Big East Expansion: Conference Expected To Announce 2 New Members Next Week

Conference realignment continues to be the headline news in college football. A much-maligned Big East Conference is about to get exactly what they need in two programs joining their ranks as soon as next week.

The Dallas Morning News reports the Big East will indeed get a little bigger as they scramble to answer the loss of West Virginia to the Big 12.

Southern Methodist University as well as the University of Central Florida will join the Big East for the football season only.

The most pressing matter for the conference was to remain in good standing with the BCS as they come up for re-evaluation for their current automatic-bid status.

It seems they have thwarted disaster by adding two programs that have enjoyed a resurgence in recent years.

The Big East states they were well aware of West Virginia's loss to the Big 12. The fact that Louisville is staying is the X-factor in keeping the conference intact. Commissioner John Marinatto released a statement on the situation.

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This move by West Virginia does not come as a surprise. League officials, members of our conference and the candidate schools to whom we have been talking were aware of this possibility...We are confident that in the coming weeks we will complete our own realignment program, adding a number of high-quality members to remain among the top conferences in both football and basketball.

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For a couple weeks, all signs pointed to a conference that was nearly extinct. The sudden infusion of programs was necessary as the Mountaineers head west. Having more programs come to the Big East mixed with increased fines for leaving should keep the conference safe from destruction.

In what has been all too rare these days, the Big East was dealt some very encouraging news.