The Tulsa Golden Hurricane will join the current, soon-to-be-renamed Big East Conference in all sports in 2014, commissioner Michael Aresco announced today.
The Golden Hurricane have been a member of Conference USA since 2005. They won the C-USA Championship in 2005 and 2012 and claimed the West Division title five times.
“The addition of The University of Tulsa marks another significant step in building a strong conference,” said Aresco. “In common with our member schools, Tulsa brings a rich academic profile, outstanding and storied athletic programs, and a devoted fan base. Under the leadership of President Steadman Upham, the University will be a valued member of our conference and will make us even more competitive across the collegiate landscape.”
The addition of Tulsa gives the Big East 11 members in 2014: Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, SMU, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, UCF, and USF. Current members Louisville and Rutgers will depart in 2014 for the ACC and Big Ten, respectively.
Navy joins the conference in 2015 in football only, and at that time the Big East will split into divisions and have a championship game. The highest-rated division champion will host the game on their campus and it will be televised by ABC or ESPN.
Conference USA has already replaced Tulsa by luring Western Kentucky from the Sun Belt. C-USA will have 12 teams in 2014 when Old Dominion joins and East Carolina, Tulane, and Tulsa depart. In 2015, C-USA will be at 13 after the addition of Charlotte.
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