The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Sunday that it will add Pittsburgh and Syracuse to its now 14-team pantheon of East coast collegiate teams.
This comes as a blow to the Big East who now have to scramble to replace two of their most reputable schools. They've got some time, though. Their bylaws state that teams must pay a $5 million exit fee and give a 27 month notice before actually leaving.
Given the two conferences less-than-amicable past, this probably is not too pleasing for the Big East. In the early 2000's, the Big East filed a lawsuit agains the ACC for trying (and eventually succeeding) to pry Boston College and Miami from their grips. They reached a multibillion dollar settlement in 2005 including nine interconference football games, but the bad blood could still very well be boiling.
Many say this power grab for the ACC is just the halfway point in their goal of eventually acquiring 16 teams and reaching mega conference status. Published reports say the University of Connecticut and Rutgers have also be in the ACC crosshairs recently too. If so, the Big East, home to our own South Florida Bulls, could be facing a huge restructuring over the next few years.
This would, naturally, have big implications for both South Florida football and basketball depending on which teams are added to the depleted Big East.
Syracuse and Pittsburgh now bring the number of teams that have jumped ship from the Big East to the ACC in the last decade to five. Some will view this as a blow and others an opportunity for the Big East. Only time will tell how the future of the South Florida Bulls' beloved conference turns out.
