NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — The Big East is still considering expansion as it prepares to negotiate a television rights deal that its commissioner calls the most important in its history.
The conference will add TCU as its ninth football member, and 17th member overall, in the fall of 2012. The move gives the Big East another huge television market, along with New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. But this could further complicate the relationship between the schools that play football and those that don’t. The football members would like to add another school, but that choice has to appease the basketball members.
Commissioner John Marinatto says he will only consider adding a school that brings “value.”
The expansion issue will have to be settled before the Big East can dive into its TV rights negotiations.
