The major re-alignment that affects seven conferences will take place in 2005-06 -- and not in the fall of 2004 -- because conference commissioners failed to produce a financial resolution to pay Conference USA to move up the process by a year. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese told ESPN.com that he informed his schools' presidents that he was shutting down negotiations with Conference USA. He had been trying to speed the transition of C-USA members Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette, DePaul and South Florida to the Big East. Those schools will replace replace Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College, which are leaving for the ACC. As a result, Miami and Virginia Tech will be the only major conference teams that will switch conferences in 2004-05. Those two schools met a June 30, 2003, deadline to leave the Big East and join the ACC, with Boston College invited after the deadline. Tranghese said the Eagles will play in the Big East in all sports for the 2004-05 season before leaving for the ACC in 2005-06. Link
