I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the unnamed sources fueling Big East expansion mania for giving us a one day reprieve from the unsubstantiated, yet wildly entertaining speculation of conference domination and/or destruction. It was very thoughtful of you, persons who have so much incredible insider knowledge but are too afraid to be outed.
In the latest chapter of the epic saga, an Orlando TV station is reporting that "multiple college football sources" have emphatically stated that Memphis and the University of Central Florida will be invited to join the Big East in the next week. The move would give the Big East 18 conference teams, and 10 football teams. But that is not the reason, according to Local 6 Orlando. The station reports:
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The Big East would like to have the 19th largest TV market in the country -- Orlando -- which UCF would provide.
Awesome. Really, really awesome. I would be more likely to believe that the Big East wants UCF because with them comes unlimited access to Disney World. Or the Big East wants the $10 million bribe purportedly offered by the FedEx CEO to pickup Memphis (sounds like a really clean school by the way).
To me, the move can mean one of two things. (1) The Big East is actually thinking ahead for once, and actively shaping the conference to be competitive with rivals BCS leagues or (2) the Big East is expecting defections and wants to grab as many ignored schools before that news hits the wire. Either way, Georgetown is sitting at the table without a voice, ahem football program that contributes money. But what do I know, I am just a lowly, disconnected, football outsider.
UPDATE: Big East commissioner John Marinatto refutes rumors, states "those reports are note true."