Amanda Knapp
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. It was originally formed as a basketball-centric conference but expanded to include football in the 1990s. This expansion led to instability in the conference, with tensions rising between the football schools and the basketball-only schools. As football became more lucrative, the Big East started losing members to other conferences and was unable to secure a favourable TV deal. In 2012, seven non-FBS schools, known as the Catholic 7, voted to separate from the Big East football-playing schools, leading to a complete realignment of the conference in 2013. Despite these changes, the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament remains one of the most prestigious tournaments in NCAA Division I.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founding date | 1979 |
| Founder | Dave Gavitt |
| Reason for founding | New NCAA basketball scheduling requirements |
| Original members | Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, and Syracuse |
| Other invited schools | Seton Hall, Connecticut, Holy Cross, Rutgers, and Boston College |
| Year Villanova joined | 1980 |
| Year Pittsburgh joined | 1982 |
| Year of separation of non-FBS schools | 2012 |
| Number of non-FBS schools that separated | 7 |
| Nickname of the separating non-FBS schools | "Catholic 7" |
| Reason for separation | Return to Gavitt's original vision of a Northeast-based and basketball-focused conference |
| Year the new conference purchased the Big East Conference name, logos, and basketball records | 2013 |
| Universities that joined in 2013 | Butler, Creighton, and Xavier |
| Year the Big East invited the University of Connecticut (UConn) to "re-join" | 2019 |
| Year UConn re-joined | 2020 |
| Number of teams sent to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship in 2011 | 11 out of 16 |
| Year ESPN offered a low-ball TV contract | 2011 |
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What You'll Learn
The Big East's evolution into a multi-sport league
The Big East Conference was a collegiate athletics conference that consisted of up to 16 universities in the eastern half of the United States from 1979 to 2013. The conference was originally founded as a basketball-centric league by Providence College basketball coach Dave Gavitt. 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.
Over time, the Big East Conference expanded and began to include other sports, such as football. In 1991, the Big East entered competition as a conference in football, inviting five football colleges to join and forming a new Division I football league. This expansion into football created an unusual structure within the conference, with "football" and "non-football" schools, which led to instability and tensions between the two groups.
In the early 2010s, the Big East Conference began to undergo a significant reconfiguration. On December 15, 2012, the seven non-FBS schools, known as the "Catholic 7," voted to separate from the football-playing schools, citing a desire to return to Gavitt's original vision of a basketball-focused conference. This move was followed by a complete realignment of the Big East in 2013, with several schools leaving for other conferences.
During this period, the original Big East Conference sold its name, logos, basketball records, and the rights to the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament to the new conference formed by the "Catholic 7." The new conference launched on July 1, 2013, with three additional schools: Butler, Creighton, and Xavier. The Big East Men's Basketball Tournament has been played at Madison Square Garden since 1983 and is considered the most prestigious conference tournament in NCAA Division I.
Despite the evolution of the Big East into a multi-sport league and the subsequent reconfiguration, it is still widely considered one of the top basketball conferences. The conference has continued to expand and evolve, with the University of Connecticut (UConn) rejoining in 2020 and Villanova announcing plans to move its football program to the Patriot League in 2026.
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The departure of the 'Catholic 7'
The departure of the Catholic 7, also known as the "Catholic Seven", from the Big East Conference was a significant event in the history of college basketball. The Catholic 7 consisted of seven non-FBS schools: DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Villanova. These schools had a common religious background and shared a strong basketball tradition.
The decision to leave the Big East Conference was announced on December 15, 2012, and it was motivated by a desire to return to Gavitt's original vision of a strong, Northeast-based, and basketball-focused conference. The Catholic 7 wanted to focus on basketball rather than football, which was becoming the dominant sport in college athletics and causing instability in the Big East Conference. By separating from the football-playing schools, the Catholic 7 hoped to secure a better television deal and maintain their basketball prominence.
The departure of the Catholic 7 had a significant impact on the value of the media-rights deal with ESPN. The Big East's deal with ESPN was worth $130 million for seven years, including $10 million for the 2013-14 basketball season. However, with the departure of the Catholic 7, the $10 million for that season would be reduced. There were also implications for other schools, such as Notre Dame, which had planned to remain in the Big East as long as the Catholic 7 did.
Following their departure, the Catholic 7 started their own league and purchased the Big East Conference name, logos, basketball records, and the rights to the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden. They were joined by Xavier, Butler, and Creighton, with Dayton and St. also expected to join. The new league secured a lucrative media-rights deal with the Fox Sports Network, worth at least $3 million annually per school. The Catholic 7's new conference continued the tradition of basketball excellence associated with the Big East name and maintained its status as one of the "'Power 5' basketball conferences".
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The role of ESPN in the Big East's rise and fall
The Big East Conference, founded in 1979, was a basketball-centric collegiate athletic conference formed by Providence College basketball coach Dave Gavitt. It was created to serve basketball programs that did not want to play Division 1A football or wanted to remain independent in 1A football. The core of the Big East included colleges such as Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, Syracuse, Seton Hall, Connecticut (UConn), and Boston College (BC).
ESPN played a pivotal role in the rise of the Big East Conference. Launched in 1979, ESPN was the first cable channel dedicated solely to sports. In the early 1980s, ESPN and the Big East formed a mutually beneficial partnership. The network embraced Thursday night slots to showcase the conference, bringing college basketball into the limelight. This partnership helped establish ESPN, with the Big East putting them "on the map" in college basketball.
However, as football gained prominence as a lucrative sport, the dynamics began to shift. The Big East started sponsoring football in the 1990s and added football programs like Miami, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia. This expansion diluted the conference's original focus on basketball.
Amidst the changing sports landscape, ESPN's influence on the Big East's trajectory became more complex. In 2012, the Big East's non-FBS schools, known as the "Catholic 7," voted to separate from the football-playing schools. This move was motivated by a desire to return to the founding vision of a strong, basketball-focused conference and secure better television deals. ESPN's involvement in this phase is where opinions diverge. Some argue that ESPN's lowball TV contract offer of $10 million per school per year contributed to the Big East's downfall, as it undervalued the conference.
In 2013, the "Catholic 7" schools purchased the Big East Conference name, logos, basketball records, and rights to the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament. They formed the new Big East Conference, while the football-playing members established the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
Despite the separation, ESPN and the new Big East Conference recently reunited in 2025 with a six-year digital media rights deal. This agreement underscores the enduring appeal of the Big East's sports offerings, particularly women's basketball and Olympic sports.
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The impact of football on the conference
The Big East Conference was founded in 1979 as a basketball-centric collegiate athletic conference. It was created to serve basketball programs that did not want to play Division 1A football or wanted to remain independent in 1A football. However, in the 1990s, the Big East started sponsoring football and began adding football programs to the conference. This marked the beginning of a shift in focus for the conference.
The addition of football programs led to an increase in instability within the conference. The structure of the Big East, with "football" and "non-football" schools", created tensions between the football schools and the basketball-only schools. This tension culminated in a public dispute between the Big East and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 2003, resulting in the departure of three Big East schools to the ACC. The Big East responded by adding new members, including traditional basketball schools, to maintain the required number of teams for its Bowl Championship Series (BCS) bid.
As football became the dominant sport in college athletics, the Big East began to lose members to other conferences. Between 2005 and 2012, four successful football schools left the Big East, triggering a complete realignment of the conference in 2013. The football-playing members of the old Big East formed the American Athletic Conference (AAC), while the remaining non-FBS schools, known as the "Catholic 7," separated and purchased the Big East Conference name, logos, and basketball records.
Despite the changes, the new Big East Conference has maintained its reputation as one of the top basketball conferences. The Big East Men's Basketball Tournament is considered the most prestigious conference tournament in NCAA Division I and continues to be held at Madison Square Garden, the longest-running site for a college basketball conference tournament. The conference has also attracted new members, such as Butler, Creighton, Xavier, and UConn, demonstrating its ongoing appeal and competitiveness in basketball.
In summary, the impact of football on the Big East Conference led to a shift in focus from its original basketball-centric vision. The addition of football programs caused instability and tension within the conference, ultimately resulting in the departure of several members and a complete realignment. However, the conference has since refocused on its basketball roots, regaining its stature as one of the top basketball conferences in the nation.
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The conference's realignment in 2013
The Big East Conference, originally founded in 1979, underwent a significant transformation during the 2010–2013 realignment. This period was marked by a series of conference expansions and reductions, with schools departing and joining the conference. The realignment was triggered by the earlier 2005 NCAA conference realignment, which saw the Big East lose three teams and prompted a wave of conference moves.
The Big East Conference had a strong history in basketball but began sponsoring football in the 1990s, adding football-only members and full members with football programs. This unusual structure created tension between the football-sponsoring and non-football schools. The non-football schools, often referred to as the "Catholic 7," consisted of DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Villanova. These schools had a common religious background and a desire to return to a basketball-focused conference.
In December 2012, the "Catholic 7" unanimously voted to separate from the football-playing schools, citing the prospect of a better television deal. This decision led to a complete realignment of the Big East in 2013. The remaining football-playing members, including those who had joined in 2005, joined forces with other schools to form the American Athletic Conference (AAC), becoming the legal successor of the original Big East.
On July 1, 2013, the "Catholic 7" non-football playing conference purchased the Big East Conference name, logos, basketball records, and the rights to the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Three additional schools, Butler, Creighton, and Xavier, joined the new conference on its launch date. The Big East signed a 12-year deal with Fox Sports to televise conference games, partnering with CBS Sports for select games. Despite the realignment, the Big East maintained its reputation as one of the top basketball conferences in the country.
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Frequently asked questions
The Big East Conference was a collegiate athletics conference consisting of up to 16 universities in the eastern half of the United States from 1979 to 2013.
In 2012, seven non-FBS schools (the "Catholic 7") voted to separate from the Big East football-playing schools. This led to a complete realignment of the conference in 2013, with the old conference becoming the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
There were several reasons for the break, including tensions between football and basketball-only schools, the desire of some schools to return to a basketball-focused conference, and better television deals. Additionally, football became the real money-maker in sports, causing the Big East to lose members to other conferences.
No, the Big East Conference still exists, although it underwent a significant reconfiguration. The new conference purchased the Big East name, logos, basketball records, and the rights to the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament. UConn, a former member, re-joined the conference in 2020.
