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Providence, RI
With defections of some schools announced in the last few months, the rebuilding Big East conference has taken a huge step to get back on its feet and become competitive again with five new teams to be added in 2013, including football power Boise State.
On Wednesday, the Big East announced it would add Houston, SMU and Central Florida out of Conference USA in all sports, replacing departing members Syracuse, Pitt and West Virginia.
Boise State and San Diego State, out of the Mountain West, will be added as football schools only.
The expansion comes as a welcome relief to the Big East's football-playing members still on board --Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Rutgers and USF.
The Big East was set to lose Pittsburgh, Syracuse, TCU and West Virginia, leaving the conference with very few teams and even fewer competitive squads.
It caused many to conclude that the conference would either merge with another or even fold.
The latest additions will not only enable the Big East to become a viable FBS conference, but also raises the league's hopes of holding onto its all-important automatic qualifying status for the Bowl Conference Series.
Boise State is expected to hold the key in the Big East's bid to holding on to its BCS standing, with the Broncos' track record of success over the past decade as members of the WAC and Mountain West.
The Broncos have finished in the top 10 of the BCS standings for four consecutive seasons, an impressive feat compared to any other current Big East team.
The Broncos inability to get into the BCS on a consistent basis was the big reason Boise State decided to join a league nearly 3,000 miles away from its location.
Also, the additions boosted the Big East's bid in having four football games in four continental U.S. time zones on a Saturday.
The Big East will now have 10 football members, but could go up to 11 with the conference looking to add Navy as a football-only member.
The Big East is also reportedly hoping to add a 12th team -- Air Force -- as a football-only member, with Temple as league's second option.
The additions of the five new teams will take place in the 2013-14 academic year.
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