May 20
What is my reaction to Mike Tranghese's strong statements at his Monday press conference, where he shared his views on the possibility of Miami, Boston College and Syracuse moving to the ACC? Having known Mike for many years, all I had to do was listen to his words and watch his face to see that he is hurting.

	The ACC is hoping to land a big fish in Larry Coker and his Miami football team.

Why is he hurt? Because he has been with the Big East since its infancy. The conference is his baby and he has been there since Day One, when Dave Gavitt had the vision to create a conference that became a mega-power in the world of college basketball.

You could feel the pain in Tranghese's voice as he talked about how the loss of Miami would cause a nightmare and be an incredible hit for college athletics on the east coast. All indications are that Miami is gone, and there's no doubt that Boston College and Syracuse are close behind.

What has happened to loyalty, my friends? What has happened to living up to one's word? Miami president Donna Shalala told the rest of the Big East 18 months ago that the Hurricanes were in there to stay, but oh how some cash can change someone's feelings.

It would be a disaster for the Big East to lost those three teams, but my gut feeling is that somehow, some way, the conference will survive. Especially in the world of basketball, considering the presence of schools like Villanova, Providence, Georgetown and Notre Dame among the survivors.

Those remaining teams could put together an outstanding basketball league, but the question is what will happen to the football future of the Big East. Some reports have the five remaining football programs going after schools like Cincinnati, Memphis and Louisville, and they would be able to survive even without a team like Miami in the mix.

If those three teams bolt I see two different options. The Big East would become a football-only conference with eight schools, and then a basketball conference would form that would be dominated by the big-name Catholic schools. But they would have to raid the Atlantic 10 and other leagues, and the raiding would continue to occur on an incredible scale.

The classic Big East matchups would also be gone, as would the incredible games we see every year at Madison Square Garden in the Big East tournament. What a sad situation that would be.

Leagues have expanded in the past, but never to this extent. And I ask this question: What about the ramifications involved in terms of travel for the non-revenue sports? Does anyone care about the kids who would have to make the trek from Syracuse to Clemson? And does anyone give a damn about academic integrity?

Everyone talks about graduating players, but as we all know the bottom line is about piles of money. The more George Washingtons there are to be had, the more interested people are in moving on to where the cash is.

Yes, loyalty has been thrown out the window, my friends. As Tranghese said, no one wanted Miami when the Big East took the Hurricanes in, but the ACC is looking at that bundle of cash. Let's just hope that his comments can make them feel a little guilty about leaving their buddies and bolting to the ACC.