Big East Conference History
Big East Conference History
If it was not for new NCAA rules, requirements that made it difficult for schools to operate as independents, the Big East Conference may have never been formed. The NCAA was instituting new rules regarding the scheduling of men's basketball and putting more weight on conference champions making the championship tournament. Since the NCAA now could actually exercise the authority over who schools scheduled, it was felt that being a member of a conference was a better alternative. New conferences began forming and it was during this time that USF became a founding member of the Sun Belt Conference. In the Spring of 1978, the Athletic Directors at Georgetown, Providence, St. Johns and Syracuse met to discuss the regulations.
Several other schools were considered for membership in the new conference, including Boston University and the University of Massachusetts, but the official offers went to Boston College, Holy Cross and Rutgers. Rutgers decided to stay in the Atlantic 8, so Seton Hall was added. Holy Cross also declined and Connecticut took that spot. The formation of the Big East Conference was announced on May 31, 1979 and the seven member conference began play with the 1979-80 season. For the league's second season, Temple and St. Josephs were also under consideration, but Villanova agreed to became the eighth member.
While basketball was the reason for creating the Big East Conference, football was the impetus for all future changes in conference membership. After just a couple of years, the football issue threaten the existence of the new conference. It had been talked about for years and Penn State was leading a new effort to put together a conference comprised of the top Division I-A independent football schools in the east. Since the football playing members would have felt compelled to join the new conference, that could have led to the demise of the Big East. Expansion was the answer and the Big East choose Pittsburgh over Penn State. Since Pittsburgh did not want to align with rival Penn State, the idea for a new conference fell by the wayside and the Big East would survive. Pittsburgh began play as the ninth member for the 1982-83 season.
During the 1980s the Big East was a basketball power and the football schools, Boston College, Pittsburgh and Syracuse, played as Division I-A independents. As the 1990s approached, athletic conferences began a period of substantial realignment. With bowl bids, and ultimately dollars, tied to conference affiliation, it was increasingly difficult for football teams to maintain an independent status. With other conferences looking for new members, the hand of the Big East was forced again.
There was a proposal submitted to the Atlantic Coast Conference for Boston College, Pittsburgh and Syracuse to join as football only members, however, the ACC rejected that idea. Expansion was the only alternative and the league considered Penn State, but they decided to join the Big Ten. Florida State and Miami were heavily courted before FSU joined the ACC.
In 1990, Miami was admitted as the tenth member of the Big East and the Hurricanes began play in 1991-92 season. "The Big East Football Conference" added Temple, Rutgers, Virginia Tech and West Virginia as football only members. Temple, Rutgers and West Virginia remained in the Atlantic 8 for all other sports, as did Virginia Tech in the Metro Conference. The eight team league began formal play in 1991, however, there was not a full conference schedule until two years later. Miami won the national championship in 1991.
A couple years after the formation of "The Big East Football Conference,"
television contracts would drive more changes. CBS wanted to get back into
broadcasting college football and offered a lucrative amount for the rights to
Big East football and basketball. A split developed between the football only
and the full members and it took plenty of haggling within the conference to
resolve the issues. Eventually, Rutgers and West Virginia were added as the
eleventh and twelfth full members. Temple and Virginia Tech would remain
football only members.
One of the conditions for expansion was that if Connecticut and/or Villanova moved their football programs up to the Division I-A level, they would be invited to participate in football. There was also an agreement that a thirteen member could be added for all sports expect football. In June 1994, Notre Dame officially became that thirteenth member for the 1995-96 season. In order to provide more balance, Virginia Tech was added as the fourteenth full member for the 2000-2001 season. Miami won the national football championship in 2001.
The Big East voted out Temple, the lone remaining football only member, effective after the 2001 season. That plan was later revised to allow Temple to stay until 2004 and be replaced by Connecticut in 2005.
While the Big East prepared to celebrate its 25th anniversary, the 2003-04
season, there were substantial defections from the conference. In May 2003,
the ACC announced expansion plans and speculation centered around Boston
College, Miami and Syracuse. The next month, Miami and Virginia Tech agreed to
join the ACC for the 2004 season. In October, Boston College became the
twelfth member of the ACC and was scheduled leave the Big East for the 2005
season.
The first thing the Big East did to counter the loses was to move up the
time frame for Connecticut to join the football conference to the 2004 season.
Expansion was the next step and the league looked to Conference USA.
On November 4, 2003, South Florida, Cincinnati and Louisville were invited as full members. DePaul and Marquette were added for all sports expect football. Beginning in 2005, the Big East would have sixteen members. There would be an eight team football conference with USF, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse and West Virginia. Playing in all sports except football would be DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova.
With eight football members creating an unbalanced schedule, there was always talk of further expansion or possibly having an additional football only school. It would take a few years, but the Big East decided to expand again. On November 2, 2010, the conference announced it was going to increase its membership to allow for ten FBS football teams. Speculation surrounded many schools, including Villanova who was thinking of upgrading its program from the FCS level. The talk centered around the usual teams, mostly C-USA schools such as Central Florida, Memphis and East Carolina. There were also rumors that TCU was the leading candidate. On November 29, 2010, Texas Christian University officially accepted an invitation to join the Big East. TCU was to join as a member in all sports in time for the 2012 football season.
Conference craziness came around again and there were all kinds of rumors that 16-team conferences were going to become the new norm. On September 18, 2011, it was formally announced that applications for ACC membership by Pittsburg and Syracuse had been accepted. There were rumors of additional defections and that programs like Navy and Air Force were being considered for Big East membership. In early October, TCU announced it would join the Big 12 Conference instead of the planned moved to the Big East. By the end of October, West Virginia would also join the Big 12. With the defections of Pittsburg, Syracuse, TCU and West Virginia, the Big East was down to five football playing members. Throughout the process, the conference said it planned to expand to twelve football teams and continued to court schools for expansion. The league looked at Boise State, Air Force and Navy, as football only members; with thought maybe Air Force and Navy could convince Army to join as well. Considered for full membership were Central Florida, Houston and Southern Methodist. Brigham Young was mentioned as football only possibility.
On December 7, 2011, the Big East announced five new members with the plan for them to begin conference play in 2013. Central Florida, Houston and Southern Methodist were added as full members, while Boise State and San Diego State would join as football only members. Judy Genshaft, USF President and Chair of the Conference Board of Directors commented, “Over its history, the Big East has changed and adapted as needed to maintain its place and leadership in the world of college athletics. And it has always done so with great respect and reverence for its heritage and legacy.”
League commissioner John Marinatto said of the westward expansion, “This expansion clearly moves the Conference far beyond its origins in the Northeast. With these five new members, the Conference will continue to have the single largest media footprint in college football, spanning literally from coast to coast and all the major regions in between. In effect, the Big East will be the first truly national college football conference. Four different time zones will also allow the Conference and its television partner the potential to schedule four games on a given Saturday back-to-back-to-back-to-back without any overlap. It is a powerful model and one that will be unmatched by any other conference.”
The Big East would have ten football playing members and still planned to get to twelve teams. The service academy teams were losing interest and BYU would not give up a lucrative television contract. Schools like East Carolina, Memphis and Temple were bantered about. Fresno State was mentioned as a possible west coast team.
Since the birth of "The Big East Football Conference," Miami has been champion or co-champion eight times, West Virginia seven, Syracuse four, Virginia Tech and Cincinnati three, and Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Louisville twice.
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