On the Banks, a Rutgers Scarlet Knights community

The Greenwich Time thinks so, additionally adding (hooray) that the exit fees will not be raised. Huzzah! Update: and it looks like Temple is next.

Tom Luicci reports that the BE doesn't have the votes to raise its exit fees, and is finally looking at realistic options like Houston as opposed to FCS bottom feeders.

Tom Luicci says the plan is to add Temple and UCF as full members, along with Boise State, Air Force, and Navy as federated members for football only - with the possibility of still upgrading Villanova. That speaks volumes to the Big East's priorities. Nova is 1-5 in FCS, and the Big East would rather add them then a real program like Houston capable of threatening the Providence-centric power structure. Blow it up, Tim and Ollie, blow it up. No to raising the exit fees, no to Villanova, each is a bridge too far that cannot be crossed. The remaining Big East football schools are only inviting ruin by staying in the same conference as eight programs that resent how much football drives the college football revenue structure. They are a cancer, and their continued presence cannot be tolerated. Given the Big East's 3/4 veto requirement, RU and WVU can likely block Villanova football, although that's (falsely) assuming that only three programs were against Nova. As to blocking the exit fee - Rutgers, WVU, and UConn would need to find a fourth partner for that, but fortunately Luicci reports that the measure isn't making much traction.

Ummm Was that when Providence College treated the Big East conference as a dictatorship? When Mike Tranghese tried to destroy Big East football by forcing half of its programs on the ACC in 1998, which invited the ACC raid five years later? Sounds like Providence is panicking that their iron grip on power is in danger, especially since McNamara insists that the Big East needs programs like Georgetown, St. John's, and Villanova (for all sports, no less!) Those programs are assets in hoops, but the BE surely doesn't need the irrelevant and disposable Providence program. McNamara tweeted last night that Mike Tranghese is consulting for the Big East, which fortunately probably means that he and John Marinatto are of one mind on everything. Both are horrible commissioners who actively plotted against half of their conference members. Tranghese came out and said on WFAN that he only cares about Providence College. He is the LAST person anyone from the Big East should be chatting up right now. If there's a chance in hell that the Big East survives, it's by finally putting football first with a football-first commissioner.

The Syracuse Post-Standard last night confirmed months of rumors, with multiple anonymous quotes. Rutgers, Pitt, and West Virginia were on the side of the angels, desperately trying to keep the Big East together while fending off a an attempt to finally destroy the conference by adding Villanova football.