Pitt to Big Ten? Missouri rejected? Rumors! Speculation!

Message-board rumors over the weekend had the University of Pittsburgh joining the Big Ten athletic conference this week.

If it’s true — and I’m tempted to say: not so fast, my friends — then the University of Missouri would be on the outside looking in — unless the Big Ten is expanding to more than 12 teams. (There are already 11 in the conference.)

Ohio State blog Buckeye Banter reported rumors that Pitt athletes were told over the weekend of the jump from the Big East and claimed an announcement could come as early as Thursday. But Buckeye Banter noted it was just a rumor.

Enter Missouri homer and Kansas City Star reporter Mike DeArmond, who noted the speculation on the Star‘s Campus Corner blog.

Then someone posted a rumor-killing Twitter post from Pitt associate athletic director E.J. Borghetti in the comments section of DeArmond’s post. Here’s what Borghetti wrote on Twitter: “Now hear this: rumors on Internet message boards should be read for amusement purposes only, and not consumed as responsible journalism.”

DeArmond likely breathed a sigh of relief since he has been the biggest cheerleader of a Missouri jump from the Big 12 to the Big Ten.