Ayrton Oneill
The Big East Conference was a collegiate athletics conference that included 16 universities in the eastern United States from 1979 to 2013. While the conference had a successful history in basketball, with its teams making 18 Final Four appearances and winning 7 NCAA championships, its football program only ran from 1991 to 2013 and caused tension within the conference. In 2013, the non-football playing schools, known as the Catholic 7, separated from the football-playing members and formed a new non-football conference that purchased the Big East Conference name. This decision to focus on basketball and move away from football saved the conference from extinction, allowing the Big East to become a powerhouse in college basketball.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of disbandment | 2013 |
| Date of new formation | 8 March 2013 |
| Schools that separated from FBS football-playing members | DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Villanova |
| Schools that became football-playing members | Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, South Florida, Southern Methodist, and Temple |
| Schools that joined the new Big East | Butler, Creighton, and Xavier |
| Schools that joined later | UConn |
| Reason for disbandment | Tensions between football and basketball-only schools, desire for a more lucrative TV deal |
| Reason for new formation | Returning to the roots of basketball-centric ethos, realistic appraisal of the landscape |
| Benefits of the new formation | Increased revenue sharing, basketball-centric focus, competitive excellence, enhanced NIL opportunities |
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What You'll Learn
The Catholic 7
The remaining football-playing members of the Big East Conference, on the other hand, reconstituted as the American Athletic Conference (AAC). This realignment highlighted the unusual structure of the original Big East Conference, with "football" and "non-football" schools, which had led to instability and tension within the conference for years. The separation of the Catholic 7 from the football-playing schools may have been a bold move, but it allowed the new Big East to return to its basketball-centric roots and focus on basketball excellence and athlete compensation.
The new Big East's decision to prioritize basketball-first decisions was a realistic appraisal of the landscape and a desire for authenticity. The original Big East had a history of success in basketball, with its teams making 18 Final Four appearances and winning 7 NCAA championships through 2013. By ditching football, the new Big East may have positioned itself to become a powerhouse in college basketball, taking advantage of revenue-sharing models and enhanced NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) opportunities for athletes.
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Revenue and TV deals
The Big East Conference was a collegiate athletics conference that consisted of as many as 16 universities in the eastern half of the United States from 1979 to 2013. While the conference had a history of success at the national level in basketball, its unusual structure, with "football" and "non-football" schools", led to instability in the conference. This instability came to a head in 2003 when three Big East schools—Virginia Tech, Miami, and Boston College—moved to the ACC, and several new schools were added to the Big East, including traditional basketball teams DePaul and Marquette, added to gain the Chicago and Milwaukee television markets.
In 2011, the Big East set a record for the most teams sent to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship by a single conference, with eleven out of their sixteen teams qualifying. However, the same year, the conference began to lose members, starting with Syracuse and Pittsburgh leaving for the ACC and West Virginia for the Big 12. This was followed by the departure of Notre Dame for the ACC in 2012, and Louisville for the ACC, creating further instability.
The driving force behind the realignment of the Big East was football revenue and the allure of the Power 5 conferences. As having a football program was seen as the way to generate the greatest revenue, the Big East recognized the need to focus on its basketball-first identity to remain competitive.
In 2013, the non-football playing schools, known as the Catholic 7, separated from the FBS football-playing members and formed a non-football playing conference that purchased the Big East Conference name. The Catholic 7 sought a more lucrative TV deal, which they believed they couldn't get with the football schools. Armed with a new Fox Sports TV contract, the new Big East added Butler, Creighton, and Xavier to their ranks, while retaining the rights to play their men's basketball tournament in Madison Square Garden.
The Big East's renewed focus on basketball has resulted in increased revenue-sharing, with schools expected to allocate substantial funds directly to men's basketball players, surpassing other major conferences. Without the need to divide resources between football and basketball, Big East schools can concentrate their revenue on basketball, leading to better facilities, coaching, and development opportunities for basketball athletes.
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The allure of Power 5
The Power 5 conferences, with their focus on major college football, offered the prospect of greater financial stability and windfalls for member schools. As football grew in power and financial stature, it became increasingly clear that having a football program was essential to maximising revenue. This was a key consideration for many schools, including those within the Big East, which had a unique structure with both "football" and "non-football" schools.
The addition of football caused significant turmoil within the Big East, with football and non-football schools having differing interests and priorities. The football schools were attracted by the potential financial gains from television contracts and the allure of the Power 5 conferences. This led to a months-long public tug-of-war between the Big East and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) over several Big East members. As a result, three Big East schools—Virginia Tech, Miami, and Boston College—moved to the ACC, while several other schools joined the Big East, ensuring the league kept the minimum number of teams needed to maintain its BCS bid.
The instability within the Big East continued, with several football-centric members departing for other conferences between 2010 and 2012, including Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and Notre Dame. This led to a complete realignment of the Big East in 2013, with the non-football playing schools, known as the Catholic 7, forming a separate conference that purchased the Big East Conference name. The remaining football-playing members became the American Athletic Conference (AAC), retaining the Big East's football structure and its single automatic berth in the Bowl Championship Series.
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Conference stability
The Big East Conference was a collegiate athletics conference that consisted of up to 16 universities in the eastern United States from 1979 to 2013. The conference had a history of success in basketball, making 18 Final Four appearances and winning seven NCAA championships as Big East members through 2013.
However, the addition of football caused turmoil within the conference between football and non-football schools. In 2003, this tension resulted in three Big East schools—Virginia Tech, Miami, and Boston College—moving to the ACC, while five schools moved to the Big East from Conference USA. The driving force behind these changes was football revenue and the allure of the Power 5 conferences.
The unusual structure of the Big East, with "football" and "non-football" schools, led to instability in the conference. This instability was further exacerbated by the departure of several football-centric members starting in 2011, including Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and Notre Dame.
In 2013, the non-football playing schools, known as the Catholic 7, unanimously voted to leave the existing Big East and form a non-football playing conference that purchased the Big East Conference name. This decision was made due to a desire for a more lucrative TV deal, which they believed they couldn't achieve with the football schools.
The remaining football-playing members joined with four other schools to become the American Athletic Conference (AAC), retaining the Big East's football structure and its single automatic berth in the Bowl Championship Series.
The new Big East's decision to prioritize basketball-first was rooted in a realistic appraisal of the landscape and a desire for authenticity. By removing football, the Big East schools were able to focus their resources and attention on basketball, leading to better facilities, coaching, and development opportunities for basketball athletes.
The renewed focus on basketball excellence and athlete compensation presented significant advantages for basketball players in the new Big East. With revenue sharing, Big East schools may gain an edge over Power Five conferences, particularly in basketball. Unlike schools with major football programs, most Big East schools can allocate a larger share of their resources directly to basketball.
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Athlete compensation
The Big East Conference was a collegiate athletics conference that included 16 universities in the eastern United States from 1979 to 2013. The conference had a successful history in basketball, with its teams making 18 Final Four appearances and winning 7 NCAA championships. However, its shorter football program, which operated from 1991 to 2013, resulted in two national championships.
The unusual structure of the Big East, with "football" and "non-football" schools", led to instability in the conference. Tensions between the football and basketball-only schools erupted into a public conflict with the Atlantic Coast Conference, resulting in the departure of three Big East schools. Despite efforts to retain football schools, the growing importance of football from a revenue perspective, especially during television contract negotiations, continued to cause turmoil.
The new Big East, formed in 2013, prioritized basketball-first decisions, recognizing that football-centric members had been leaving the conference for years. This shift allowed for a more concentrated allocation of resources and attention to basketball, improving facilities, coaching, and development opportunities for basketball athletes.
With revenue sharing, Big East schools can direct a larger share of their resources toward basketball players, surpassing other major conferences. The conference's prominence and media exposure also attract lucrative Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals for athletes.
The Big East's renewed focus on basketball excellence and athlete compensation presents significant advantages for basketball players.
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Frequently asked questions
The Big East Conference was a collegiate athletics conference that consisted of as many as 16 universities in the eastern half of the United States from 1979 to 2013.
The Big East Conference ended due to the growing importance of football from a revenue-generating standpoint. This led to a split between the football-playing schools and the basketball-playing schools, with the former believing their interests were no longer aligned with the latter.
The non-football playing schools, known as the Catholic 7, formed a non-football playing conference that purchased the Big East Conference name. The remaining football-playing members joined with other schools to become the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
The new Big East Conference has experienced a resurgence in college basketball due to its primary emphasis on basketball, allowing for more concentrated resources and attention. This has led to better facilities, coaching, and development opportunities for basketball athletes, as well as increased revenue-sharing for basketball players.
