Syracuse agrees to early buyout from Big East

The Big East Conference revealed today in a press release that Syracuse will move to the ACC a year earlier than expected.

After announcing a move to the ACC last September, it was expected that both Syracuse and the University of Pittsburgh would be required to wait 27 months before exiting the conference. This original course of action would have allowed both schools to join the ACC for the 2014-2015 academic year.

News of the move strained the relationships between officials from both schools and the Big East, which resulted in an agreement for early termination of Syracuse's membership. The Orange will now leave the Big East effective July 1, 2013, just under 22 months after the move was announced. In exchange for its early termination, Syracuse has agreed to pay the Big East a $7.5 million settlement.

“We look forward to the new academic and athletic partnerships and the extraordinary competitive opportunities that membership in the ACC offers," Dr. Daryl Gross, Director of Athletics for Syracuse University, said in the press release. "We are excited about both our final season in the Big East and our long-term future with the ACC.”

Syracuse is now slated to join the ACC in the fall of 2013 and will participate in its final Big East season this year. There has been no announcement from the University of Pittsburgh regarding a similar buyout agreement.

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