From the AD’s Q&A:

Q: This May 16 will mark the third-year anniversary of your Pitt appointment. People might forget the fact that when you arrived at Pitt one of your first big challenges was the viability of the Big East, which was about to lose three key members. Three years later the conference is not only on stable ground but thriving. What are your thoughts about the future of the league and its unique structure?

JL: Once we recovered from having the wind knocked out of us, so to speak, when those teams departed, we regrouped and strategically planned for the future of the Big East. When we made the decision to add the new teams, we plotted a course that we genuinely believed would bring us back to an extremely powerful conference in not only basketball but football as well. I think we’re way ahead of schedule. Some developments that will be announced later this year will speak to the strength of the Big East. People will know that we’re a serious player and here to stay. I couldn’t be more pleased with the progress of our conference. I couldn’t be more pleased with the support and strength our chancellors and presidents have lent to the athletic directors in the conference. In the not-to-distant future we’ll see further evidence of an even stronger Big East, stronger than what many thought we could ever accomplish.

[Emphasis added.]

Hopefully he isn’t simply referring to the expected semi-SEC-Big East basketball challenge which will rotate 4 teams each year. Nor should he be referring to the next TV contract which will primarily on the back of the basketball offerings. The basketball portion of the BE is not in doubt. Oooh, WVU headlines the inaugural ESPNU Classic. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

The Q&A also touches on the new bowl tie-ins. While promoting 5-6 possible bowl bids for the 8 team conference, it doesn’t mention the risk of downgrading non-con schedules by the member schools in an effort to insure being bowl eligible. Something the Big East really can’t afford to do. If the conference wants to get beyond looking like the runt of the BCS litter, the member schools need to be aggressive in scheduling. Taking some risks and playing a respectable schedule (that means you, Hoopies).