Addition of 5 others pending

Tuesday, November 04, 2003

By Milan Simonich, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

The Big East Conference, kicked in the teeth by raiders who stole three of its football schools, will strike back today by adding four basketball powers.

Cincinnati, Louisville, DePaul and Marquette will accept invitations to join the Big East, instantly improving its stature in basketball.

Cincinnati and Louisville will become Big East members in all sports, probably in the fall of 2005.

	Louisville coach Rick Pitino yells at his players during their exhibition game against EA Sports Monday in Louisville, Ky. (Timothy D. Easley / Associated Press) More on the Big East Bob Smizik: Big East won't escape minor-league status Online Map: Big East Conference

DePaul and Marquette, which do not have football teams, will join the conference in basketball and other sports.

South Florida, one of the newest school in Division I-A football with three years at that level, also will become a Big East member in all sports.

Another university from the Sun Belt, Central Florida, could be added to the conference for football, but nothing was official yesterday.

"We have not heard from the Big East yet," Central Florida athletic director Steve Orsini said.

The signings of the other five schools probably will be announced this afternoon in New York, where Big East university presidents will meet.

Their gathering originally was scheduled for Philadelphia, but they moved it to New York for maximum media exposure of the changes.

The Big East will end up with either eight or nine teams in football, and 16 in basketball.

With the changes, the conference will inherit two high-profile basketball coaches -- Louisville's Rick Pitino and Cincinnati's Bob Huggins.

Marquette reached the Final Four last year, and DePaul has a storied basketball tradition thanks to Ray Meyer, who coached the Blue Demons from 1942-1984.

Those four newcomers will enhance a Big East already deep in basketball talent. Syracuse is the defending national champion. Pitt advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament the past two years.

In addition, Connecticut, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova have reached the Final Four at least once since 1976.

The Big East's gain in basketball will rob another league of its luster.

Cincinnati, Louisville, DePaul, Marquette and South Florida will defect from Conference USA.

Russ Anderson, spokesman for Conference USA, said his organization would not comment until after the Big East officially announces its new members.

All five schools are subject to penalty fees for leaving Conference USA and entry fees into the Big East.

Moreover, South Florida expects to spend about $10 million more each year to put its sports programs on par with Big East teams. South Florida's administration estimated that the average annual cost of athletics for a Big East school is almost $29 million.

Still, South Florida, from Tampa, believes that the extra expense is justified. It hopes that sports competition in the Big East will raise its profile.

Established in 1960, South Florida has an enrollment of more than 40,000.

"We're a rising star," school President Judy Genshaft said after the school's governing board authorized her to accept the Big East's offer if she sees fit. "This university is poised to stand shoulder to shoulder with schools such as Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Syracuse."

Central Florida, opened in 1968, also has more than 40,000 students. Given its enrollment and a growing television market in Orlando, the school has made no secret of its desire to be part of the Big East. Central Florida is playing football this season in the Mid-American Conference.

If Central Florida gets an invitation from the Big East, the conference would field nine teams in football. The others would be Pitt, West Virginia, Syracuse, Connecticut, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Louisville and South Florida.

The Big East is losing Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech to the Atlantic Coast Conference, which is expanding to 12 teams.

Temple, a school that struggled to draw more than 5,000 spectators to most home football games, was voted out of the Big East by the other presidents. The Owls depart after the 2004 season.

Notre Dame, though a Big East member in basketball, plays its football independent of the conference.

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