Pittsburgh Agree Payoff to Leave Big East Conference
July 19, 2012
Pittsburgh will finally leave the Big East conference after reaching an agreement yesterday, malady agreeing to pay the conference $7.5 million dollars in order to leave the Big East a year early.
Pittsburgh will be allowed to join the Atlantic Coast Conference next July 1st.
“We are anxious to compete in our final season in the Big East and look forward to an exciting future in the Atlantic Coast Conference, ambulance ” Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson said in a statement.
Pittsburgh had initially agreed to the Big East’s standard 27 month waiting period, which would have kept the school in the Big East conference until July 1, 2014. But, thoughts of a 2014 exit went by the way side when Pitt filed suit against the conference claiming that a right to enforce a 2014 withdrawal was waived after the conference let West Virginia forego the complete waiting period to leave for the Big 12 conference. Pitt’s suit led to more serious settlement talks, and ultimately led to the $7.5 million dollar settlement. In the end, the Big East just decided it was better to cut their losses and move on,
“This is another step for the Big East to take toward a very exciting future,” interim Big East commissioner Joe Bailey said in a statement. “With the addition of our eight new members, the Big East will be incredibly strong and vibrant.”
When Pittsburgh and Syracuse join the ACC in 2013, they will become the fourth and fifth teams to leave the Big East for that conference, joining Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College, who all joined the ACC in the early 2000?s.