I don’t know about you but this news is pretty depressing to me. Â Syracuse and Pittsburgh have begun the formal process of leaving the Big East by applying to join the Atlantic Coast Conference, an A.C.C. official with direct knowledge of the applications said Saturday. Â Syracuse and Pittsburgh gone will be a huge loss to the Big East. Â Read more details after the jump.
The potential move underscores the fragility of the college conference landscape. The official said that at least 10 other universities had reached out to the A.C.C.
At their annual meeting last week, the A.C.C. presidents moved unanimously to increase the fee to leave the A.C.C. to $20 million, up from $12 million to $14 million.
The spurt in interest and the exit-fee increase show how potential moves by the Southeastern Conference, which has voted to accept Texas A&M as member No. 13, have affected the thinking of universities. With the SEC perhaps looking to the A.C.C. for its next member, it makes sense for the A.C.C. to have Pitt and Syracuse.
No timetable has been set for when the A.C.C. will decide on the applications. But since Pitt and Syracuse have gone this far, they are unlikely to remain in the Big East. The universities are being cautious about what they say because the threat of legal action by Baylor has significantly slowed Texas A&M’s jump to the SEC from the Big 12.
“At this juncture, we are still declining comment on the topic,†the Pitt spokesman E. J. Borghetti said.
Universities are also seeking stability, which has been the rallying cry of Oklahoma, whose board of regents will meet on Monday and will discuss the Sooners’ intent to leave the Big 12 and join the Pacific-12.
Syracuse, a founding member of the Big East, and Pitt are two of conference’s nine football-playing universities (counting Texas Christian, which joins next year). If the A.C.C. accepts Syracuse and Pitt, the Big East will scramble once again to hold on to the rest of its members.
The Big East found stability after the last round of defections in 2003, when Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College left for the A.C.C.
