Big East unanimously votes to add six schools

PHILADELPHIA -- In the world of big-time college football, where the only governing principle is survival of the fittest, the Big East Conference moved decisively Tuesday to ensure its future as a BCS conference by voting to issue invitations to an unspecified number of schools to compensate for the recent defections of Syracuse, Pitt and West Virginia to other conferences.

"We're not getting into specifics, including names or numbers," Big East commissioner John Marinatto said after a meeting of the 13 voting members of the league. "But our goal is to get to a 12 football-school model."

It has been widely reported the Big East is targeting Boise State, Air Force and Navy as football-only schools and Houston, SMU and Central Florida as all-sports members. According to one participant in the meeting, "There will be no surprises." Marinatto also said no new names were discussed beyond the ones at the center of speculation, a reference to Temple's bid for eventual inclusion.

Before taking questions from the media at a Philadelphia airport hotel, Marinatto read a prepared statement announcing the unanimous vote. "I will be speaking to representatives of those schools shortly and look forward to announcing with them their acceptance into the Big East," Marinatto said. "The addition of these members will extend our reach, bring us to exciting new markets, strengthen our status within the BCS and lay the foundation for possible further expansion."

Asked if the Big East would issue the invitations without assurances the target schools would accept, Marinatto smiled and said. "No." So it's a done deal? "Well, as we've learned over the last two months, nothing is done until it's over," Marinatto said.

Big East members also voted to enforce their rule prohibiting schools from leaving without at least 27 months notice. West Virginia has filed suit against the Big East, citing mismanagement by Marinatto and the league's instability, in an attempt to play in the Big 12 next season. "Quite frankly, I was stunned when I heard the news they were filing a lawsuit," Marinatto said. "But our attorneys have asked me not to comment. I read [the lawsuit] last night, and the legal term was 'wholly without merit.' "

The commissioner said the three departing schools actually must remain in the Big East until June 30, 2014. Their decision to leave would have reduced the league to five football-playing members -- Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Rutgers and South Florida -- without expansion. If the six schools expected to receive invitations accept, that raises the number to 11, starting in 2014. A conference must have 12 members for a conference championship game, which is Marinatto's ultimate goal.

"We have what we think is a very creative and new way of moving forward with regard to flexibility with this 'western division' we're contemplating," Marinatto said. "It might not be 12 this year , but the goal is to get to 12."

The most surprising aspect of Big East expansion is the announcement of plans to consider expansion on the basketball side. The move is in response to the impending loss of three highly ranked basketball programs and a hedge against further losses on the football side that could weaken the conference.

"We want to protect basketball as much as we can," Marinatto said. "It's always been our objective and our goal because of the prominence we have. There are ways we can enhance basketball with further expansion, as I mentioned in the statement. We'll continue to explore that . . . If we want to expand on the basketball side, we can do that as well once we have the footing we need on the football side."