The Big East needs to find some football teams.
Fast.
TCU is officially headed to the Big 12, leaving the Big East with six football programs once Pittsburgh and Syracuse depart for the ACC.
“Although never having competed as a member of the Big East Conference, we are disappointed with the news that TCU is joining the Big 12,” Big East Commissioner John Marinatto said in a statement. Earlier Monday, the Big East announced that “our Presidents and Chancellors authorized the Big East Conference to engage in formal discussions with additional institutions and are considering moving to a model that includes 12 football playing schools.” As has been widely reported, Army, Navy, Air Force, Temple, East Carolina and Central Florida are among the schools under consideration. Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino told SNY.tv he’s in favor of adding Temple to enhance both football and basketball, while Notre Dame coach Mike Brey told SNY.tv he likes Temple, Memphis and Houston because of their rich basketball traditions. Meantime, if Missouri leaves the Big 12 for the SEC, Louisville itself could end up in the Big 12 down the road, perhaps along with Cincinnati and/or West Virginia. And Brey confessed to SNY.tv he could imagine the Irish in a number of conferences, including the ACC. TCU will join Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech in the now-10-team Big 12. “Joining the Big 12 connects us not only to schools with whom we share a rich tradition in sports, but also to schools committed to academic excellence,” TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. said. “Over the past six years, TCU has seen unprecedented success in academics and athletics.