Jovenitti: Ten teams the Big East should add for football

Let’s talk about Big East football. But you have to stop laughing first.

Yeah, we all know… Let’s talk about Big East football. But you have to stop laughing first.

Yeah, we all know the Big East is awful. Through the non-conference part of the season, teams in the conference stumbled to a pathetic 23-15 record. Changes are clearly needed. So, for my top 10 this week, I give you teams the Big East should add in football.

For this list, let’s not worry about meaningless hurdles such as contractual obligations, geography or the fact that there are 16 basketball schools — seriously, just kick DePaul out, nobody would care. This list is purely wishful thinking.

10. Appalachian State. Let’s face it. There aren’t many Football Bowl Subdivision teams that would be willing to join the “Big Least,” so the conference is going to have to look elsewhere. Appalachian State is a great place to start. It has one of the most consistent programs in the Football Championship Subdivision. But the Big East already has one team called the Mountaineers, and even that is a little much.

9. Buffalo. A lot of Big East teams have developed a mini-rivalry with the Bulls, including Pitt. Yeah, Buffalo might never win in those mini-rivalries, but it’s a good foundation. The geography works, too. It is already in the FBS and it has a big enough stadium. Add to that the fact that Buffalo is an untapped college football market. Western New York has no major football teams, and it could probably tap into the Canadian market as well. Buffalo could build a quality program if it joined the Big East.

8. East Carolina. East Carolina has built a nice program and has a decent fan base. Two years ago, the Pirates pulled off two stunners in a row by defeating No. 17 Virginia Tech and No. 8 West Virginia. Therefore, it wouldn’t be difficult to develop a rivalry between West Virginia and East Carolina. And the Big East could use a team called the Pirates.

7. Delaware. Like Appalachian State, Delaware has become an FCS powerhouse. The Blue Hens are currently ranked No. 2 behind the Mountaineers. Delaware would fit in geographically, and it is the only team in the state of Delaware, so the fans would be even more dedicated if the Blue Hens joined the FBS.

6. Temple. Yes, the Owls have been a laughing stock over the past few years — please hold back the “then they would fit in with the Big East” jokes. But this year, Temple is actually having a good season. The Owls are 4-2. They defeated Connecticut and gave Penn State a run for its money. Philadelphia, much like Buffalo, is also an untapped BCS football market.

5. Villanova. The Big East actually gave Villanova an invitation into the conference in football. There are a lot of details that need to be worked out, but the Wildcats would be a nice addition to the conference. As a Big East basketball school, it already has a rivalry with most teams in the conference. And Pitt would finally have an intrastate rival again.

4. A BCS-buster. This is preposterous in terms of geography, but nobody can deny how much of a boost the Big East would get if it somehow added Boise State or TCU. I would include Utah, but the PAC-10 already stole the Utes.

3. Hawaii. The Warriors have had a few good seasons, but they wouldn’t really add much to the Big East in terms of football, and the travel distance would be a huge problem. So why is Hawaii No. 3 on my list? Because I’m sure Big East fans would love to travel to Hawaii every other year.

2. Notre Dame. The Pitt-Notre Dame rivalry started in 1909. If Notre Dame joins the Big Ten — or the Big However-many-they-have-now — that rivalry would be threatened, because the Fighting Irish would only have four non-conference games. And the Irish would never give up their games against USC and Navy. The Big Ten already stole Pitt’s best rivalry. Let’s not let it happen again.

1. Army and/or Navy. This is at the top of the list because it might actually be possible. Army and Navy might not be interested in joining a conference, but if they are, the Big East would be a great fit. Pitt and Navy have developed a bit of a rivalry. And Army and Syracuse would be a nice New York rivalry: I’m thinking an annual game at Yankee Stadium. The Black Knights and the Midshipmen are already in the FCS and they have a lot of history. Plus, it’s always special playing the service academies.

Again, all of these additions — with the exception of Villanova — would require a shakeup in basketball, because having 16 teams is already too many. Any more would be ridiculous.

How about we turn the 2010-11 basketball season into a Survivor Season? The two last place teams are eliminated, and Army and Navy get to take their places. That would make games against DePaul and Seton Hall a lot more interesting.