TCU move leaves Big East floundering

This conference realignment stuff is blowing up my inbox with CFAA blasts. The most recent to come in, by Eric Crawford for the Louisville Courier Journal, describes the perils associated with TCU’s exit from the Big East.

 

TCU planned to start Big East play next season, yet was offered a spot in the Big 12. Considering that the Big East is floundering, TCU’s switch isn’t irrational. Technically, they are contractually bound unless they pay a $5 million exit fee and give 27 month notification. There may be a loophole here, though, because there is a dispute over whether that was assuming the conference otherwise stayed intact.

 

TCU’s move will put the Big East on life support. It already was in danger of losing a TV contract next season, and currently has seven football playing members. The Big 12 needed a team that would be able to start conference play next season to get their number back up to 10.

 

Again, I am a bit lost, but only because I can’t and don’t keep up with the realignment move for move. Because of that, I can understand what is going on between the Big East and Big 12 in a vacuum, but I don’t fully understand the repercussions of these moves. However, I’m not about to demand that every article about realignment give a full explanation of one move’s effects on all the other schools and conferences. It’s just complex.