Just one day after it was leaked that the Big East would add a new member, the conference announced that, indeed, the Memphis Tigers will be the newest member of the Big East. Memphis will join the conference as a full member starting in the 2013-2014 athletic season. The conference now has 12 football members and 17 full members.
According to the press release, the Big East has 13 schools inside the top 30 television markets and 17 in the top 50. Adding Memphis adds a market in the Tennessee area. With the addition of several Midwest, Mountain and West teams, the Big East spans from coast to coast.
When the 2015 season begins, the Big East will include Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Rutgers and South Florida as teams currently in the conference. Boise State and San Diego State join as football-only members in 2013 while Central Florida, Houston, Memphis and SMU join that fall as full members. Navy gives up its independent status in football in 2015 to make it 12 teams.
Pitt, Syracuse and West Virginia will all leave over the next several years if not sooner.
Head to SB Nation College Football for more in-depth coverage of the 2011 NCAA college football season.