Report: Big East in talks with UCF

The Knights may finally be Big East bound.

According to a Boston Globe report, the conference has reached out to UCF as its first target area for expansion. The report, which cited unnamed Big East sources, claims that Big East commissioner John Marinatto and conference officials have contacted Conference USA and UCF officials expressing their interest in the Knights.

"Conference realignment has fans around the country wondering what will happen to their favorite teams," UCF spokesman Grant Heston said. "UCF fans should know that the university continues to work for the best possible outcome for the Knights."

The Knights normally reaffirm their allegiance to their current conference, C-USA. When asked about conference realignment, they haven't been doing so lately and have made their intentions clear that they want to join an automatic-qualifying BCS conference.

Athletic director Keith Tribble tweeted on Sept. 18, "The dominos may begin to fall now," to Boston College athletic director Gene DeFilippo in response to the ACC scooping up Syracuse and Pittsburgh, two Big East teams.

He also sent a conference realignment message through the @UCF_FootballSID account on Sept. 23: "We're doing our work and we'll continue to do it in a way that's fitting of our institution. We're people of integrity and we do things the right way. So those who think there aren't conversations taking place would be wrong."

It is unknown when the Big East will start formally inviting members to their conference, but it is expected that the conference will possibly take action in the coming week with the Knights being their first target.

Assistant athletic director Joe Hornstein confirmed that the Knights are ready and in the best possible position to make a move once an invite is extended.

"I would maintain that Keith Tribble has and will continue to work diligently in ensuring that UCF Athletics is in the best possible position to elevate to an automatic-qualifier status," Hornstein said.