Big East meeting could affect C-USA roster
By Matt Potter
Staff Reporter

Conference USA could finally be taking shape after the Big East conference presidents meet Nov. 4 in New York.

C-USA Commissioner Britton Banowksy said in all likelihood, C-USA is going to lose some schools in the north after the presidents’ meeting. According to published reports, those schools are Marquette University, University of Cincinnati, DePaul University and University of Louisville.

TCU Athletics director Eric Hyman said there are strong odds that those schools may join the Big East, but he cautioned that the university can’t believe every rumor.

The Big East’s Associate Commissioner for Communications John Paquette said the conference in New York will include discussions about conference business and membership issues. Paquette also said after the conference, Big East officials will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. EST to cover information discussed in the meeting.

“We have to increase membership,” Paquette said. “Football has to add at least three teams by 2005.”

Paquette said no specific schools have been discussed, but Big East officials have been in regular contact with Banowsky, and everyone is on the same page.

C-USA has already extended offers to Rice University and University of Tulsa, and Banowsky said C-USA is prepared to offer Marshall University membership soon. C-USA officials and Southern Methodist University have also been working on an agreement where SMU would join C-USA, according to a statement from SMU.