Though Pittsburgh filed a lawsuit against the Big East last Friday to leave for the Atlantic Coast Conference early, Syracuse does not currently intend to follow the same plan of action.

‘We’ve been trying to resolve the issue of conference transition with the Big East,’ SU Athletic Director Daryl Gross said in a statement. ‘We’d like to avoid litigation, but we’re keeping all of our options open.’

Syracuse and Pittsburgh decided to jump from the Big East to the ACC last September. Both schools are currently set to begin competition in 2014 due to a 27-month notice required before leaving the conference. But now Pittsburgh wants to exit the Big East for the ACC in 2013 without suffering further penalty, arguing the league forfeited the waiting period when it allowed Texas Christian and West Virginia to leave the conference immediately.

After the Big East reached a settlement with West Virginia to depart for the Big 12 in 2012, former Big East commissioner John Marinatto said the conference would consider allowing Syracuse and Pittsburgh to exit early. Marinatto resigned last Thursday and interim commissioner Joseph A. Bailey III said the change did not affect the waiting period for the two schools.

With no progress being made, Pittsburgh sued the conference last week.

In the lawsuit, Pittsburgh claims the league waived its right to hold the school to the 27-month waiting period after it allowed West Virginia to leave. The Mountaineers announced they were joining the Big 12 on Oct. 28 and filed a lawsuit three days later. By February, WVU and the Big East reached a settlement.

Now Pittsburgh wants out a year early without any consequences. And Syracuse is ‘keeping its options open’ to resolve its future in the Big East.

rjgery@syr.edu

Published on May 15, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu