NEW YORK (AP) - UConn coach Geno Auriemma blames Notre Dame for
the Big East conference's realignment problems.
Auriemma said on Thursday at the annual media day that the Irish
could have solved the problem years ago had their football team
joined the conference from the start. Instead Notre Dame has
remained an independent football team while the school's other
sports have played in the Big East.
Last month, Syracuse and Pittsburgh announced they were leaving
the Big East to join the Atlantic Coast Conference. Commissioner
John Marinatto says the Big East is trying to become a 12-team
football league.
The conference's plan to get to 12 members includes Navy, Air
Force and Boise State as football-only members and Central Florida,
Houston and SMU for all sports, though that has not been made
public by the league.
The remaining football members are Connecticut, Cincinnati,
South Florida, Louisville, West Virginia and Rutgers.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
