Memphis wants to join the Big East Conference and has hired former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese to help accomplish that goal.
Yet, Tranghese says he cannot single-handedly get Memphis into the Big East or any other Bowl Championship Series conference.
“I’ve been hired to help them evaluate their athletic program, not to get them in a conference,” Tranghese, who was hired Aug. 1, said Wednesday in a phone interview. “I can’t get people into conferences. That’s not what I do.”
MORE BIG EAST NEWS
**Pete Thamel reports that a Yankee Bowl will likely begin in 2010 at Yankee Stadium featuring the 7th-place team from the Big 12 against the third- or fourth-place squad from the Big East.
**Aditi Kinkhabwala reports that Rutgers RB Kordell Young may finally play Saturday against Florida International after missing the first two games with a knee injury.
**Also check out Aditi’s Wednesday morning Big East football links, including a great story in the Cincy Inquirer about DB Marty Gilyard, who got kicked out of school, slept in his car and worked three jobs.
**This isn’t Big East-related but how about Monmouth and St. Peter’s playing a 6 a.m. game on Nov. 17 to fill ESPN’s time slots?
ESPN programmer Nick Dawson told USA Today: “There were definitely schools who weren’t interested. But to my surprise, lots of people were interested.”
**Pitt guard Jermaine Dixon broke his foot a second time and is out eight weeks.
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