The Big East Conference is one of the most renowned college conference in the United States. Originally established in 1979, the Big East Conference is a non-football conference which consists of ten universities located in the densely populated east coast of America. It participates in 24 NCAA Division I sports and UCLA Division IV sports. This conference has a storied history of competitive athletics and has reached many heights of success throughout the years.

History

The Big East Conference originated in 1979 when seven schools from the Eastern region of the United States formed a basketball-centric conference in order to gain a higher profile in college athletics. This included the original members Boston College, Virginia Tech, the University of Pittsburgh, Syracuse University, Georgetown University, St. John’s, and Seton Hall. Since then it has added members and dropped members throughout the years.

Member Institutions

Currently, the Big East Conference has ten full members, which are:

• Seton Hall University
• Georgetown University
• Villanova University
• DePaul University
• Marquette University
• Xavier University
• Butler University
• Creighton University
• St. John’s University
• Providence College

Sports Competed

The Big East Conference competes with 24 NCAA Division I sports and four Division IV sports, as follows:

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Cross Country
• Field Hockey
• Football
• Golf
• Gymnastics
• Ice Hockey
• Indoor Track & Field
• Lacrosse
• Outdoor Track & Field
• Rowing
• Soccer
• Softball
• Swimming & Diving
• Swimming & Diving (Men’s)
• Tennis (Men’s/Women’s)
• Volleyball (Men’s/Women’s)
• Wrestling (Men’s/Women’s)

Notable Achievements

The Big East Conference has achieved multiple accolades over the years. In the 2016-17 season alone, it achieved its highest all-sport NCAA Finish in 5 years with a ranking of 5th in the nation for the number of NCAA Championships won. This season also marked the first time in history that a Big East school – Butler University – reached the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision title game. Furthermore, the Big East Conference has sent at least one school to the NCAA Division I basketball tournament since its establishment in 1979, with the highest number of teams making it to the Final Four being four teams in 1985.

Rivalries

The Big East Conference is well-known for its rivalries, which include in-state, geographic/cultural and historic rivalries. The most well-known and storied of these rivalries is the annual basketball matchup between Seton Hall and St. John’s. The two teams have been meeting for the past 70+ years, and the competition between them has been very close throughout its history.

Operations

The Big East Conference operates on a leadership model in order to govern the member institutions. This consists of the presidents and chancellors of each member university serving as a collective “Board of Directors” which makes decisions on the conference’s basketball and non-basketball programs. In addition, the Big East Conference participates in regular scheduling of regular season and championship events.

Role Of The Conference

The Big East Conference has a major role in the local, national and international sports scene. It provides competitive and prestige to those teams that participate in the sports it governs. In addition, it helps to provide structure and stability to college sports and ensure competitive matchups within the conference. It also provides a powerful branding platform which is visible to fans both in the United States and the rest of the world.

Future Of The Conference

The Big East Conference has a bright future ahead of it. With committed leadership from its members, the conference is in a strong position to continue its success in the college sports arena. In recent years, it has seen increasing success with its men’s basketball teams, as well as its women’s soccer teams. It has also continued to expand to include additional sports, such as ice hockey, and is looking into increasing competition in other fields. With the right strategies and continued commitment from its members, the Big East Conference has the potential to be one of the most successful college sports conferences in the country.