TCU to join Big East

[DJT]

FORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU has accepted a bid for full membership to become the 17th member of the Big East Conference, effective July 1, 2012.

"Having BCS automatic-qualifying status was a priority for our football program and a great reward for the success we've had the last decade," TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte said in a statement.

The conference change allows TCU to play in an automatic BCS-qualifying league beginning in the 2012-13 school year. TCU currently plays in the Mountain West Conference, which does not have an automatic bid to the BCS and is going through some changes of its own. BYU and Utah are leaving the conference just as Boise State enters.

TCU, which has an enrollment of 9,142, would become the Big East's ninth football team. The conference has extended an invitation to Villanova to become its 10th football member.

"Located in one of the top five media markets in the country, TCU also enables the Big East to extend its media footprint, which already encompasses more than a quarter of the country," league Commissioner John Marinatto said.

TCU is 12-0 and ranked No. 3 in the BCS. The Frogs are at the very least headed to the Rose Bowl. But if Auburn or Oregon slip up this weekend, TCU is poised to play for a national title.

The Frogs might not have been headed to a BCS game without Boise State's loss Friday night in overtime at Nevada. Had the Broncos remained undefeated, there was a distinct possibility that the Broncos could have passed TCU in the BCS standings and been the only non-automatic qualifier school to get into one of the top-level bowls.

"If you don't dream, you're living in a memory," Del Conte said. "Who wants to live in a memory? Every single time we have an opportunity to think about where we're going to go, that's the leadership of our chancellor that says, 'Guess what? We dare to be great academically and athletically.' This decision today is great for TCU. We're heading in an arena that we've always dreamed about. The BCS does not define TCU, TCU defines the BCS. The academic institutions that we're going to be associated with is unbelievable. This is a great time to be a Frog.

According to a MWC spokesperson, TCU will not have to pay an exit fee for leaving the league under conference bylaws. The same applied to Utah (Pac-12) and BYU (independent in football and WCC in all other sports) when both notified the MWC of their intentions to leave for the 2012 season. The only thing TCU had to do was notify the league by Sept. 1 to leave for the 2011-12 season. Since TCU didn't, the Horned Frogs will leave on July 1, 2012, the same time Nevada and Fresno State enter the Mountain West from the WAC, for the 2012-13 season.

Meanwhile, Pitt men's basketball coach Jamie Dixon and a TCU alumnus, confirmed that he did initiate contact between his alma mater and the Big East. Dixon was with Del Conte for a homecoming weekend against Baylor Sept. 18. Dixon and Del Conte spoke about how the Big East was going to need another football member. Dixon tested TCU's interest and then let Marinatto know of the Horned Frogs' desire to look at membership. Once TCU's football team rose in the BCS standings and the Big East struggled, the matter became a need for both parties.

The conference change is for all sports, meaning TCU enters a strong basketball league and should get exposure in more eastern sports markets. The league as a whole will now have 17 teams.

The Big East has an 18-game regular-season basketball schedule that calls for three repeat games under television contracts with ESPN and CBS through 2012-13. The contract is based on a 16-team membership. CBS and ESPN each get a choice of one of those repeat games.

A source told ESPN.com's Andy Katz that in a 17-team league, each program would play every other team (16 games) and then play two repeat games (instead of three like now). That means a lower-level repeat game for a favorite like Pittsburgh wouldn't continue. CBS and ESPN requested Pitt and Villanova play twice and each received a game. The Big East then kept the rivalry of Pitt-West Virginia for another repeat game. Pitt's third repeat game is against South Florida. Under a 17-team, 18-game schedule, this game would not continue.

The Big East will be the fourth conference for TCU since the Southwest Conference broke apart after the 1995 season and the Frogs weren't among the Texas schools that became part of the Big 12.

TCU was in the WAC from 1996-2000 before going to Conference USA for four seasons and then joining the Mountain West in 2005.

Richard Durrett is a reporter and columnist for ESPNDallas.com. Information from ESPN.com's Andy Katz and The Associated Press was used in this report.

Wow, I didn't see this happening. Boise State might want to try to go somewhere other than the MWC now.

 

[Dorado]

Wow, I didn't see this happening. Boise State might want to try to go somewhere other than the MWC now.

I seriously thought TCU was gonna got the the Big 12

I can see Boise St. jumping ship to the Big 12 for some reason.

 

[Mooche]

I love this move for TCU. The Big East isn't exactly the strongest it has ever been at the moment, but in the long term, it is going to attract even more attention from kids across the Nation. Makes perfect sense.

Good luck to TCU.

 

[JoshHoward5]

Doesn't make much sense to me the Mountain West is going to stronger then the Big East in a couple of years. I guess they just want to automatic BCS bid, I mean if they don't strip the Big East of it.

 

[.GR]

Sucks for Boise hahahah

 

[Lake Louise]

Only reason I could see them going there is for what was previously said, the automatic bid. Just like Utah going to Pac-12(Although, I think they should keep it named Pac-10). Big East is horrific right now, and it should be a great opportunity for TCU to come in there and run that conference. Unless the other teams pick it up quick. Boise should follow that route and jump to Big 12(or whatever they will be called) or ACC or something. Or maybe they want to continue to be the highest praised non-automatic qualifier.

 

[DJT]

Why do you want it to be called the PAC 10 still if there are 12 teams in it???

I honestly think the MWC is gonna go downhill big time. They lose TCU, BYU and Utah who were pretty much the ones winning the division in any sport. Sure now they get Boise, but BYU + Utah + TCU >>>>>> Boise. Especially outside of football.

 

[Lake Louise]

I mean, I don't have a problem with it being called the Pac 12. It's just that Big 10 has had 11 teams for a long time, and with Nebraska, I don't see them changing from Big 10 to Big 12 or whatever, especially because Big 12 already exist and they would have to change their name to Big 10. It just sounds like it would be confusing and whatnot. Haha

I agree about the MWC going downhill. They really don't have anybody now, and some teams will have to step up to try and prevent Boise from running that conference. Which wouldn't help their case. San Diego State had a decent year, but with Boise there, it'd be tough for them to be the top team. Nevada would help out their case a little bit, but unless the other teams don't step it up, they will just be the lowly mountain west.