NEWARK, N.J -- Connecticut will become a full-time football member of the Big East Conference next year, and the league won't add any new schools before the 2005-06 season.

The decisions were made after meetings of presidents and athletic directors of the Big East's football playing schools.

"The group reaffirmed its commitment to remain a strong and highly competitive I-A conference,'' Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said Thursday. "We formally moved up the timeline for integrating Connecticut into our schedules as one of the league's full-time playing members for the 2004 season.''

UConn football coach Randy Edsall said the move will help him recruit.

"Now we can tell kids that we are in the Big East Conference as of 2004; we're in a BCS conference and we have a chance to play for a conference championship,'' he said.

With Miami and Virginia Tech off to the Atlantic Coast Conference beginning with the 2004 season, the Big East will have seven football-playing schools -- one short of the required eight needed by the 2005 season to remain a I-A conference.

Each team will play a modified six-game conference schedule in 2004, that will include three home games, said UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway.

Temple will drop out of the Big East after the 2004 season, leaving the Big East to add two new members to retain its I-A conference status.

"We agreed that any new member or members would not be invited to begin participation before the 2005-2006 season,'' Tranghese said.

Hathaway said he is confident the Huskies can be an immediate contributor to the football conference.

"The University of Connecticut always brings something to the table,'' Hathaway said.