Memphis Will Be in Big East Next Season

The University of Memphis will become a full member of the Big East next season.

The announcement will be made official today.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino has been lobbying for Memphis for quite some time.  Pitino was concerned about the basketball power in the Big East dwindling, with the upcoming departures of West Virginia, Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

Memphis certainly brings that to the table.

Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky says he's been assured by Big East Commissioner John Marinatto that the league is done with expansion.

But it has come at a price for CUSA.

Houston, SMU and Central Florida previously announced they were leaving the league to head to the Big East.

The defections will leave CUSA with eight schools.  The Big East, even after the defections, will be at twelve schools for football for the first time.  Boise State, Navy and San Diego State are joining for football only.  Louisville, Connecticut, Rutgers, South Florida and Cincinnati will be the holdovers from the current Big East.

Memphis' football needs an upgrade.  They're just 3-21 the last two seasons.