Let it be true.

WKMG, an Orlando television station, is reporting that Big East Conference expansion could occur as early as next week, with invitations being extended to the universities of Central Florida and Memphis.

The addition of Central Florida would deliver Orlando, with the 19th ranked television market in the country. The Memphis market is 50th largest, right behind Louisville at 49th. Their inclusion would also give the Big East 10 football schools and a total of 18 members.

UCF, which was founded in 1963, is one the nation’s largest public universities with more than 53,000 students. The team plays its football games in Bright House Stadium, which has a seating capacity of 45,000. The majority of the student population is located on the university’s 1,415-acre main campus, about  13 miles northeast of downtown Orlando and 55 miles southwest of Daytona Beach.   The university offers over 225 separate degree options through 12 colleges and 11 satellite campuses throughout Florida.

Memphis, a long-time Louisville rival, has an enrollment of 21,000-plus students and plays football at the 62,000-seat-plus Liberty Bowl Stadium, which, of course, is the site of the annual Liberty Bowl. The university also receives strong support from the Federal Express Company, which maintains its corporate headquarters in Memphis. Will the Big East receive $10 million from Fed Ex for including Memphis?

Meanwhile, a West Virginia blogger speculates that “a couple of non-football members will be seeing the axe soon (read: DePaul, Marquette, St. John’s).”  That seems unlikely.

a couple of non-football members will be seeing the axe soon (read: DePaul, Marquette, St. John’s).


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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 “Report: Central Florida, Memphis To Big East”
    1. It should be true but again these guys are dragging their feet. Dead weight in the commissioner’s office.

  1. If the Big East adds UCF and Memphis, it will be harder to argue that the BE is on par with the other BCS conferences. Memphis has no national, regional or even local relevance as a football program and never has. UCF is the equalivent of the University of Houston. Large commuter school, in a big media market that is controlled by larger state universities (UF, FSU). This would be a step back for Louisville. Hope it does not happen.

  2. I believe the report is at least partially true. As I said earlier, a quick invite to UCF wouldn’t surprise me at all. 😉 However, I’d be a little surprised if Memphis gets an invite so quickly — unless the report of the Tigers trying to buy themselves in is more true than false.

    If they do both get invites soon, I’d hope the Big East continues it’s efforts and targets two ACC schools in an attempt to give the conference 12 football members.

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