Reading this, really, really pisses me off.

A month ago at Big East media day, Commissioner Michael Tranghese said a decision on the matter would be made by early September because it was the conference’s first step toward rebuilding after the loss of Miami and Virginia Tech to the Atlantic Coast Conference. At the time the split was widely thought of as being inevitable.

“I’m not sure that is still the timetable because [a split] is a much more complicated issue than anyone would think,” Long said. “And let me say this split is not a foregone conclusion. The discussions now are more about perhaps the possibility of [the Big East] staying together and all the schools working together to becoming a stronger conference.”

Long did not comment on whether or not he or the university was in favor of a split but said that Pitt’s status as one of the top remaining football programs in the conference gives it a position of strength within the negotiations.

I was heartened when I first read that the Big East was going to do what it had to do. I mean even Smizik in the Post-Gazette can realize it. As soon as the ACC raid started, I was saying this. And I realize, this could merely be posturing and soothing hurt feelings of b-ball only ADs in the Big East, but so what. If they even try to go to some 16 team monstrosity with 8 football/b-ball schools and 8 b-ball only schools it will be the ugliest, worst thing for Pitt.

As it stands now, Pitt has to wait and hope the Big 11 comes calling for Pitt fans to actually feel any real long term hope of the program thriving. Right now, every month brings a new fear that the BCS will push out the Big East and Pitt.