Amanda Knapp
The Big East Conference is an American collegiate athletic association that was founded in 1979 by seven eastern institutions with notable men's basketball programs. The Big East Men's Basketball Tournament is considered the most prestigious conference tournament in NCAA Division I. It has been played at Madison Square Garden since 1983, the longest-running conference tournament at any one site in all of college basketball. The Big East Conference consists of universities such as Butler, Creighton, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova, and Xavier.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founding Date | 1979 |
| Founding Institutions | Providence College, Georgetown, Syracuse University, Seton Hall, St. John's, Connecticut, Boston College |
| Other Members | Villanova, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Miami, Temple, Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, South Florida, Notre Dame, UConn, Butler, Creighton, Xavier |
| Current Members | DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova, Butler, Creighton, Xavier, UConn |
| Conference Tournament Venue | Madison Square Garden |
| Television Deal | 12-year deal with Fox Sports, CBS Sports sublicenses select games |
| Ranking | Four schools in the top-20 and six schools in the top-30 recruiting classes in 2014-15 |
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Founding members
The Big East Conference was founded in 1979 by seven eastern institutions with notable men's basketball programs: Providence College basketball coach Dave 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). Holy Cross turned down the invitation, as did Rutgers initially, while BC, Seton Hall, and UConn accepted. Gavitt became the Big East's first commissioner, and Villanova and Pittsburgh joined the conference shortly thereafter.
The "high point" of the original conference is widely considered to be the 1985 NCAA tournament, in which Georgetown, St. Johns, and Villanova made the Final Four, with Villanova defeating Georgetown to win the national championship.
In 1995, Rutgers and West Virginia became full members, and the University of Notre Dame joined in all sports other than football. Virginia Tech became a full conference member in 2000, but in 2004 the school, along with Miami, departed to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
In 2012, the Big East's seven non-FBS schools—DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Villanova—voted unanimously to separate from the Big East football-playing schools. They were referred to as the "Catholic 7" due to their common religious background and their desire to return to Gavitt's original vision of a strong, Northeast-based, and basketball-focused conference.
In 2013, the conference underwent a radical realignment, with Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse joining the ACC and the remaining football-playing schools creating the American Athletic Conference (AAC). The new 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 more schools—Butler, Creighton, and Xavier—joined the conference on its July 1, 2013, launch date.
In 2019, the Big East invited the University of Connecticut (UConn) to "re-join" the conference, which it did on July 1, 2020.
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New members
The Big East Conference has undergone several changes since its founding in 1979, with new members joining and others leaving over the years. In 2013, the conference saw a significant realignment, with several schools departing and new members joining to offset these losses.
Butler, Creighton, and Xavier Join in 2013:
Butler University, Creighton University, and Xavier University became members of the Big East Conference on its launch date of July 1, 2013. These three schools joined the remaining members of the original Big East after several other institutions left to form the American Athletic Conference.
University of Connecticut (UConn) Rejoins in 2020:
The University of Connecticut, commonly known as UConn, officially rejoined the Big East Conference in 2020. UConn was among the schools that had left the Big East in 2013, and its return was highly anticipated. UConn is the only member of the Big East with a varsity football team competing in the top-level Division I FBS.
DePaul, Marquette, and Other Additions:
In the early 2000s, the Big East Conference added several new members, including DePaul University, Marquette University, and the University of South Florida. These schools expanded the conference and contributed to its athletic programs, with DePaul and Marquette known for their strong basketball traditions.
The Big East Conference has a rich history in collegiate athletics, particularly in basketball. The conference has been through periods of change, but it has consistently attracted new members and maintained its reputation as one of the top basketball conferences in the country.
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Departures
The Big East Conference has seen several departures and changes over the years, with institutions leaving and joining the conference. The conference was founded in 1979 by seven eastern institutions with notable men's basketball programs, including Georgetown, Syracuse University, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's, Connecticut, and Boston College. Villanova joined the following year, and the University of Pittsburgh became part of the Big East in 1982.
However, since its inception, several schools have departed from the Big East Conference. In 1995, Rutgers and West Virginia became full members, but West Virginia later left for the Big 12 Conference in 2012. Additionally, in 2004, Virginia Tech and Miami departed for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and Temple University also left the Big East, only to rejoin in 2012 as a football-only member. Boston College followed suit in 2005, also leaving for the ACC.
The year 2012 marked a significant change for the Big East Conference. On December 15, 2012, the "Catholic 7" schools, including DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Villanova, voted to separate from the football-playing schools. This move was motivated by a desire to return to the founding vision of a strong, Northeast-based, and basketball-focused conference, as well as prospects for a better television deal.
In 2013, the Big East underwent its most radical realignment. Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse joined the ACC, and the remaining football-playing schools formed the American Athletic Conference (AAC). Connecticut (UConn) was among the schools that left in 2013 but officially rejoined the Big East Conference in 2020, returning to its basketball-centric roots.
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The 'Catholic 7'
The "Catholic 7" is a group of seven Catholic colleges that were previously members of the Big East Conference. They are DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Villanova. These colleges voted to separate from the Big East Conference and its football-playing schools on December 15, 2012, due to a desire to refocus on basketball and secure better television deals.
The separation of the Catholic 7 was expedited by the Fox Sports Network, which promised a lucrative media-rights deal worth at least $3 million annually per school. The Catholic 7 kept the Big East Conference name, and their departure from the original conference began on July 1, 2013.
The new "Big East" added Xavier and Butler to their ranks, with Creighton joining as the 10th team. This new conference was officially recognized as a Division I multi-sport conference on August 1, 2013, competing in 10 men's and 12 women's sports.
The Catholic 7's departure from the original Big East impacted the value of media-rights deals, as ESPN retained the rights by matching an offer from NBC Sports Network. The loss of these schools also influenced Notre Dame's plans, as they considered joining the ACC in 2013-14 or spending a season in the Catholic 7 league before moving.
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Big East Tournament
The Big East Men's Basketball Tournament is the championship tournament of the Big East Conference in men's basketball. The winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The tournament has been played at Madison Square Garden, in New York City, since 1983—the longest run of any college basketball tournament at a single site.
The original 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 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. Gavitt became the Big East's first commissioner, and Villanova and Pittsburgh soon joined the conference.
In 2012, the Big East's seven non-FBS schools—DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Villanova (the "Catholic 7")—voted to separate from the Big East football-playing schools. This move was motivated by a desire to return to Gavitt's original vision of a strong, Northeast-based, and basketball-focused conference. In 2013, the new conference purchased the Big East Conference name, logos, basketball records, and the rights to the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament.
The Big East Tournament has a long and illustrious history. From 1980 to 2000, all Big East member schools qualified for the tournament. The tournament has seen some remarkable achievements, including Connecticut's 2011 victory, becoming the first and only team to win five games in five consecutive days to win the championship. In 2021, Georgetown won its record-breaking eighth title, with Patrick Ewing becoming the first person to win as both a player and a head coach.
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Frequently asked questions
The original Big East Conference was founded in 1979 by seven eastern institutions with notable men's basketball programs: Georgetown, Syracuse University, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's, Connecticut, and Boston College. Villanova joined the following year, and the University of Pittsburgh in 1982.
The Big East Conference currently consists of 11 universities: Butler, Creighton, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence College, St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova, and Xavier.
Yes, the membership of the Big East Conference has changed several times over the years. In 1991, the conference added the University of Miami, Rutgers, Temple University, West Virginia University, and Virginia Tech for football only. In 1995, Rutgers and West Virginia became full members, and Notre Dame joined in all sports except football. In 2000, Virginia Tech became a full conference member, but in 2004, it left along with Miami for the ACC. Boston College also left for the ACC in 2005. That year, the Big East added five new schools: the University of Cincinnati, DePaul, the University of Louisville, Marquette, and the University of South Florida. In 2012, Temple rejoined for football only, and in 2013, there was a significant realignment with Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse joining the ACC and the remaining football-playing schools forming the American Athletic Conference. The Big East then added Butler, Creighton, and Xavier to offset these losses. In 2020, Connecticut rejoined the Big East.
