Big East Conference Adds Miami

The University of Miami, a football power trying to improve its basketball image, joined the Big East Conference on Wednesday and the conference commissioner says that probably saved the league.

“To be very blunt with you, our future was at stake,” Commissioner Mike Tranghese said. “If the Big East and the University of Miami could not have gotten together, I’m not certain we had an answer that would have satisfied the football concerns of Pitt, Boston College and Syracuse.”

There was fear that those schools would have joined Miami and others with Division I-A football programs to form an Eastern Seaboard conference.

Miami will become the 10th Big East member beginning with the 1991-92 seasons in most sports.

Miami football will stay on its own until it can work out a commitment with the three other Big East Division I-A members because the Big East does not compete as a conference in football.