Big East Expansion: Rick Pitino Touts Temple, Calls Out ACC, Is Rick Pitino

Read More: Louisville Cardinals, Temple Owls

The Temple Owls have been talking up their eventual return to the Big East for months now. As talk of the prodigal program's realignment grows, Louisville Cardinals coach Rick Pitino has thoughts on this matter and other matters. You will not be surprised by his thoughts:

Admit Temple immediately. They have a highly competitive football program with outstanding basketball tradition. They are a past BIG EAST member and an excellent school academically. And as all my friends say in Philadelphia, they are located in BIG EAST territory.

Offer Air Force, Navy, and Army to join in football only.

Sit down with Villanova and ask them to make a major commitment to football.

All of those schools have been tied to the Big East in one way or another, save Army. Navy and Air Force are supposed to join aaaany minute now, and Nova's onboarding was recently put on hold for now, though the Wildcats have also reportedly made eyes at the ACC. (That won't amount to anything.)

And you might disagree with some of what Pitino has to say about the ACC's additions of the Syracuse Orange and Pittsburgh Panthers, but this is not all that far off:

If my information is correct, the ACC, namely certain basketball coaches, did not like the amount of exposure BIG EAST basketball was getting nationally and the amount of tournament teams selected the past couple of seasons. Their feelings were made known at conference meetings. Now true or untrue, you can't tell me that Pitt and Syracuse are making ACC football significantly better. In the last few years, they have laid off more football staff coaches than Bank of America did with its employees last week.   

For more on Big East realignment, check out Big East Coast Bias.