Ayrton Oneill
The Big East Conference (BIG EAST) is a collegiate athletic conference competing in NCAA Division I across a variety of sports, including basketball. The conference was founded in 1979 by Providence College basketball coach Dave Gavitt, with the aim of creating an east coast basketball-centric collegiate athletic conference. The original conference included colleges such as Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, Syracuse, Seton Hall, Connecticut (UConn), and others. Over time, the conference evolved and expanded, with new members joining and some colleges opting to leave. In 2013, the conference underwent a significant change when the Catholic Seven members, including DePaul, Georgetown, and Villanova, voted to separate from the football-playing schools and form a new conference focused on basketball. This new conference retained the Big East name, logos, and basketball traditions, while also welcoming additional colleges. Today, the Big East Conference continues to be a prominent athletic conference, with member institutions located across several states and a rich history in collegiate athletics, particularly in basketball.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year founded | 1979 |
| Founder | Providence College basketball coach Dave Gavitt |
| Original members | Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, Syracuse, Seton Hall, Connecticut (UConn), Boston College (BC), Villanova, and Pittsburgh |
| Current members | DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's, Villanova, Butler, Creighton, Xavier, and UConn |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Sports | 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports |
| Level | NCAA Division I |
| Championships won | Men's basketball, women's cross country, field hockey, men's lacrosse, and men's soccer |
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What You'll Learn
The original Big East Conference
The "high point" of the original conference is widely considered to be the 1985 NCAA tournament, in which Georgetown, St. Johns, and Villanova all made the Final Four, with Villanova defeating Georgetown to win the national championship. The conference remained largely unchanged until 1991, when it began sponsoring football, adding Miami as a full member, and Rutgers, Temple, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia as football-only members.
In the early years of the Big East football conference, the University of Miami dominated, winning nine of the first thirteen championships and two national championships in 1991 and 2001. Virginia Tech also performed well, winning the conference in 1995, 1996, and 1999, when they also earned a No. 2 national ranking. West Virginia and Syracuse were the only other teams to win conference titles during the league's original alignment.
In 2004, the conference experienced a major reconstruction when Miami and Virginia Tech left for the Atlantic Coast Conference, followed by Boston College in 2005. In 2010, the Big East asked Villanova to consider becoming a football member, but the school ultimately decided not to pursue this offer due to the significant budget and stadium requirements. In 2011, Syracuse and Pittsburgh announced they would be leaving the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference, and in 2012, the Big East's seven non-FBS schools, known as the "Catholic 7," voted unanimously to separate from the football-playing schools, leading to the split of the conference in 2013.
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The 'Catholic Seven'
The "Catholic Seven", or "Catholic 7", refers to a group of seven Catholic colleges that were members of the original Big East Conference. These colleges are DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Villanova.
The Big East Conference was founded in 1979 by Providence College basketball coach Dave Gavitt, who wanted to create an east coast basketball-centric collegiate athletic conference. The "Catholic Seven" were all members of this original conference, four of them being charter members.
In 2012, the "Catholic Seven" announced their decision to split from the Big East Conference and form their own league, citing a desire to return to Gavitt's original vision of a strong, Northeast-based, and basketball-focused conference. They were also motivated by the prospect of a better television deal than what they would have received by remaining with the football schools. The "Catholic Seven" officially left the Big East Conference in June 2013, retaining the Big East Conference name, logos, and the right to hold their Big East Men's Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
The new "Big East" conference, formed by the "Catholic Seven", added Butler, Creighton, and Xavier as members, with Dayton and Saint Louis also being considered for addition to the league.
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Big East Conference members and locations
The Big East Conference, founded in 1979, is an American collegiate athletic association with a strong basketball focus. The conference has undergone several realignments, with members departing and joining over the years. As of 2020, the members of the Big East Conference and their locations are as follows:
- Butler University: Located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Butler joined the Big East Conference in 2013 along with Creighton and Xavier.
- University of Connecticut (UConn): UConn is based in Storrs, Connecticut. After leaving the conference in 2013, UConn rejoined in 2020.
- Creighton University: Creighton is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and became a member of the Big East in 2013.
- DePaul University: DePaul is a member of the Big East Conference, located in Chicago, Illinois.
- Georgetown University: Based in Washington, D.C., Georgetown is one of the original members of the conference, joining in 1979.
- Marquette University: Marquette is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is part of the Big East Conference.
- Providence College: Providence, located in Providence, Rhode Island, was one of the seven eastern institutions that founded the conference in 1979.
- St. John's University: St. John's is another founding member of the Big East, based in New York City, New York.
- Seton Hall University: Seton Hall, located in South Orange, New Jersey, accepted the invitation to join the conference in 1979.
- Villanova University: Villanova, located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, joined the conference shortly after its founding in 1979.
- Xavier University: Xavier, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, joined the Big East Conference in 2013.
The Big East Conference has a notable history in collegiate athletics, particularly in basketball, and its members have experienced both stability and change over the years.
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Big East Conference sports
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that was founded in 1979 by Providence College basketball coach Dave Gavitt. Gavitt spearheaded an effort to assemble an east coast basketball-centric collegiate athletic conference. The core of the Big East formed when Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, and Syracuse invited Seton Hall, Connecticut (UConn), Holy Cross, Rutgers, and Boston College (BC) to join. Holy Cross and Rutgers initially turned down the invitation, while BC, Seton Hall, and UConn accepted. Villanova and Pittsburgh joined the conference shortly thereafter.
The Big East Conference competes in NCAA Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. The conference was officially recognized as a Division I multi-sport conference on August 1, 2013, and since then, conference members have won NCAA national championships in men's basketball, women's cross country, field hockey, men's lacrosse, and men's soccer.
The conference has an unusual structure, with "football" and "non-football" schools, which has led to instability in the conference. In 2012, the Big East's seven non-FBS schools – DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Villanova – voted to separate from the Big East football-playing schools, citing a desire to return to Gavitt's original vision of a strong, Northeast-based and basketball-focused conference. These schools, referred to as the "'Catholic 7'", retained the Big East Conference name, logos, and the right to hold their Big East Men's Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
The Big East Conference has since added several new members, including Butler, Creighton, Xavier, and the University of Connecticut (UConn). UConn is the only member with a varsity football team in the top-level Division I FBS. The conference also has associate members in field hockey, men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse.
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Big East Conference history
The Big East Conference (BIG EAST) is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. It was founded in 1979 by Providence College basketball coach Dave Gavitt, who became the conference's first commissioner. The core of the Big East formed when Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, and Syracuse invited Seton Hall, Connecticut (UConn), Holy Cross, Rutgers, and Boston College (BC) to join. Holy Cross and Rutgers initially turned down the invitation, while BC, Seton Hall, and UConn accepted. Villanova and Pittsburgh joined the conference soon after.
The "high point" of the original conference is widely considered to be the 1985 NCAA tournament, in which Georgetown, St. John's, and Villanova made the Final Four, and Villanova defeated Georgetown to win the national championship. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, these four schools were the primary powers in the conference, with UConn becoming a power in 1990. In 1991, the Big East introduced a football program, which resulted in two national championships.
In 2005 and the early 2010s, the Big East Conference underwent significant changes during a period of conference realignment. Fourteen member schools announced their departure, while 15 other schools announced plans to join. However, three schools later backed out, revealing tensions between football-sponsoring and non-football schools. This eventually led to the split of the conference in 2013. On December 15, 2012, the seven non-FBS schools, known as the "'Catholic 7' due to their common religious background, voted to separate from the football-playing schools. These schools were DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Villanova. They were motivated by a desire to return to Gavitt's original vision of a strong, Northeast-based, and basketball-focused conference, as well as prospects for a better television deal.
On March 20, 2013, it was announced that the "Catholic 7" would retain the Big East Conference name, logos, and the right to hold their Big East Men's Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden. They also purchased the basketball records and history of the original Big East Conference (1979-2013). The remaining football-playing members formed the American Athletic Conference (AAC), the legal successor of the original conference. On July 1, 2013, the new Big East Conference was officially launched, with Butler, Creighton, and Xavier joining the "Catholic 7" schools. The conference has since added UConn, the only member with a varsity football team in Division I FBS.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Big East Conference (BIG EAST) is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I.
The original Big East Conference was founded in 1979 by Providence College basketball coach Dave Gavitt. The conference split in 2013 along football lines, with the new conference purchasing the Big East name, logos, and basketball records.
The "Catholic 7" refers to the seven non-FBS schools that separated from the football-playing schools within the Big East Conference in 2012-2013. These schools were motivated by a desire to return to a basketball-focused conference.
The core of the original Big East Conference included Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, Syracuse, Seton Hall, Connecticut (UConn), and Boston College (BC). Villanova and Pittsburgh also joined the conference shortly after its formation.
In addition to basketball, the Big East Conference competes in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports, including sports such as soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey.
