players get in trouble with the law. What? No hands? I thought so...

As someone who thought Miami and Florida State had a far too easy road to get to a BCS Bowl every year, I actually welcome the merger because then one or the other might not get to go every year. Let them find out what the Big XII and SEC schools already know - that you can beat yourself silly trying to get to a conference titile game, lose there, and wind up with the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl or the Culligan Water Holiday Bowl as your reward. They can ask Florida how fun that prospect is - if they're still on speaking terms with the Gators.

Lord, where do I start?

Seems the 'Noles have been playing Miami just about every year for forever. They have also been playing Florida, just about every year. Do you know ANY OTHER TEAM that uses two of it's patsy non-conference slots to play teams that consistently rank in the top ten? And when not playing those two non-conference powerhouses, they match up with Pitt or Syracuse or West Virgina...

IN conference we have those easy teams like NC State (11-3), or Virginia (9-5), or Maryland (11-3). Clemson often is tough, as is Georgia Tech. Florida State does not have a cakewalk to the national championship. In fact strength of schedule has been the deciding factor twice in Florida State's favor in recent BCS polling.

Having Miami in the ACC will give the ACC a great championship game and should FSU and Miami play as they have in the past, it is entirely possible they could rematch in the BCS Championship game.

And, no, we are never on speaking terms with the Gators.