MORGANTOWN -
For the first time since Pitt and Syracuse announced they
were leaving the Big East, the conference appears to be ready to add some new
blood.
ESPN is reporting the Big East is prepared to announce the
additions of Boise State and San Diego State as football-only members. It will
also add Houston, SMU and UCF as full members.
The report also indicates the Big East is still hoping to
add Army and Navy; however, there remain some unresolved issues prior to any
addition involving those two service academies.
These additions come on the heels of losing four schools
including West Virginia, Pitt, Syracuse and TCU.
It is uncertain how these additions would affect West
Virginia. WVU is looking to begin its membership in the Big 12 in July. The
school is suing the Big East to release it from the 27-month waiting period to
leave as stipulated by the Big East's bylaws. The Big East is suing WVU to
remain in the conference through the 27-month waiting period.
The Big East appears ready to add these five schools
beginning in 2013.
The Big East is clearly prepared to change its brand. The
conference previously stretched as far west as Louisville. Now it will head
into the Pacific Time Zone and touch all four time zones in the continental
United States. Its goal appears to be a 12-team conference featuring both
eastern and western divisions.
The move will help make the league a little more stable;
however, it does not guarantee the Big East will remain a BCS automatic
qualifying conference.
That will not be of concern to West Virginia University. WVU
feels pretty comfortable it will be playing in a BCS automatic qualifying
conference when it begins competing in the Big 12.
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