Big East hoping to expand to 12 schools
10/19/2011NEW YORK -- The Big East wants to expand to 12 football teams and "the sooner the better."
The problem is the Big East can't be sure if its current members are staying put until Missouri, the Big 12, and the Southeastern Conference figure out what their next steps will be in the ongoing drama of conference realignment.
"The overall landscape is still so very unsettled," Big East Commissioner John Marinatto said Tuesday during a news conference call.
The Big East's presidents unanimously voted Monday night to increase the league's withdrawal fee from $5 million to $10 million when an expansion plan is executed, Marinatto said.
Marinatto declined to talk about specific schools the Big East wants to add, but did say the Big East has "identified specific teams, and if any one of those teams commits (to joining the league), the exit fee increases."