When it comes to the expansion issue and Notre Dame, all the focus has been on the Irish either giving up their football independence and joining the Big Ten, or remaining both a football independent and a Big East conference member in all other sports.
Now, however, there seems to be a groundswell amongst Big East football coaches that the Domers need to either spit or get off the pot.
According to something called the Norwich Bulletin by way of the Chicago Tribune, UConn head coach Randy Edsall spoke Wednesday at a luncheon meeting for the Northeastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. As part of the luncheon, Edsall took part in a Q&A with the audience and was asked about the Big East delivering an ultimatum to Notre Dame -- either get all in or all out of the conference.
Edsall’s response, as written by Marc Allard of the Bulletin, will certainly ratchet up the expansion rhetoric and indicates that the Big East won’t allow the Big Ten to be the only league to rattle their verbal sabers in a very public manner:
”...Edsall said the football coaches have been asking the conference to deliver an ultimatum to Notre Dame to come into the conference for football or get out entirely for the last two years. He added that, if as speculated, two teams leave for the Big Ten, “the Big East is all done.”
Edsall then addressed the media regarding the ultimatum issue, and went a step further by intimating that it’s something already up for discussion by his league’s higher-ups.
“I think that’s something the powers that be are discussing in terms of the strategies that they’re looking at to be proactive rather than reactive,” Edsall said.
Of course, if the Big Ten does indeed raid the Big East as rumored, all of this would likely be a moot point because, as Edsall so eloquently stated, “the Big East [would be] all done.” Still, though, it’s interesting that a Big East football coach would be so vocal about forcing Notre Dame into making a commitment.
Or getting the hell out entirely.
I think I now rather enjoy this Coach Edsall...