By Denny O'Brien
©2011 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.

The Big East Conference must have an affinity for universities from large television markets that barely register on the radar in their own backyards.

How else can you explain the league’s infatuation with Central Florida, Houston, Southern Methodist, and now reportedly Memphis? It obviously can’t be attributed to long-standing gridiron success, die hard fan bases, or the overwhelming television demand that each program generates.

If the Big East did any type of thorough analysis, you would think East Carolina would be atop the list of candidates to replace its numerous departures. Just consider some of the readily available data:

• East Carolina ranks 42nd nationally in average attendance per game; the next closest among the Big East candidates is Central Florida, which averages more than 13,000 less.

• The Pirates rank even better in attendance — 22nd — when calculating percent capacity at 99.72 percent.

• ECU’s average computer ranking from 2007-2010 is better than Houston, UCF, Southern Methodist, and Memphis.

• A true measure of the Pirates’ media market, which would include Raleigh-Durham, ranks them 17th nationally. It’s certainly no stretch to suggest ECU receives more attention in the Triangle than Houston, UCF, SMU, and Memphis receive in their own cities.

• ECU’s average strength of schedule from 2008-2010 (57th nationally) is significantly more difficult than those of SMU (70), Houston (84), and UCF (96). The Pirates would rank fourth against the current Big East members.

• East Carolina ranks fourth against current Big East members in schedule strength from 2008-2010. That the statistic includes conference games speaks volumes about the difficulty of ECU’s non-conference schedule.

• Against all schools believed in the running for Big East candidacy, East Carolina owns a 46-20 overall record against them in football.

That information isn’t difficult to find. Anyone with access to a high-speed Internet connection should be able to retrieve those numbers without exerting much effort.

An even deeper look suggests what East Carolina could become with the benefit of AQ access. Comparing the pre-AQ résumé of ECU with West Virginia and Virginia Tech, two athletics programs with which ECU has cultural parallels, is almost like studying carbon copies on numerous levels:

• East Carolina averages over 7,000 more in attendance than Virginia Tech did prior to Big East inclusion, and only 6,000 fewer than West Virginia.

• Over the past five seasons, the Pirates have more wins (39) than either the Hokies (27) or Mountaineers (33) did in the five years before joining the Big East.

• ECU had a better hoops RPI last season than Virginia Tech or WVU did in the year before they joined the Big East.

• Greenville has a higher population than both Blacksburg and Morgantown. The Pirates’ home state of North Carolina is also significantly bigger than either Virginia or West Virginia.

Given the abundance of information that is available to the Big East, you have to wonder how much is ignored and what the league truly deems important. The fact that East Carolina isn’t receiving the consideration of some of its Conference USA rivals suggests that market size isn’t just one of the deciding factors.

It apparently is the only factor.

You also have to question who is at the wheel of the Big East’s rapidly sinking football ship. If basketball interests are steering the league’s football future, that is a recipe for long-term instability and ultimate doom.

The loss of West Virginia to the Big 12 was a significant blow to Big East football. It now is a conference completely void of a school with a historical football culture, something that could be critical towards retaining long-term AQ status.

No one is under the delusion that adding East Carolina to the Big East would instantly provide the national credibility the league sorely needs. Truth is, no school outside of Notre Dame could meet that criteria.

But East Carolina could do more for the Big East’s long-term stability than most of the candidate’s on the list. The Pirates’ football culture, facilities, loyal fan base, success, and geographic location theoretically should make them more attractive than anyone receiving consideration.

If they aren’t, you can’t help but come to one of two conclusions: either the Big East is suffering from poor leadership or simply hasn’t done its research.

My guess is both.