Source: Pittsburgh to Big Ten rumor 'complete fabrication'
Rumors over the last 24 hours that Pittsburgh would leave the Big East to head to the Big Ten as part of the expansion process Big Ten officials announced last year.
One problem - the rumor is false.
“Complete fabrication,” a source within the Pittsburgh athletic department said Monday. “Completely and utterly not true.”
The rumor gained gain steam Sunday through Internet message boards and Twitter, saying the Panthers would be the 12th team in the Big Ten and that an announcement could come as early as this week.
The Big Ten had no comment when reached Monday and referred to its initial comment on expansion it sent out in December.
But it doesn’t mean Pitt was going to sit by and let it go.
“It is not true,” the source said. “It appears to be a case of textbook Internet fabrication.”
Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.
Comments
Freedom2010
Mon, Feb 1, 2010 : 6:30 p.m.
A U of M source states that something big is going to be announced on Friday. Speculation was centered on a coaching change but perhaps it is about Big 10 expansion.