Big East Morning Coffee: Louisville, South Florida Open Spring Practices

Good morning Big East fans.

The SEC and Big Ten have their own dedicated bloggers to deliver some morning tidbits to readers, but Bleacher Report does not have someone to do the same for the Big East.

For now, I'll take it upon myself to follow the standards being set by Adam Jacobi (Big Ten Blog) and Barrett Sallee (SEC Blog), and give you a Big East version. Here goes...

- We all know that Louisville fans are looking forward to the Sweet 16 but the football team opened spring practice on Wednesday.

They did so with a new defensive backs coach. Tommy Restivo takes over the job for Larry Slade, who is now Louisville's director of community relations and career preparation (quite a title). Restivo was a defensive graduate assistant under Charlie Strong with the Florida Gators during the 2008 season.

- South Florida also got underway with spring practices, and linebacker Sam Barrington said the energy level was high. 

"I think since I've been here at USF, since the summer of 2009, this is probably the best first day we've had. It was high energy," Barrington said.

Former quarterback Ryan Eppes has moved to linebacker (Tampa Bay Online), as one of a few position changes for South Florida.

Among the goals this spring for South Florida, as suggested by Greg Auman of Tampa Bay Times, adjusting to a new defense, finding depth on the roster and finding a back-up quarterback for senior B.J. Daniels.

On the injury front, South Florida will be without defensive backs Chris Bivins Jr. and Ricardo Dixon. Both are recovering from ACL injuries.

- West Virginia will be raising ticket prices for the 2012 season, their first in the Big 12. WVU Athletic Director Oliver Luck is calling it a "modest increase," according to Jared Hunt of Charleston Daily Mail.

- Remember the other day when we learned that a football was stolen from the grave site of Syracuse legend Ernie Davis? Well, it has since been found.

- Bleacher Report's featured columnists have been breaking down some of the most under-appreciated players in school history for a number of programs. In case you missed it, Alex Callos shared his take on Cincinnati.

- The other day, Michael Felder ranked the BCS AQ conferences from top to bottom on Your Best 11. As you might suspect, the Big East was at the bottom. Is the Big East really as weak as they are often made out to be?

Kevin McGuire is the host of the No 2-Minute Warning podcast and a member of the Football Writers Association of America and National Football Foundation. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook and add him to your Google+ circle.