Big East Invites 6 Schools; Intends to Keep Automatic BCS Bid

Over the past few weeks, the Big East Conference has looked at times to be in danger of losing it's automatic BCS bid with the loss of Pittsburgh, Syracuse, TCU, and West Virginia.  It has also negotiated with schools from both Conference USA and the Mountain West Conference to rebuild the struggling conference.  Today, it was announced Air Force, Boise State, Central Florida, Houston, Navy, and SMU were invited to join the Big East.  Air Force, Boise State, and Navy would become football-only members, while Central Florida, Houston, and SMU would become full-time members.  The Big East is also interested in Temple and Memphis as a 12th member so the conference can institute two divisions and a conference championship game for their football playing schools.  The proposed divisions would include Air Force, Boise State, Houston, SMU, Cincinnati, and Louisville in the Western Division, and Connecticut, Central Florida, Navy, South Florida, Rutgers, and either Temple or Memphis in the Eastern Division.  The move should strengthen the conference and establish the conference as an all-sport conference, instead of only as a powerhouse basketball conference.

College Football's First Super Humongous Conference

The college sports landscape continues to change.  The planned meeting of Big East, Conference USA, and Mountain West officials was announced early Tuesday to determine the futures of college football in their conferences.  The unexpected departure of Pittsburgh and Syracuse has left the six remaining football-playing schools in the Big East with uncertainty about their future.  West Virginia, Louisville, Rutgers, and Connecticut have turned to the Big 12 and ACC as potential destinations for their future.  The announcement could save the conference forever, merging it with the Mountain West and Conference USA, and securing its automatic BCS bid.  The deal plans to create a 28-team conference with 4 divisions.  The division champions would then compete for the conference's automatic BCS berth in a four team playoff.
Although many dislike the proposed deal, the playoff system set up for the conference could revolutionize college football forever.