John Marinatto and Paul Tagliabue don't appear to be sitting still. Tagliabue, a consultant to the Big East, says plans for a Big East network are being discussed.
This doesn't surprise me, as I think that eventually, all major conferences will have their own networks. There's simply too much money to be made, as the Big Ten has proven. Just because the Big Ten struck first doesn't mean that other conferences can't follow suit. While it may be difficult to entice cable providers to pick up the network, the Big East has one thing in its favor - incredible markets.
The Big East has teams in Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Washington D.C., Tampa, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Louisville. That's a pretty good start and by my account, better markets than the Big Ten currently has. As the article points out, Big East teams are currently in seven of the top twelve markets in the country.
A Big East network might not immediately reach the $22 million payout that the Big Ten does. But even half of that would go a long way in helping the conference teams match up better financially with those of the Big Ten.