What is the Big East Conference?
The Big East Conference is the leading basketball-centric conference in U.S. college sports: 11 mostly private, urban universities without major-conference football, competing at the highest level of basketball and the non-football sports.[1] [2]
Members and sports
Members include UConn (back-to-back men's national champions in the 2020s), Villanova, Georgetown, Marquette, Creighton, St. John's and Xavier. The conference sponsors championships across the NCAA sports, with its basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden a New York institution.[1]
Since when does it exist?
The original Big East was founded in 1979; the current conference was reconstituted in 2013 when the basketball schools separated from the football members, retaining the name and the Garden tournament.[1] [2]
Why does the Big East Conference matter?
For basketball and several Olympic sports, the Big East operates at power-conference level — its championships, tournament and media profile make it a distinguished organization in its own right.[1] [2]
References
- Big East — official site. Accessed August 2026.
- NCAA — About the NCAA. Accessed August 2026.