University Times

Pitt has filed suit against the Big East Conference in an attempt to withdraw from the conference at the conclusion of the 2012-13 year.

Conference rules state that a departing member institution must give 27 months’ notice, but Big East officials recently allowed West Virginia University to leave and Texas Christian University (TCU) to renege on its commitment to join the conference with less notice, the suit said.

“By failing to require WVU to provide 27 months’ notice of withdrawal, the Big East knowingly and intentionally waived any right to enforce a 27-month withdrawal period,” Pitt’s May 11 Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas complaint states.

Pitt has been seeking an earlier withdrawal date since the University announced last September it was leaving the Big East to join the Atlantic Coast Conference. (See Sept. 29 University Times.)

Negotiations with Big East officials appear to have broken down, according to a statement released by the Pitt athletics department.

“Although the Big East’s stated position is that we must stay through the 2013-14 season, the Big East acknowledged publicly that a discussion of our departure after the 2012-13 season was appropriate,” Pitt’s statement said in part. “A few weeks ago, [Pitt athletics director] Steve Pederson met with [then-conference commissioner] John Marinatto to begin the process to work toward an exit after this upcoming academic year. The commissioner indicated that he was doing this with the authorization of the chair of the Big East presidents. However, attempts to contact the Big East in the following weeks to move the process forward have been unsuccessful, leading us to conclude that negotiations would not occur.”

Marinatto, Big East commissioner since 2009, resigned from the position May 7.

In addition to the earlier departure date, Pitt is seeking damages due to lost revenue from canceled home football games against WVU and TCU, plus the cost of filling those game dates with other opponents, as well as court costs and other unspecified damages.

Pitt’s statement further said, “We are confident in our position as stated in the complaint, but believe that this matter is best resolved between the parties. We have notified the Big East of this action, and continue to hope that our departure can be accommodated through private negotiations.”

Big East spokesperson John Paquette said the conference was willing to negotiate Pitt’s earlier withdrawal. “We have stated previously that the Big East would be open to the possibility for Pitt to depart after the [2012-13] season and have reached out to Pitt,” he said. “Pitt’s filing of a lawsuit is a disappointing action.”

—Peter Hart