Those out there keeping up with the conference carousal withinthe NCAA know the situation with the ACC and Big East changes fromday to day.
Virginia Tech, following the University of Miami's lead, haschosen to leave the Big East Conference to join the Atlantic CoastConference a couple of months ago, but that only began thespinning.
So far the Big East has yet to decide on replacement members butthe general consensus in the sports world and the ever-expandingInternet information world is the University of Louisville and theUniversity of Cincinnati, both from Conference-USA, are the twofront-runners.
The University of Memphis has rarely been mentioned outside ofthe Memphis area, but after a convincing win Saturday againstSoutheastern Conference opponent Ole Miss in front of a nationallytelevised audience, some believe the Big East will have a tougherdecision.
The general consensus among Big East and Memphis supportersalike is that the Big East is looking for schools that bringstrength and tradition to the two big sports, that being men'sbasketball and football. Cincinnati and Louisville haveconsistently put good basketball teams on the floor and both havehad successful football teams in the past decade.
Combining a winning tradition in both sports is what seems to behurting most schools such as South Florida, East Carolina, CentralFlorida and Memphis. None of these programs have put together agood season in both sports in a long time.
So far the Big East hasn't made a commitment to anyreplacement.
Mark Crihfield is a past president of the Highland Hundred, agroup that backs Memphis football, and said it could be a goodthing the Big East hasn't made a decision.
"I don't think that the Big East knows what they want to doyet," Crihfield said. "But I also think that any delay is a benefitto us."
Crihfield also said that if the Big East is watching and waitingto see what happens this football season it could turn some headsand improve Memphis' chances for an invitation if the teamcontinues to win.
"If we follow through and go to a bowl then all of a sudden, weare a bowl team," Crihfield said. "The people in charge will lookat it and possibly say, 'here's a program that has turned acorner.'"
Most people might not agree that the win Saturday over Ole Missgreatly helped the Tiger's chances for the Big East, but all wouldhave to agree it didn't hurt a bit.
Stay tuned -- the carousal might be getting ready to come backaround.
