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Big East Meets in NYC: The Possible Big East-Big 12 Merger Is Dead

 

The Big East football schools met at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City today to discuss the future of the conference. One thing that came out of that meeting or perhaps before it was the end of the proposed Big East-Big 12 merger.

"That merger died from lack of mutual interest", Tom Luicci said referring to Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti's statements about the merger. Pernetti mentioned that geography stood in the way:

If you’re going to geographically disjoint conferences you’re talking about field hockey, soccer and lacrosse traveling halfway across the country to play.

Dikembe Mutombo was in the area for a UN meeting. He was not excited about the possibility of his Georgetown Hoyas having to be in an all Catholic basketball league. He might not have to worry though as Big East commissioner John Marinatto says the unity between basketball and football schools remains intact.

Rutgers which had openly been talking to the Big Ten and ACC seems to have changed their mind. Or at least their statements. Rutgers president Tim McCormick said on the future Big East "Very good, certainly from our standpoint." However, he wouldn't give up any other information.

One other thing is that TCU is not a Big XII candidate as "Texas wants to stay in the Big 12 and they don't want TCU," said one "prominent Big 12 athletics official." The official did not want to be named.

So what happens now? According to Marinatto, the Big East will pursue replacements for Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

We'll have more on the future of the Big East as information becomes available.