MILWAUKEE – The Conference USA Board of Directors met by teleconference on Wednesday to discuss the topic of realignment, brought about following the Atlantic Coast Conference’s decision to expand by adding both Miami and Virginia Tech from the Big East late last month.

In simple terms the board, consisting mostly of university presidents, discussed how to proceed with talks with the Big East as the two leagues mull the possibility of joining forces.

“I am very pleased with the support and the direction that we have received from our membership and their desire to make sure we address these issues in a strategic and responsible way,” Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky said in a statement. “While there may be changes on the horizon, we are comfortable knowing that any future changes will not be effective prior to the 2005-2006 academic year.

“Obviously, we will continue to explore ways to strengthen the conference and serve the collective best interests of our members.”

A report Wednesday in the New York Times suggested Big East schools that play football could merge with several Conference USA schools that play football to form a new conference. Syracuse, Boston College, Rutgers, West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Temple all take part in football in the Big East, with Connecticut expected to join in 2005 in place of Temple.

Conference USA schools that feature football programs are Louisville, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Texas Christian, South Florida, Southern Mississippi, Alabama-Birmingham, Houston, Memphis, Tulane and Army.

At the same time, the report said some Big East colleges that play basketball but do not play Div. I football would then merge with CUSA non-football colleges to form another conference. St. John’s, Seton Hall, Notre Dame, Villanova and Georgetown of the Big East could join Marquette, DePaul, Saint Louis and Charlotte.

of Conference USA.

Senior vice president Greg Kliebhan represented Marquette on the conference call, taking the place of university president Father Robert Wild, who is out of town. Kliebhan declined to comment on the teleconference. University spokesman Ben Tracy said simply, “In the end we are committed to Conference USA and our goal is to make Conference USA better.”

Athletic director Bill Cords, who didn’t take part in the teleconference but has been involved in the ongoing realignment talks, didn’t shed much light on the matter, either.

“I don’t really think there’s anything more to say other than we’re committed to Conference USA and there’s a lot of speculation going on right now about what’s going to happen,” he said. “I do think that what happened with the Big East and the ACC was unfortunate, but at the same time I think it’s raised the level of awareness of all the conferences across the country.”

The board also reaffirmed its commitment to adhering to the existing Conference USA bylaws, which prohibit any member from withdrawing prior to June 30, 2005. Still, plans for realignment could be finalized in the next few months.

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Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

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AP-NY-07-09-03 2312EDT