Paul Tagliabue Hired by Big East as Special Advisor

The Big East hired former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue as a special adviser for strategic planning, according to ESPN.

Tagliabue previously served as commissioner of the NFL from 1989-2006.

This hire by the conference is in anticipation of a move by the Big Ten to expand its own league from 11 teams up to a possible 16 members.

"Few individuals have had as broad and deep experiences in sports as Paul Tagliabue," Big East commissioner John Marinatto said in a news release. "Paul's understanding of collegiate athletics and academics and his extensive experience and leadership of the NFL for 17 years will certainly be invaluable to the Big East."

The Big East was raided of its two best football teams in 2003, when Miami and Virginia Tech moved to the ACC. Seven years later the Big East continues to limp into uncertainty.

With the loss of Miami, Virginia Tech, and a year later Boston College, the league extended invitations to five schools from Conference USA, three of which were for football: Cincinnati, Louisville, and South Florida.

The continuous talks of expansion have rumors of the Big East looking to go back to C-USA for schools like East Carolina, Memphis, UCF, and Southern Miss.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said the expansion process was in its early stages. He said that it's still early to tell whether the conference wants to expand by one team or five teams. Delany did not deny that they are evaluating possible institutions.

"I didn't say we weren't at that phase," Delany said. "I said we are not at the phase of any need to provide notice to an institution, that we were in formal discussions with an institution."