Big East looking at further expansion?
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Anyone for the “Really Big East?” It appears the Providence-based Big East Conference is not finished with expansion.
Several sources are reporting Temple University is now poised to become an all-sports addition to the league, eight years after the football program was kicked out of the conference for non-compliance.
With West Virginia’s departure for the Big XII set to take place as of June 30th of this year, that leaves a gaping hole in the football schedules for the remaining seven conference members. Enter Temple, which has long been rumored (and reported here on GoLocalProv) to be a favorite of league officials and member schools for potential inclusion into the league.
Boise State, which is still set to enter the Big East for football only in 2013, attempted to make a move one year earlier than expected in order to fill the gap left by WVU’s departure. However, school President Rob Kustra issued a statement Wednesday saying an early entry just wouldn’t work. "While there certainly would have been advantages in making the move a year early, it became clear that it would not be fiscally responsible, as all of the expenses associated with early entry into the two conferences (also moving other sports to the WAC) would not be covered." Boise State, according to Kustra, will remain a member of the Mountain West for 2012-13, and join the Big East next year as originally planned.
Temple was one of the original eight football members when Big East football was formed in 1991, but was expelled from the league after the 2004 season for not being competitive, as well as not meeting certain financial requirements for membership. However, the Owls’ program has been rebuilt under the direction of Al Golden (now at Miami) and current head coach Steve Addazio, posting a 26-12 record the last three seasons. The Owls won the New Mexico Bowl this past season over Wyoming 37-15, just the second bowl win in program history.
Basketball-wise, the move makes tremendous sense for a league that has to replace Pittsburgh and Syracuse when those schools leave for the ACC. With a long, rich history of success in a basketball-centric (i.e. large) market like Philadelphia, Temple brings cache, fan interest and TV homes into a league built on such criteria. The Owls should also enable a rivalry with cross-town foe Villanova to flourish.
With Temple being added, membership would include eight football members and 16 basketball members in 2012. For 2013, the football membership would grow to 14 with the addition of Boise State, SMU, Central Florida, Houston, Memphis and San Diego State. Yet, if Pittsburgh and Syracuse were allowed to leave a year early to the ACC (as has been rumored), the league would then have 12 football members.
In 2014, the football membership will be 12 (after Pittsburgh and Syracuse leave) but it will grow to 13 in 2015 with the addition of Navy. There is further speculation that Temple's addition may be a pre-emptive strike to a possible Louisville move to the Big XII, should that league decide to add an 11th school.
An official announcement from the Big East could come as early as next week. There has been no word – yet – from the Atlantic 10 Conference, where Temple has been a long time member in all sports, except for football.
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