University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Football To Join BIG EAST In 2004
7/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 10, 2003
STORRS, CT - BIG EAST Conference commissioner Mike Trangehese announced today that the University of Connecticut will be integrated into the conference football schedule for the 2004 season and become a full-time playing member during that season. Connecticut was originally scheduled to join the league in 2005.
"This is a great day for UConn football and a great opportunity for us," says UConn football coach Randy Edsall.
"We will now be competing in a Bowl Championship Series conference in 2004. From this day forward, every young man that we recruit into the UConn football program will compete in the BIG EAST Conference.
"It is an honor for everyone associated with UConn football to be in the BIG EAST and compete with the types of coaches and student-athletes that are part of the league."
The presidents, chancellors and director of athletics of the BIG EAST Conference’s football playing members met on July 8-10 in Newark, N.J., to discuss future league issues.
"The main purpose of this meeting was to deal with timely issues that warrant our immediate attention and action. Specifically, the group affirmed its commitment to remain a strong and highly competitive I-A conference," says Tranghese. "We also discussed scheduling issues. We formally moved up the timeline for integrating Connecticut into our schedule as one of the league’s full-time playing members for the 2004 season. We agreed that any new member or members would not be invited to begin participation before the 2005-2006 season."
The BIG EAST Football Conference will have seven members in 2004 -- Boston College, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple and West Virginia -- with each team playing three home games and three away games. Exact home and away game pairings are still to be determined.
Trangehese noted that the presidents and directors of athletics of the BIG EAST’s non I-A institutions and Notre Dame were aware of the meeting. He expects that the full group of presidents will hold a joint meeting in the near future.
