It looks like Notre Dame on future schedules!

[BullsFanInTX]

I got this off the Big East Board, on an article from today in the Charleston Daily Mail.  Scroll down to bottom of article in area I highlighted.

http://www.dailymail.com/story/Sports/200707107/Big-East-teams-making-strides-with-their-scheduling/

At least it seems the Big East isn't sitting on its laurels from the 2006 football season.

It doesn't appear the conference's athletic directors are sitting on their hands when it comes to future scheduling, either. OK, the large majority of them aren't, anyway.

In the second season after it regrouped following the loss of three respected programs, the Big East went 5-0 in bowl games last season and finished with three teams with at least 11 wins.

Louisville, West Virginia and Rutgers were ranked among the top 12 in the final Associated Press poll (a Big East first), and the league went 31-8 against outside Division I-A foes, including 14-7 against Bowl Championship Series conference clubs.

What follows?

As was chronicled in this space seven months ago, the 2007 Big East football schedules are ho-hum at best.

Of the 40 games, only five (of 15) are with BCS-conference programs that finished with winning records in 2006 -- Maryland (plays West Virginia and Rutgers), Oregon State (Cincinnati), Kentucky (Louisville) and Auburn (South Florida).

That changes in 2008.

If naysayers have had a field day trashing the Big East non-league schedules last season and this one, they will need to find a different target in the future. Conference teams, for the most part, are taking bigger challenges.

"The past few years we've admittedly been in a little bit of a building phase," said Nick Carparelli, the Big East associate commissioner for football operations. "What you see (in the future) is that our teams are taking another step schedule-wise."

An analysis for the Big East future schedules, from 2008-15, obtained by the Daily Mail from the Big East office, shows there's plenty of oomph.

It will help the conference's telecast exposure, and if the Big East can win its share of these games, will aid the league in the next BCS and lower-tier bowl negotiations, too.

Big East teams' future schedules include Southern Cal, Ohio State, Florida, Notre Dame, Florida State, Auburn, Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Georgia, Michigan State, Clemson, Colorado, North Carolina State, Purdue, Maryland and Boston College.

Carparelli said the conference schools have worked these deals, although the Big East office and television networks have offered assistance in some cases.

Carparelli said Commissioner Mike Tranghese continues to stress the need for the Big East to play the best.

In 2009, for example, Big East teams play Auburn, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Miami, Oregon State, Colorado and N.C. State.

In 2012, foes include USC, Ohio State, Florida State, Georgia, Virginia Tech, N.C. State, Boston College, Miami (twice) and Notre Dame (likely three times).

"There's no question that non-conference scheduling is something we've talked about," Carparelli said.

"The individual schools do their schedules, but we can advise and encourage them and if we know there's a possible game in the works, we see if we can help.

"A lot of times, it's a collaborative effort, and if you're looking for a quality series, there are usually several components to getting it done.

"The conference office might discuss with the potential opponent's conference (office) about the possibilities.

"We've emphasized the importance of getting quality in the non-conference schedules. It's important for several reasons, especially television."

An analysis of the 2008-15 Big East non-conference BCS opponents shows two struggling programs that have had success in the past -- Syracuse and Pitt -- have the most imposing future schedules.

Syracuse gets a visit from USC in 2012 (with a return game in Los Angeles after 2015).

The Orange also faces Notre Dame, Penn State, Virginia Tech. It starts a series with Georgia Tech in 2015, and also has six dates with former league foe BC and four with Northwestern.

Pitt starts an eight-game, home-and-home series with Notre Dame in 2008 and also plays Virginia Tech, Miami (a game that was part of the settlement to the ACC/Big East lawsuit), Clemson, Iowa and N.C. State.

West Virginia has quality home-and-homes with Auburn, Colorado, Michigan State, Florida State and Maryland.

Cincinnati steps up against Oklahoma, Ohio State, Purdue and Oregon State.

USF has scheduled Miami, Michigan State, Florida and N.C. State.

Louisville's climbing program needs to fill some holes besides Georgia and state rival Kentucky and remaining return single dates with Kansas State and Oregon State.

Connecticut and Rutgers obviously need to add quality in the future.

Those teams have the softest schedules this season too.

The Huskies face Virginia, Duke, Akron, Temple and I-AA Maine.

The Scarlet Knights play Maryland, Navy, Army, Buffalo and I-AA Norfolk State.

"What's a good schedule for one team may not be good for another, in terms of the development of that program," Carparelli said.

"I think the Big East has always pushed its teams to have quality schedules.

"The best formula, what we try to encourage, is for our teams to play at least two teams from BCS conferences or Notre Dame every year, one home and one road, and then maintain that rotation.

"Some schools have been doing that. Others are starting to buy into it."

Notre Dame didn't play any Big East opponents last season and won't in 2007, either.

The independent Fighting Irish will return to what was a long-time series with Pitt in 2008, and will visit the Carrier Dome in Syracuse in ‘08 (returning a 2005 Orange visit to South Bend, Ind).

ND, a Big East member in conference sports except football (and part of the league's second-tier bowl agreements) has committed to playing each of the Big East eight teams in a rotating schedule starting in 2011.

The plan has the Irish playing three foes annually (one home, one road, one at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.).

"Other than Pitt (future series), there's nothing set," Carparelli said. ]"Notre Dame is talking with Rutgers, UConn, Cincinnati and USF right now."

Rutgers and Notre Dame reportedly have discussed playing six consecutive years (2010-15).

The latest Big East football scheduling deal was WVU's home-and-home with Colorado (2008 and ‘09), with the Mountaineers filling a vacancy left by Maryland's request to step aside for a series with Cal.

It was a different move for the Big East, which has few non-conference games against the Big XII and Pac-10.

"We think those kind of games are great for everyone involved," Carparelli said.

"It's two quality programs from different parts of the country and it's good for those teams' fans to see different schools. I know TV loves those kind of (intersectional) games."

The Big East, with only eight football members, is the smallest BCS conference.

With each team needing five non-league games annually, scheduling can be challenging.

Those schedules should be challenging, too. The Big East members seem to have a growing appreciation for that.

Contact Sports Editor Jack Bogaczyk at jackb@dailymail.com or 348-7949.

[puc86]

Who cares that is just one more game that will keep UCF off the schedule and prevent us from having large crowds, media exposore, fan excitement and the creation of a rivalry. You must never forget that we need UCF :

[Joe]

INotre Dame has agreed to three games a year for 6 years (2011-2016), and Pitt and Rutgers are all but guarenteed most of them. So that leaves 6 years.

It's been said by Kevin White (ND AD) that the agreement is not to play every team, but to just play BE teams.

I know UConn talks are for 2013 in the Meadowlands, I would expect a similar deal for USF. However, I'll believe the ND game when I see it; the media has gone back and forth on the subject about 100 times the last year or so.

Either way as a former Irish fan, I'd LOVE to see this game.

[BullsFanInTX]

Why is Carparelli, Associate BE commish for football operations stating 1) ND is playing all BE schools, and 2) USF is in negotiations with ND.  He would be in the know if anyone is.  He wouldn't just go around willy nilly making statements if they weren't true (or at least he was lead to beleive they are true).  Unless someone lied to the BE director of football ops.

[Joe]

Why is Carparelli, Associate BE commish for football operations stating 1) ND is playing all BE schools, and 2) USF is in negotiations with ND.  He would be in the know if anyone is.  He wouldn't just go around willy nilly making statements if they weren't true (or at least he was lead to beleive they are true).  Unless someone lied to the BE director of football ops.

No, read it again, it's the writer making the ND is playing all BE schools statement. Carparelli stated they are talking to 4 teams and have Pitt signed

[BullsFanInTX]

Why is Carparelli, Associate BE commish for football operations stating 1) ND is playing all BE schools, and 2) USF is in negotiations with ND.  He would be in the know if anyone is.  He wouldn't just go around willy nilly making statements if they weren't true (or at least he was lead to beleive they are true).  Unless someone lied to the BE director of football ops.

No, read it again, it's the writer making the ND is playing all BE schools statement. Carparelli stated they are talking to 4 teams and have Pitt signed

Read it again Joe.  There are "quotations marks" around the statement about USF in negotiations with ND.  This is a direct quote of Carparelli.

"Other than Pitt (future series), there's nothing set," Carparelli said. "Notre Dame is talking with Rutgers, UConn, Cincinnati and USF right now."

Quotation marks around all of the above, the statement about Pitt, and the talks with RU, UCONN, Cincy and USF.

EDIT:  Joe, I see your point about the writer stating ND is playing all teams, but that Carparelli just states they are in talks with teams.

[Joe]

I believe the report that USF and ND have talked. ND wants to play games in FL in 2011, 2012 (Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville have all apparently talked to them)

[Jamie]

I would personally be willing to play the game in Fallujah if it means USF plays Notre Dame in football.

[Guest]

To be sure, this is good news... Any chance to play a team with the history and tradition and national respect of Notre Dame -- I'm with Jamie, I don't know if I care where the game is played.

I just won't hold my breath that it will be in Tampa...

Look at a couple of things... 3 games in 6 years is 18 games... According to NationalChamps.net 11 of those games are against Pitt and Rutgers... (Rutgers every year, Pitt from 2011-2015)...

So the remaining 6 Big East teams will get the 7 games... or barely 1 each.

The 2012 Rugers game is already set for E. Rutherford... if the 2013 NJ game will be U Conn... that means 4 of the 6 other games still to be scheduled could be at Giant's stadium... (unless ND asks Rutgers and/or Pittsburgh to play there)...

So, I am willing to predict that any USF game against Notre Dame is not going to be played at Raymond James stadium... a renovated Citrus Bowl or Alltell Stadium might be the closest we can expect... or we could be looking at a trip to South Bend.

But that will still be a signal that USF is arriving on the national stage.

[crambone]

This would be an AWESOME game.