Big East adds Boise State

Associated Press

The new Big East will span four time zones, 3,000 miles from coast to coast and, eventually, have 12 teams.

The beleaguered and ever-changing conference hopes it all adds up to a billion dollar television contract and a spot among the best football leagues in the nation.

The Big East introduced Boise State, San Diego State, Houston, SMU and Central Florida as its newest members, effective 2013.

“The Big East conference is the first truly national college football conference,” commissioner John Marinatto said Wednesday during a teleconference with the university leaders from the five schools. Boise State president Bob Kustra said the announcement was “a significant step forward in the evolution of Boise State University and our football program.”

The Big East, depleted by the planned departures of Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, is trying to rebuild as a 12-team football conference with a western division.

It’s been a slow process that began in September, and there is still work to be done.

Boise State and San Diego State, which currently play in the Mountain West Conference, will join the Big East only for football. Houston, SMU and UCF will be leaving Conference USA and joining the Big East in all sports.

The Big East has also been pursuing Air Force and Navy as football only members, but it seems Air Force is no longer a possibility. Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, the superintendent of the academy, said the school will stay in the Mountain West.

The Big East has only five football members committed to the conference beyond this season: Connecticut, Cincinnati, Louisville, Rutgers and USF. It also has seven schools that do not play major college football and Notre Dame, which competes in the Big East in everything but football.

Marinatto has pledged to hold Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia in the conference until 2014, in accordance with the Big East bylaws. West Virginia wants to join the Big 12 in 2012 and has sued the Big East to get an early release.

The Big East filed a countersuit to keep West Virginia in the conference. Pittsburgh and Syracuse intend to join the Atlantic Coast Conference as soon as possible, but are not challenging the Big East’s bylaws.