Country Roads Confidential

Breaking News

Monday October 17, 2011

Big East expected to vote on exit fee

by The Associated Press

Big East leaders are expected to vote Monday night on raising the conference's exit fee, a move the league hopes will lead to six new members, including Boise State.

Big East officials agreed on a plan to double the conference's exit fee to $10 million and expand to 12 football schools by inviting Boise State, Navy and Air Force to join as football-only members and Central Florida, SMU and Houston in all sports.

An official in the Big East told the AP on Saturday that a conference call would be held Monday to deal with the exit fee and other expansion issues.

There is no timetable for extending invitations and no guarantee all the targeted schools will join. But upping the exit fee is a way to signal the league will be stable long term.

Big East leaders are expected to vote Monday night on raising the conference's exit fee, a move the league hopes will lead to six new members, including Boise State.

Big East officials agreed on a plan to double the conference's exit fee to $10 million and expand to 12 football schools by inviting Boise State, Navy and Air Force to join as football-only members and Central Florida, SMU and Houston in all sports.

An official in the Big East told the AP on Saturday that a conference call would be held Monday to deal with the exit fee and other expansion issues.

There is no timetable for extending invitations and no guarantee all the targeted schools will join. But upping the exit fee is a way to signal the league will be stable long term.