The Big East Conference’s basketball media day next Wednesday already figured to be an awkward affair with Pitt and Syracuse in the same room with the programs the two schools have abandoned in favor of the ACC.
In fact, the level of animosity between the FBS schools and the non-FBS schools has escalated in recent days, The Post has learned. The league is considering raising the exit fee for FBS members to $10 million but keeping the fee for non-FBS members at $5 million, a source told The Post.
Big East commissioner John Marinatto got a firsthand understanding of the bad blood yesterday when he had a lengthy telephone call with officials from Villanova, which is considering moving up from the FCS to FBS level. Villanova is not pleased the Big East is considering inviting Temple, which already competes at the FBS level.
A Post source said the majority of that call deteriorated into ‘Nova bashing Temple rather than making a strong case for the league to consider the Wildcats’ potential in football.
Inviting Temple would give the Big East two teams in Philadelphia.
All of the Big East schools held a conference call on Monday. That was followed by a basketball-members call on Tuesday and an FBS members call yesterday. One source told The Post the basketball call was particularly heated, with some harsh words delivered to Notre Dame, which competes in the Big East in all sports except football, in which it is independent.
Sources told The Post the biggest problem facing the league right now is that there is not unanimous agreement on how to go forward. West Virginia is leading a contingent that wants the league to invite Boise State, but some schools are opposed to that idea.
Boise State, which has had to be nearly perfect to gain a BCS bowl berth in recent years, has emerged as a national power. The Big East needs that kind of program, and the Broncos could use being in a league that receives an automatic BCS berth.
But there are some who want to bring in less-powerful opponents such as Houston and SMU. And though the $10 million fee for FBS members seems to have gained traction, Louisville and West Virginia, which have been rumored to have interest from the Big 12 and SEC, are hedging.
A Post source said Marinatto is to meet with Central Florida officials tomorrow. UCF, Air Force and Navy could be the first schools to receive invites.
Marinatto has not been given authority to extend invitations. He must get the authority of school presidents to do so, making for a cumbersome process. When the Pac-10 expanded to 12, commissioner Larry Scott was given full authority to act.