Tulane, ECU to Big East

[PraetorianND]

Tulane, ECU to Join Big East in '14, Leaving C-USA - ABC News

The Big East moved quickly to replace Rutgers and braced for more possible departures, getting Tulane and East Carolina to agree to join the re-invented conference in 2014.

"I would go as far to say as this is a historic day for Tulane University ... the Big East is coming to the Big Easy," school President Scott Cowen said Tuesday.

Tulane, in New Orleans, and East Carolina, in Greenville, N.C., will make it six Conference USA schools to join the Big East in the last two years.

Rutgers announced one week ago that it would leave the Big East for the Big Ten. Cowen and athletic director Rick Dickson said serious talks with the Big East began about a week ago.

"This is an unprecedented opportunity to join a national conference," Dickson said.

Rutgers would like to join the Big Ten by 2014, along with Maryland, but the Scarlet Knights have left their departure date from the Big East ambiguous. Conference bylaws require members to give the league notification of two years and three months before departing, but the Big East has negotiated early exits for Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia in the past year.

West Virginia joined the Big 12 this year. Syracuse and Pitt will begin play in the Atlantic Coast Conference in September.

With Maryland leaving the ACC, there has been strong speculation that Connecticut or Louisville will be the next to leave the Big East as the Terps' replacement.

 

[mgriff]

I love me some Pirates.

 

[greyhammer90]

lol @ tulane going to a bcs conference.

 

[PraetorianND]

Does anyone even know what teams are/will be in the Big East?

 

[zbikowski88]

Tulane and East Carolina expected to join the Big East in 2014 which would have boise, cincy, uconn, houston, louisville, memphis, rutgers, san diego state, smu, temple, ucf, usf, ecu, and tulane.

 

[Irish YJ]

If they want to poach teir 2 schools, go to the MAC and poach GOOD teir 2 schools.

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

lol @ tulane going to a bcs conference.

Is the Big East even a BCS conference anymore? This is the last year they are guaranteed a spot, correct?

 

[Sherm Sticky]

no no...no Rutgers and hopefully no UCONN. What a dump.

 

[Buster Bluth]

Is the Big East even a BCS conference anymore? This is the last year they are guaranteed a spot, correct?

Only Temple played in the Big East ten years ago, and they were kicked out for being too bad only to be brought back in!

The Big East should seriously lose its BCS spot.

 

[Rhode Irish]

LOLBIGEAST

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

It already has lost its BCS spot. No autobid when the playoffs start. It'll just be the best of the 5 mid-majors.

 

[yankeehater]

Today on a local radio show, the San Diego State AD said that ESPN definitely has played a role in the decision process for conference realignment. Not sure why ESPN thinks the nation is clamoring for a SD State, East Carolina and Tulane annual matchup.

He also said the Big Ten Network was dying to get into the NY market and that is why they accepted Rutgers.