Navy Midshipmen to join Big East for Football in 2015

The Navy Midshipmen will join the Big East for football in 2015, CBSSports.com has reported. Navy is expected to officially announce the move on Tuesday.

This will be Navy’s first ever foray into a football conference. The Midshipmen have competed as an Independent since they began playing football in 1879.

With the addition of Navy in 2015, the Big East will have 11 football members. West Virginia leaves either this year or in 2013, depending on the courts, and Pittsburgh and Syracuse head to the ACC in 2014. But the conference adds Boise State, Houston, San Diego State, SMU and UCF in 2013.

Reports indicate that Big East commissioner John Marinatto is seeking to add another school to get the conference to 12 teams. Air Force, Army and BYU have recently been targeted, but all three have chosen to remain where they are.

Navy couldn’t join the Big East any earlier due to their future schedules and television contracts. The Midshipmen almost have their schedules filled through 2017.

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