Temple left out of expanded Big East
From The Associated Press, as appeared in The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, March 10, 1994

NEW YORK (AP) - Rutgers and West Virginia were invited to join the Big East Conference full-time Wednesday, leaving Temple and Virginia Tech as strictly football members.

The expansion to 12 schools was a compromise, with the 15-year old conference facing the prospect of adding schools or breaking up over football, and will avoid divisional play.

“For all of us who have been dealing with it for the last four months, we're glad it's over,” Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said. “We're excited about Rutgers and West Virginia and disappointed for both Temple and Virginia Tech. There just wasn't the support for the move to 14 schools.”

The addition of the two teams for basketball will not take effect until the 1995-96 season since Rutgers and West Virginia are committed to the Atlantic 10 for next season.

Temple president Peter Liacouras called the decision a “disappointment.”

“For several years, we have recognized the advantages of being part of an all-sports conference of similar institutions,” he said. “We have worked hard to achieve that objective.”