Big East commissioner John Marinatto has been very clear that he wants to hold Syracuse and Pittsburgh to the 27 month exit penalty the league imposed in addition to the $5 million exit fee. However several remaining Big East members want the two schools to exit after this season, instead of in 27 months. This information comes from "a source close to the conference."
Could one of those schools be Connecticut? The Huskies have not been shy about their intentions to join the ACC. Ditto for Rutgers. The ACC is not going to reciprocate right now after the PAC 12 and SEC aren't going to 16 schools apiece and the Big Ten didn't even budge on expansion. The basketball schools might also be the culprit here. According to the Sporting News:
There is a feeling in the basketball programs at some member schools that the eventual departure of Pitt and Syracuse will provide some breathing room, that the league had become too great for its own good.
Why would UConn and Rutgers want Syracuse and Pittsburgh to leave early? Well, if the Big East doesn't hold the Orange and the Panthers to the 27 month deal, then it sets a precedent for schools to leave immediately. The basketball schools' reasoning seems even more obvious. We're not going to get them, but I want names, was it you DePaul?
Are people in this much of a hurry to add Navy and Air Force as football only members (Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino heard that the move was coming by the end of this week) to replace full members Syracuse and Pittsburgh?