Big 12

What’s in a Name?: New name ideas for old Big East

With the seven Catholic schools leaving and taking the name “Big East” with them, the no name conference, that will add Houston, Tulane, East Carolina, SMU, Memphis, and UCF for the 2013 season, is in desperate need of a new name.

Perhaps the most confusing thing about all of this conference realignment is what to name these new conferences. The Big 12 has 10 teams, the Big 10 has 12 teams, and the SEC has teams outside of the Southeastern region of the United States. It can be confusing, but if you change the Big 12 to the Big 10 and the Big 10 to the Big 12 life will make sense.

Luckily for the remaining teams in the old Big East, there are some solid options for the new name of the Big East. Here are a few conference name suggestions for the remaining non-Catholic schools in the old Big East:

Conference Formerly Known as the Big East
Think of that picture like the symbol that the artist formerly known as “Prince” uses. Any symbol will work, a dollar sign with a huge slash to symbolize the lack of money the teams formerly in the Big East will make compared to the BCS conference schools, or a frowny face which will show how sad the schools are for not being invited to the Catholic 7′s new “Big East”. Think about it, how many conferences are recognized by just a symbol? None, so being able to add a unique twist to the conference name might actually help make up for some of the revenue that is going to be lost. Just pick a symbol, throw in “the conference formerly known as the Big East”, and let the merchandising of the conference begin.

Conference USA 2.0
Makes sense to me. After all, the Big East certainly likes snatching teams from C-USA. When they first expanded in 2005, the Big East took C-USA football members Louisville, Cincinnati, and South Florida. This time they take Houston, SMU, Tulane, Memphis, Central Florida, and East Carolina of C-USA. With the departure of Louisville to the ACC, this makes eight of the 12 schools (Navy is not scheduled to join until 2015) former members of C-USA.

Please Take Me Next Atlantic Coast Conference Conference
The PTMNACCC is a mouthful, but when you take into account that the ACC pillages the Big East much like the Big East pillages C-USA you can understand the name. With Pitt, Louisville, Notre Dame, and Syracuse leaving to go along with Virginia Tech, Miami, and Boston College from 2005, the Big East is looking like a minor league farm system for the ACC.

Metro Conference
This was the conference Memphis, Cincy, and Tulane belonged to before it folded resulting in the formation of C-USA. Since C-USA and Big East are now taken, and nobody has the name Metro Conference, it also makes sense. Most of the universities in the old Big East are in major metropolitan areas so the name works from that angle as well.

Catholic 7
Since St. John’s, Seton Hall, Marquette, Providence, DePaul, Villanova and Georgetown are taking the Big East name with them, why can’t the old Big East teams take the name those schools have been known by the past few months. Stealing the name of the seven schools that crippled an already struggling conference, seems like the right thing to do to spite them.

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. If you think you have a better name for the new look Big East tweet him @churtj09 #newBigEast for his and your amusement. He also live tweets from different college football games throughout the Mid-South.

There is going to be a mass scramble of schools that are going to want to fill the void when Texas A&M leaves the Big 12, and it only makes since for Memphis to jump into the fray. Adding Memphis will allow the Big 12 to expand their market by adding viewers in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Now is the time for Memphis to make a compelling case for why they deserve to join the Big 12.

One reason Memphis should join the Big 12 is because they have the facilities to not only compete in the conference, but also make the Big 12 more marketable. Think about it, how many college basketball players play in a professional arena? Not many. FedExForum seats over 18,000 people and when the Memphis Tigers play the stadium is one of the best atmospheres in college basketball.

Also, Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium is amongst the best and most recognizable stadiums in all of college football. Its signature lopsidedness with the southwest side being taller than the northeast side is a uniqueness that not many stadiums offer. Add to it the over 60,000 fans that the Liberty Memorial Stadium can hold and Memphis football would create an unbelievable atmosphere for the Big 12.

Another reason it makes since for the Big 12 to add Memphis is because Memphis can and will compete with the other teams in the conference in every sport, including basketball and football. Can you imagine what a basketball program with the recent success Memphis has had can bring to a conference that already has perennial power Kansas? Kansas vs. Memphis in FedExForum, those games would be epic! The seeds for such a rivalry were planted in 2008 when the two teams meet in the championship game.

While Memphis football is currently rebuilding, if the Tigers can be placed in a big conference they will quickly get the recruits necessary to compete. The Mid-South is loaded with football talent causing it to become a recruiting hub for SEC schools (especially LSU, Mississippi St., Ole Miss, and Arkansas). The schools from major conferences are able to get those players over Memphis because they have more play in a major conference with more exposure while Memphis plays in C-USA and gets virtually no exposure. However, should Memphis join the Big 12 the playing field will become equal for Memphis as far as recruiting is concerned. Honestly, what is the difference in Ole Miss, Mississippi St., Arkansas, and Memphis football? Memphis plays in C-USA and the other three play in the SEC. With a coach who can recruit like Coach Porter Memphis will be competing for a Big 12 title in a span of one full recruiting class (or four years).

Lastly the University of Memphis fans create one of the best atmospheres in college athletics. They are passionate, enthusiastic, and will pack stadiums for games which will bring in money for the Big 12 Conference. Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium may not be packed for games against UCF or East Carolina, but just wait until Mizzo or those Sooners come in for a game. They will find out real quick how hostile Memphis fans can be.

The University of Memphis is ripe right now and is ready to be picked by a major conference. If the Big 12 is smart they will add Memphis before other conferences begin to show an interest.

C.J. Hurt covers Memphis Tiger Football for MemphiSport. Follow him on twitter @churtj09 for live tweets from all Tiger Football home games this season.