Anchors aweigh.

The top chiefs at the U.S. Naval Academy have made it official, Navy will join the Big East as a football-only school, beginning with the 2015 season.

A good move for the Big East and Navy, which has a national following and averaged 34,611 fans at its five home game last fall, the third most in school history. The midshipmen have been to eight bowl games in the last nine seasons.

The Baltimore Sun repots that Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk spent the past few months reshaping existing schedules and television contracts beginning in 2015. Navy has schedules running through 2017 and a television contract with CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network through 2018. The Big East, of course, is connected with ESPN.

Navy will continue its rivalries with Army, Air Force and Notre Dame.

The tentative 2015 Navy schedule already includes SMU and San Diego State that could be two games against the league’s West Division, which would also include Houston and Boise State. Members of the East division would come from Navy, Connecticut, South Florida, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Rutgers and Louisville, if U of L is still around.

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By Charlie Springer

Charlie Springer is a former Louisville editor and sportswriter, a public affairs consultant, a UofL grad and longtime fan.

5 thoughts on “Navy welcomed to the Big East”
  1. Welcome aboard, Midshipmen! And thanks for coming in football only and not adding congestion to an already jammed WBB membership

    1. I know you’re trying to be sarcastic, Bill, with all your sophisticated football programs and years behind you. But Navy would be a nice addition to any conference.

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