Skip Holtz - New ECU Head Football Coach

[TripleB]

WIXT Nine News in Syracuse, New York, is reporting that East Carolina University has been invited to join the Big East Conference as a football-only constituent institution.

Just glancing at Boneyard Banter, it appears the rumor is BE for football and A10 for rest ...........

Appears to just be a rumor at present. Nothing on that station's site about it ..........

http://www.wixt.com/sports/cfootm/

[USFFan]

Regarding the conference situation pertaining to ECU, there is speculative hearsay permeating throughout the World Wide Web that East Carolina University is preparing to join the Big East Conference on an all-sports basis.

As opposed to the non-speculative hearsay?

Specifically, prior to the ECU/NCSU intercollegiate football game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, Mr. Terry Holland (ECU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics) reportedly received a telephone call from Big East Conference Commissioner Michael Tranghese.

Do ECU and NCSU ever play intracollegiate football games?  

While the nature of the aforementioned telephone call was to provide glowing references on Skip Holtz's candidacy for the head coaching vacancy at ECU, the contextual nature of the discussion evolved into a conference expansion-related issue.

According to PirateRadio1250.Com, Talk1070.Com and the Bonesville.Net online news service, the invitation to join the Big East Conference will be extended to East Carolina University within the imminent future. In particular, WNCT Channel Nine's Brian Bailey, Sports Director for Greenville's local CBS News affiliate network, confirmed the reports to which I am referring.

As one might recall, ECU was a possible consideration as a charter institution of the Big East Conference when the conference's constituent institutions opted to select the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University over ECU at the Conference's inception.

No, I don't recall that ECU was a possible consideration (as opposed to just a consideration) as a charter institution of the Big East Conference, as the Big East Conference  existed long before they "opted to select" either Virginia Tech or ECU.  For that matter, the University of Miami was not a "charter member" of the Big East, either.  

Moreover, there is a keen, albeit remote, possibility that the University of Notre Dame will join the Big East Conference on a football-exclusive basis as well.

You are aware, aren't you, that Notre Dame is already a member of the Big East for all other sports.  Are you proposing that Notre Dame's other sports are going to be kicked out of the Big East?  

Step away from the thesaurus, Jeffrey, and try to speak within your actual vocabulary, and you won't look like such a fool.  

USFFan

[Guest Hail Pitt]

Actually, ECU was only two votes away from joining the Big East when VT was selected at first as a football only member, around 1995 I believe.  Word is going around that we will have to get a 9th member due to scheduling purposes and some 'bowl' individuals have issues about some of our teams putting fans in the seats at bowl games.  If you look at some of the numbers, the only teams that are really selling tickets are WVU and us (Pitt).  That would leave me to believe that the 9th member would be either Army, Navy, or ECU since all three travel well and with ECU bringing at least and if not over 25,000 for their 7 bowl games during the 90s/2000s.  

[smazza]

ecu is a sub par program that would add nothing in any sport

plus they are from the   acc country

[JeffreyBEllis]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts regarding my personal character traits, USFFan.

You are correct, in that, ECU and USF have never played an "INTRAcollegiate" football contest. On the contrary, ECU and USF have played a total of three "INTERcollegiate" football contests. There is a distinct yet subtle disparity between the labeling of "intracollegiate" and "intercollegiate" terminologies, USFFan.  

Nevertheless, I do not purport to utilize literary aids as a means by which to compose my message forum postings. However, perhaps you should consider such measures.

Regarding the reports that WIXT in Syracuse, New York, has not published the "ECU To BE" rumors on its own website, "TripleB" is correct. Rather than publish the information on its own website, Syracuse's WIXT-TV disseminated the information via television.

Ultimately, ECU may become a football-exclusive member of the Big East Conference and join the Atlantic Ten Conference for every other intercollegiate athletic program sponsored by the University. I am neither an athletic administrator nor am I am administrator of either conference entity.

Moreover, I am quite cognizant of the notion that the University of Notre Dame belongs to the Big East Conference in every sport with the exception of intercollegiate football competition, just as I am cognizant of ND's Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Ken White, and his commentary pertaining to USF in the South Bend Tribune in which he had publicly stated that he did not desire for the Fighting Irish intercollegiate football program to join the Big East Conference with South Florida as a fellow constituent institution.  

Again, please allow me to reiterate that I am a fan of USF and ECU, respectively. If an institution opposes the inclusion of either USF or ECU, then I will oppose the antagonistic institution in question.

Notwithstanding, please allow me to reiterate the sentiment that I did not desire to seek personal attacks and instigate a confrontation on TheBullsPen.Com message forum. Traditionally, I have enjoyed exchanging ideas with USF Web-based participants, particularly since I'm an alumnus of USF and ECU, respectively.

On a lighter note, I hope that USF is able to remain competitive with Pittsburgh at Raymond James Stadium today. I will view the national telecast intently.

Go Bulls & Pirates!