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 confereces 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 Athletics Directors at Georgetown, Providence, St. Johns and Syracuse met to discuss the regulations.
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 lead 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. There was talk of possibly having an additional football only school, but that would be considered later.
Since the birth of "The Big East Football Conference," Miami has been champion or co-champion eight times, West Virginia five, Syracuse four, Virginia Tech three and Pittsburgh, Louisville, Connecticut and Cincinnati once.
| Back to USF Bulls Main Menu |
| Back to Home Page |