John Marinatto, Commissioner of the Big East since July 2009, has stepped down from his post. Joseph Bailey will take over with an interim tag. Bailey has previously worked with the Miami Dolphins (CEO) and Dallas Cowboys (Administrative VP).

Here's Johnny Boy on his decision:

"Our recent expansion efforts have stabilized the conference for the long term, and we are likewise well positioned for our very important upcoming television negotiations," Marinatto said in the news release. "As a result, I felt this was the right time to step aside and to let someone else lead us through the next chapter of our evolution."

Here's our reaction:

Thoughts everyone?

The Big East's press conference to admit Temple just wrapped up at Madison Square Garden, and I can't help but smile at the potential this entire situation brings if the introductory press conference is any indication. It all started with the moderator announcing Judy Genshaft (why was she there?) as the President of the University of Florida (a place that doesn't exist), and only picked up steam from there.

Here's a quick breakdown of what each person said, or at least what I think they said. I kind of was going in and out laughing.

Big East Commissioner John Marinatto

A complete stroking of Villanova being instrumental to the process of getting Temple into the conference. Says Villanova initiated the motion to bring Temple aboard (yeah, right). Can't tell us enough how great Villanova is. Says that it couldn't have been done with Villanova. Throws around a lot of stats about market-share and television audiences. Wants to know where the sandwiches are.

South Florida President Judy Genshaft

Not sure she knows that this is a Temple press conference. Pretty much talks about Villanova the entire time and stares at Father Donohue like he's an actual God. Clearly just happy to be there.

Villanova President Father Peter Donohue

Continues to stroke Villanova, saying how great of a conference member they are. Says he's excited to bring the Temple-Villanova rivalry to a whole new level. Says that the Big East has made a commitment to Villanova to help them explore the possibility of FBS football.

Temple Trustee Lewis Katz

Pretty sure he's drunk. He has no notes like everyone else does. Talking about whatever he wants, and then some. Doesn't thank Villanova. I hate this guy, but I love this guy. Takes multiple pot-shots at Villanova's FCS football program. He also says that if Villanova ever wants to come to Big East for football, Temple is 100% behind it. Odds he was at Stout 5 minutes before this thing started are 5/2.

Temple Athletic Director Bill Bradshaw

Very thankful to everyone, and every excited to come to the Big East. Thanks Villanova a bunch. Says that they cannot wait to get started. Very classy, but didn't say too much. Or maybe it was just because he followed Katz and there was no way he was upstaging that.

Temple Football Coach Steve Addazio

Also completely off the script. Clearly had a red bull before he got on stage. Very excited, almost too excited. I feel like if somebody had asked a question he didn't like he would have form-tackled them. I love Addazio (close family friend) and am happy he's in the Big East. He's a good coach, but I worry that he is using Temple as a stepping-stone to the next job.

The big takeaways:

- Villanova is still exploring the Big East. The Big East has hired consultants to help figure out how Villanova and Temple will co-exist in the same conference.

- Temple would completely support Villanova joining the Big East in football.

- Lewis Katz is diabolical, and we should keep an eye on his movements.

According to sources from Brett McMurphy, the Temple Owls have been voted into the Big East Conference. Temple will join the conference as a football member for the upcoming 2012 season, but will wait until 2013 to join for all other sports.

Temple will reportedly pay the MAC an exit fee of $1 million. It would have cost the school $2 million if they wanted to join in 2012 for all sports.

Good for the conference, good for the Villanova-Temple rivalry. But this is not good for Villanova.They've lost their stronghold on the Philadelphia market to a cross-town rival, and have gotten absolutely nothing in return.

The Villanova administration, as they've done throughout the entire conference expansion process, has completely shit the bed. But, you shouldn't have expected anything more from 'Nova.

John Marinatto recently completed a scheduled conference call with the media following last night's meeting between the Big East presidents where they increased the exit fee from $5 million to $10 million, contingent on the fact that either Navy or Air Force join.

Below are some highlights from the call, which we were able to listen in on.

Marinatto confirms the increase in exit fee from last night's meeting from $5 to $10 million contingent on Navy or Air Force joining, but adds a caveat that most of us assumed meant that if anyone left today, they'd be paying the $10 million fee.

Translation: If somebody left today, we're not quite sure if they would have to pay $5 or $10 million. And Marinatto might not be either.

Marinatto says he cannot specifically discuss the schools the conference is talking to. Despite the fact that they've raised the exit fee contingent on Air Force and/or Navy joining.

Translation: He doesn't want to jinx anything by saying their names out loud.

Marinatto says there is no time frame for adding anybody to the conference. Ya know, cause this apparently isn't dire yet.

Translation: He still has no clue.

Marinatto says that the league will emerge from this "stronger than ever."

Translation: Somebody check what he's drinking out of that Long John Silver's go-cup.

Marinatto says Notre Dame and their president Father John Jenkins have been instrumental in working side by side with everybody, because they want to stay in the Big East.

Translation: ND doesn't want to have to go through the process of finding a new conference to take their Olympic sports without any leverage.

Marinatto says if the conference gets to 12 football teams, he'd like to have the championship game in New York City.

Translation: He's yelling NYC from the rooftops in the hopes that fans will come to the northeast to watch football in December.

Marinatto says Pittsburgh and Syracuse will not be leaving before the 27 months is up, no matter what - even if it means a 14 team football league.

Translation: He hate those bastards, and he's doing this for spite.

According to a report from Brett McMurphy, the conference members voted to increase the league exit fee from $5 million to $10 million, contingent on either Navy or Air Force joining the conference. The vote was unanimous.

It is expected that the increased financial commitment from the current members is enough to entice either Navy or Air Force (or both) to join the conference as football-only members. However, it news that broke just an hour or so before the scheduled call between the Big East presidents, the New York Times reported that  a university official with knowledge of the situation confirmed Missouri leaving the Big 12 for the SEC was nearly a done deal.

The person said that Missouri’s decision to apply for membership to the SEC was "inevitable and imminent," although a specific timeframe has yet to be set. Missouri’s Board of Curators will meet on Thursday and Friday at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where the process of withdrawing from the Big 12 and applying to the SEC is expected to begin.

Conventional wisdom would suggest that neither Navy or Air Force will accept a Big East invitation so long as Louisville (and/or West Virginia and Cincinnati) are targets of the SEC and remain uncommitted to the Big East. In reality, the difference between $5 and $10 million is minimal to those schools considering the increase in revenue that a switch in conference would bring for them at this point.

So another night, no real news. The story continues to be that without commitment, this conference isn't going to be saved.

According to Brett McMurphy of CBS Sports, the Big East is preparing to extend invites to Boise State, Central Florida, Navy and Air Force as early as next week. Boise State would obviously be a home run for the conference and almost ensure that it retains it's AQ status with the BCS. However, this has always been contingent on the Big East members committing to the conference. According to McMurphy, we might be nearing that point.

On Sunday the Big East's presidents and chancellors are expected to vote and approve an increased exit fee of at least $10 million for football members. That’s double the current amount ($5 million), but less than what Marinatto proposed in an Oct. 2 meeting. In that meeting there were discussions to increase the exit fee to "150 percent of the gross revenues received by a departing team in its final year in the league," according to league documents obtained by CBSSports.com.

That potential increase in exit fee is reportedly what Villanova has been waiting for (along with a team like Boise State to join to help increase TV revenue) to tell the Big East they are fully committed to moving to FBS football. Whether the league would want Villanova remains to be seen (and best guesses are they do not) - but at least this will give Villanova the chance to take themselves away from the lukewarm stance they've been holding in no position of power.

The addition of those 4 schools to the conference would bring the total football number to 10 schools - leaving 2 spots to get the conference to its desired 12 football-members. Villanova could potentially get one of those spots, but according to McMurphy, they may not be involved.

Houston, SMU and Temple are being considered for the final two spots. However, one source said Houston and SMU are expected to get the final two spots because of Villanova’s concerns about adding Temple into the league.

The key part there is that Temple would not be coming at all. That would have to be considered a win for 'Nova - as that scenario allows them to keep the Philadelphia market in the Big East to themselves. But it does kill the FBS football move.

What are everyone's thoughts on this scenario?

According to Mike Jensen of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Big East is moving towards a model that includes Temple as a football-only member, and no FBS football for Villanova.

According to a Big East source, Villanova hasn't tried to put up an "over our dead body" block on Temple for joining the league for all sports but made it known they'd prefer that Big East basketball not include two schools sharing the same market.

Villanova appears vehemently opposed (and rightly so) to adding Temple for basketball too. Why should they? They were jerked around by the Big East for football - and now their conference partners want to add another team in the same market. No go, according to 'Nova.

"It's about the strategy of expansion and how markets fit in," said a Villanova source.

(You have no idea how comforting it is to know that somebody gets this at Villanova)

Temple fans will cry foul about an uneven playing field - but if you want the basketball playing field to be even, football needs to be too. And if the Big East isn't willing to extend that olive branch, Villanova should be opposed to sharing their dominance in the Philadelphia market, a known hoops haven. So no, Villanova isn't scared of Temple. They're just being savvy and not giving up a territory that they dominate with nothing in return.

As Jensen points out in the article, Villanova has support in their stance. The basketball schools aren't going to piss all over a program that has made them a lot of money in recent years. Plus, other Big East programs recruit Philadelphia. Adding another program in that market just makes life harder for them as well.

It remains to be seen where this goes, but you would think Temple isn't happy about the prospect of being a football-only member. They want to be fully invited to a better conference. You can't blame them.

But I also know this. If Temple football joins - that's it for Villanova's FBS football dreams. They'll never get another invite from the conference, because they'll already have the Philadelphia market covered (by a school who's already been kicked out once, mind you). Shame on our administration if they let Temple into the conference in any way without also getting an invite to join for football.

According to an article by Tom Luicci in the New Jersey Star-Ledger, Villanova is blocking Temple from becoming an all-sports member of the Big East. As Luicci puts it:

Villanova spent part of yesterday’s (Tuesday's) conference call undermining Temple as an expansion candidate, saying it would accept the Owls as a football member only. The football schools want Temple as an all-sports addition.

First off, I completely believe this - and I can't blame Villanova at all. Right now they, along with the 7 other basketball schools, hold the power of the vote in the conference. They find themselves in a rare position where they have leverage, and they should use it

And for those crying over the basketball schools ruining the Big East, keep in mind that apparently the football schools don't want to ensure the future of the conference, otherwise the exit fees would have been raised from $5 million weeks ago.

The basketball schools proposed doubling the exit penalty to $10 million while also asking for a 15-year commitment. The football schools have flatly rejected that, causing a bigger fissure between the two sides.

The 15-year committment is ridiculous in my opinion - but several of the basketball schools are facing basketball execution ('Nova, Georgetown, St. John's, and Marquette excluded). Can't blame them for swinging for the fences on that one.

Now for the fun part of all this. The NY Post is reporting that Villanova "bashed" Temple to Marinatto. Sounds like they're frustrated. Again, can't blame them after what the Big East put them through. The Philadelphia Daily News put it a bit lighter, saying that Villanova's message to the Big East was clear - they are the Philadelphia team (not Temple) that the Big East craves.

After The Jump, we'll dive into why this is a dicey situation for Villanova.

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