Big East dealt another crippling blow

The college realignment merry-go-round is spinning so fast now that TCU officials Thursday acknowledged holding discussions about accepting an invitation to join the Big 12 for the 2012-13 academic year when it was supposed to join the Big East.

"These discussions with the Big 12 have huge implications for TCU," TCU chancellor Victor Boschini said in a statement. "It will allow us to return to old rivalries, something our fans and others have been advocating for many years. As always, we must consider what's best for TCU and our student-athletes in this ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics. We look forward to continuing these discussions with the Big 12.''

Just four days earlier at a meeting in Washington, Big East commissioner John Marinatto said Boschini was "very positive'' about joining. The commissioner said Boschini told him TCU was "committed. He told us over and over how much he wants this conference to move forward. There was no wavering at all from him.''

Now the Horned Frogs are "wavering'' goodbye, and the league's troubles don't stop there. The Big 12 reportedly also is targeting Big East members West Virginia and Louisville. Slightly less than three weeks ago, Pitt and Syracuse announced their decisions to leave the Big East for the ACC.

The loss of TCU leaves the Big East with six BCS football-playing members. The only reason the conference still meets the minimum of seven teams to qualify as a BCS conference is that Pitt and Syracuse can't leave for another two seasons because the Big East requires 27 months' notice and a $5-million payment to leave. TCU is subject only to the $5 million because it never was an active Big East participant.

Marinatto was authorized by league presidents at Sunday's meeting to "aggressively pursue'' expansion. Candidates on the Big East's radar include Navy and Air Force as football-only members and Central Florida, Temple and East Carolina as members in all sports. But if West Virginia and Louisville opt to join the exodus, it likely would be a death blow to the Big East as a football conference.