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TCU AND THE BIG EAST:
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Rob Harrington
robharrington@prepstars.com
January 5, 2011

The news broke a few weeks ago that Texas Christian would be joining the Big East conference for the 2012-13 season. While the move won’t be consummated for another couple seasons and the primary reason for the invitation was based on football — TCU gets automatic BCS consideration as a member of a major conference, and the Big East gets an emerging football power — there are obvious basketball ramifications as well.

The already-massive Big East grows yet again, taking a school not known for its hoops tradition. Nor are the Horned Frogs a geographical fit, though the reality is that few conferences are as concerned with those boundaries in today’s era.

The upshot for both TCU and the Big East is that the state of Texas so consistently produces outstanding talent. Even if the Horned Frogs aren’t yet a legitimate Big East-level club, their upcoming conference affiliation will enable them to make a much more compelling sales pitch on the recruiting trail.

Clearly, there’s going to be a transition period and inevitable growing pains as TCU moves into entirely different territory against the highest level of competition. The Horned Frogs obviously will need to recruit well within the home state, but they’ll also need to shift eastward in their complementary recruiting efforts. Already, we’ve observed Colorado — which is moving from the Big 12 to the Pac-10 — begin focusing more heavily on the West Coast.

Looking at the bigger picture, TCU’s move further aggregates the nation’s athletic programs. There are obvious downsides of that for fans — fewer games against traditional rivals, more games played at distant venues — but the enticement of football revenue makes basketball concerns secondary from a financial perspective. Of course, no one will remember any of that if TCU can improve and begin challenging for NCAA Tournament berths.