I’m not saying the Big 12 will follow the same roller coaster ride of when we accepted an Invitation to join the Big East to when we played our first game in the American Athletic Conference, but it is a good learning experience to remind us to continue to keep all of our options open in this ever-changing landscape of Conference realignment. A lot can happen before we even play our first game, we’ve already lived through it once!
Here is the time line:
November 29, 2010: TCU accepts an invitation to join the Big East. To begin play in 2012.
September 18, 2011: Pittsburgh and Syracuse announce they will be leaving the Big East for the ACC
October 10, 2011 : TCU accepts an invitation from the Big 12
October 28, 2011: West Virginia invited to the Big 12
October/November 2011: Big East invites Houston, SMU, Memphis & UCF as full members and Air Force, Navy, BYU, Boise State & San Diego State as Football-Only members.
Only Houston, SMU, Memphis, UCF, Navy, Boise State, & San Diego State accept.
March 7, 2012 : Announced that Temple would be rejoining the Big East
November 20, 2012: Rutgers announces it has accepted an invitation to join the B1G Ten
November 27, 2012 : East Carolina, Tulane, & Tulsa accept invitations to join the Big East
November 28, 2012: Louisville announces it has accepted an invitation to join the ACC.
December 15, 2012 : The 7 Basketball only Catholic Schools announce they will be leaving the Big East.
December 31, 2012 : Boise State notifies the Big East they have opted to remain in the MWC, contingent upon the MWC extending an offer to San Diego State .
January 16, 2013 : San Diego State is released from the obligation to join the Big East
June 30, 2013 : Catholic 7 leave the conference and take the name of the Big East Conference with them.
August 2013 : UCONN, Cincinnati, UCF, Houston, SMU, Memphis, South Florida, Temple, Louisville, & Rutgers begin play in newly named American Athletic Conference.