Memphis accepted an invitation to compete in the Big East conference for all sports in 2013 on Wednesday, giving the Big East 12 football schools and solidifying its future. The Tigers became the seventh team to join the conference since December after the Big East lost four schools last fall.

Former New York Jets and Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson has been hired to coach the Syracuse defensive backs, SU athletics announced in a release Wednesday.

Henderson was most recently the secondary coach for Southern University (La.). He has nearly 30 years of coaching experience at the professional and college levels combined. Before his one year at Southern, Henderson worked for pro teams since 1999 and spent 16 years as a college coach before that.

Syracuse and Boston College will be primary basketball partners

Syracuse will compete in the Atlantic Division for football when it joins the Atlantic Coast Conference, the ACC announced on Friday.

The conference announced the future divisions for football and the future scheduling formats for men's and women's basketball and Olympic sports, as approved by the ACC's faculty athletic representatives and athletic directors. Syracuse was placed in the Atlantic Division and Pittsburgh in the Coastal Division for football. 

Greg Adkins and Scott Shafer already had their feet in the door. On Sept. 18, they kicked the door wide open.

With Syracuse's acceptance into the Atlantic Coast Conference, the narrow inroads made by two of the Orange's principle recruiters significantly widened. The ability of potential recruits to play in front of family and friends for ACC conference games only strengthened their pitch.  

Doug Marrone singled out the defensive line in his opening statement.

He was excited that he and the Syracuse coaching staff addressed the needs of the football team. In particular, the defensive line.

Syracuse has hired Steve Morrison as a defensive assistant coach and is not retaining Dan Conley and Jimmy Brumbaugh as assistant coaches.

Conley, Syracuse's linebackers coach for the past four seasons, and Brumbaugh, who worked on the defensive line, are still under contract but will not be on the field with SU next season, Orange head coach Doug Marrone said Wednesday.

Interest in Josh Manley escalated soon after he committed to Syracuse.

Manley, a defensive tackle from Alpharetta, Ga., verbally committed to SU on Jan. 15. Missouri, with a football program transitioning to the powerhouse Southeastern Conference, swooped in to try and flip his commitment. Wake Forest also showed some interest.

Navy joined the Big East conference as a football-only member Tuesday. Navy became the 11th football school in the conference and will begin play in 2015, according to a Big East press release. 

Syracuse linebacker Marquis Spruill will miss 2012 spring football practice due to injury. He suffered a lower-body injury that will require surgery, according to a SU Athletics release on Friday.

Two returning starters for Syracuse will miss 2012 spring practice due to shoulder surgeries. Wide receiver Alec Lemon and cornerback Keon Lyn both will have their statuses for next season evaluated throughout the rehabilitation process, but are out for the spring after the recent operations, according to an SU athletics press release on Thursday.

Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones will forego his senior season of eligibility and enter the 2012 NFL Draft.

Jones, a 6-foot-5, 265-pound defensive end who was an All-Big East First Team selection this season, announced his decision via his Twitter account on Friday afternoon.