Big East presidents and athletic directors met on Tuesday in Philadelphia to discuss conference expansion, with the presidents of the schools voting unanimously to approve "the process to evaluate the terms and conditions for potential expansion candidates," according to a release.

In a story that ran on Monday in the New York Post, the league’s athletic directors were intent on getting the presidents’ blessing to add teams to the eight-team football conference.

Several sources confirmed a report in the paper last month that TCU is a strong candidate to join the league. Houston, Central Florida, Temple and/or Villanova are other potential candidates.

According to the report, invitations could be issued before the end of the football season. TCU and Central Florida are reportedly very interested

If TCU and Houston were added, the Big East would gain TV viewership in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston markets, giving Big East programs a recruiting trail in talent-rich Texas.

The league’s non-football playing members, including most of the charter members, did not favor expanding the conference because of its 16-team makeup in sports such as basketball. But there is concern that some of the football members might consider leaving the league if expansion was not on the horizon.

Email dave.miller@nationalfootballpost.com or follow me on Twitter at Miller_Dave