[Tuck4Bama]

The Big East desperately needs to expand its football ranks. But where does the league turn?

The report in The New York Post last week that the conference was going to gauge the interest of Maryland and Boston College from the ACC brought the idea to the forefront once again.

Both schools have denied any contact with the Big East. Quite frankly, the idea that two schools in a bigger, more lucrative conference would join the Big East is too far-fetched, even if they fit better geographically in that conference's footprint.

But what's not far-fetched is Big East expansion. Let's be clear about one thing: this is all about money, much more than prestige. While finding the "perfect" fit of a school with a football tradition is ideal, the conference needs at least one more team for financial reasons.

First and foremost is scheduling. With eight football-playing teams, the Big East is the smallest BCS conference and suffers from unbalanced schedules.

Big East should look to UCF for expansion -- OrlandoSentinel.com