History of the Big East Conference
(November 4, 2003)

The Big East Conference announced today that it has extended invitations to several Conference USA schools to join the league. Five C-USA schools, including the University of South Florida, could be playing in the Big East by the 2005 season. As the USF Bulls look to jump up in conference affiliation, lets take a look at the history of the Big East Conference.

If it was not for new NCAA rules regarding the scheduling of men's basketball, requirements that made it difficult for schools to operate as independents, the Big East Conference may have never been formed. In the Spring of 1978, the Athletics Directors at Georgetown, Providence, St. Johns and Syracuse met to discuss the regulations. 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.

The formation of the Big East Conference was announced on May 31, 1979. Joining Georgetown, Providence, St. Johns and Syracuse were Boston College, Connecticut and Seton Hall. The original seven members began play in the 1979- 80 season. Villanova became the eighth member a year later.

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 re- alignment. 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 the 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.

Miami has been the class of Big East football and has lost just ten conference games. The schools did not play a full conference schedule the first two years, 1991 and 1992, and awarded the conference title to the highest ranked team. Through 2002, Miami has won as many conference titles as the other teams combined. Miami has won six conference titles, Virginia Tech three, Syracuse one and West Virginia once.

While the Big East prepared to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 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 after 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 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.

Much has been written leading up to, and more will be written after, today's announcement. It was big step for USF, especially for a young Bulls football program.