THE SIDELINES : Big East Conference Planning to Form 4-Team Football League

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Big East Conference said today that it will form a four-team football league and will talk individually with four others--Rutgers, Temple, Virginia Tech and West Virginia--about joining.

They could join Boston College, Miami, Pittsburgh and Syracuse for football only. The Big East’s other members--Connecticut, Georgetown, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Villanova--don’t have Division I-A football programs.

Commissioner Michael Tranghese said football will be added to the Big East schedule next year.

The meetings with the four schools not now part of the Big East probably will be held in mid-January, he said. Those schools, if they join, will play only football and will not join what will be a 10-team basketball conference with next year’s addition of Miami.