Syracuse Makes Official Agreement to Leave Big East for ACC

In another sign that the Big East Conference could end up in real trouble sooner rather than later, Syracuse University will be leaving the conference, pending a vote from the remaining Big East members, for the ACC on July 1, 2013, according to the Big East website:

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Under the terms of the agreement reached between the Big East and Syracuse, the Big East members will vote, in accordance with the Big East’s bylaws, to terminate Syracuse’s membership in the Big East effective July 1, 2013, at which point Syracuse will join the ACC. In addition to other consideration, Syracuse will make a total cash payment to the Big East of $7.5 million.

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The agreement will allow Syracuse to move to its new home one year earlier. The university was legally prohibited from moving to the ACC for 27 months, per the rules of the conference (h/t NBC Connecticut).

With Syracuse leaving the Big East early, Pittsburgh's fate will likely be decided soon. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported in May that Pitt had filed a lawsuit against the Big East in order to allow the university to join the ACC on July 1, 2013. 

With Syracuse on the way out a year early, the Big East is in a state of flux right now. It will get an infusion of talent, so to speak, when Central Florida, Houston, Memphis, SMU and Temple join in all sports for 2013. 

Conference shifting is a huge part of the college landscape now, especially with so much money and prestige at stake for all of these universities. The Big East and ACC are going to get serious makeovers; now we know they will come sooner than originally anticipated. 

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