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Big East speeds up UConn football initiation
[ Originally posted 07.10.03 ]
NEWARK, NJ (AP)
Connecticut will become a full-time football member of the Big East
Conference next year, and the league won't add any new schools before the
2005-06 season.
The decisions
were made after meetings of presidents and athletic directors of the Big
East's football playing schools.
``The group
reaffirmed its commitment to remain a strong and highly competitive I-A
conference,'' Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said Thursday. ``We
formally moved up the timeline for integrating Connecticut into our
schedules as one of the league's full-time playing members for the 2004
season.''
With Miami and
Virginia Tech off to the Atlantic Coast Conference beginning with the 2004
season, the Big East will have seven football-playing schools one short of
the required eight needed by the 2005 season to remain a I-A conference.
Temple will drop
out of the Big East after the 2004 season, leaving the Big East to add two
new members to retain its I-A conference status.
``We agreed that
any new member or members would not be invited to begin participation before
the 2005-2006 season,'' Tranghese said.
Copyright 2003
The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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