By Fitzgerald Cecilio

The Big East's seven non-football Catholic schools have agreed to leave the conference.

It is still undetermined how DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova will go about it.

Big East commissioner Mike Aresco told the athletic directors of the remaining and incoming schools that he expects the seven schools will leave the Big East after conducting a teleconference with the departing schools in the morning.

They have scheduled a second conference call, when they are expected to address exit fees, the waiting period, and on who gets the Big East name and Madison Square Garden for a conference basketballtournament. They may possibly make an official declaration.

The seven schools could argue the name should go with them because four of the seven Catholic schools(Georgetown, Providence, St. John's and Seton Hall) were founding members in 1979. UConn is the only Big East FBS member that was a founding member.

If the seven schools form a new league, they would keep their automatic berth in the NCAA basketball tournament because NCAA rules state that as long as a group of seven universities has been in the same league for five years, it keeps its bid after a move together to a new conference.

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey also said some of the nation's Catholic schools are discussing joining the seven outgoing Big East Catholic schools and making a national Catholic conference with Xavier, Saint Louis, Dayton, Creighton, Gonzaga and possibly Saint Mary's, as well.

Once the Big East loses the seven Catholic schools, it will decrease the value of the league's media rights by "15 to 20 percent," an industry source said.

It will also bring the number of departures from the league since 2004 to 17.

 

Neil Hartman talks with head coach Jay Wright, athletics director Vince Nicastro and President Peter Donohue on Villanova's decision to join the 'Catholic 7' in leaving the BIG EAST conference.

 

Seven Basketball Schools, Including Georgetown, to Leave Big East