Butler, Creighton, Xavier join new Big East
By RACHEL COHENBy RACHEL COHEN, AP Sports Writer?
?Villanova University President Rev. Peter Donohue, far left, Seton Hall University President A. Gabriel Esteban, second from left, Georgetown University President John DeGioia, third from left, St. Johns University President Donald Harrington, fourth from left, Creighton University President Rev. Timothy Lannon, fifth from left, Depaul University President Dennis Holtschneider, fifth from right, Providence University President Rev. Brian Shanley, fourth from right, Xavier University President Michael Graham, third from right, Butler University President Jim Danko, second from right, and Marquette University President Rev. Scott Pilarz, far right, assemble for a photo following a press conference on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 in New York. Big East athletic conference member schools gathered in New York to announce developments helping to shape the new basketball-focused conference. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
Villanova University President Rev. Peter Donohue, far left, Seton Hall University President A. Gabriel Esteban, second from left, Georgetown University President John DeGioia, third from left, St. Johns University President Donald Harrington, fourth from left, Creighton University President Rev. Timothy Lannon, fifth from left, Depaul University President Dennis Holtschneider, fifth from right, Providence University President Rev. Brian Shanley, fourth from right, Xavier University President Michael Graham, third from right, Butler University President Jim Danko, second from right, and Marquette University President Rev. Scott Pilarz, far right, assemble for a photo following a press conference on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 in New York. Big East athletic conference member schools gathered in New York to announce developments helping to shape the new basketball-focused conference. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
Rev. Brian Shanley, far left, Providence University President, John DeGioia, fourth from right, Georgetown University President, Randy Freer, third from right, FOX Sports President and COO, Larry Jones, second from right, and FOX Sports V.P. and Madison Square Garden Executive Vice President Joel Fisher, far right, hold a press conference on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 in New York. Big East athletic conference member schools gathered in New York to announce developments helping to shape the new basketball-focused conference. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
Creighton fans in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, March 20, 2013, watch a telecast of a news conference from Madison Square Garden in New York, announcing that Butler, Creighton and Xavier are moving to the new Big East. They will join the so-called Catholic 7 basketball schools who left to start a new conference and are keeping the Big East name. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, left, Depaul University President, Rev. Timothy Lannon, center, Creighton University President, and Rev. Scott Pilarz, right, President of Marquette University, listen during a press conference on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 in New York. Big East athletic conference member schools gathered in New York to announce developments helping to shape the new basketball-focused conference. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
Creighton fans in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, March 20, 2013, watch a telecast of a news conference from Madison Square Garden in New York, announcing that Butler, Creighton and Xavier are moving to the new Big East. They will join the so-called Catholic 7 basketball schools who left to start a new conference and are keeping the Big East name. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
NEW YORK (AP) ? The reconfigured Big East officially got three new members on Wednesday ? Butler, Creighton and Xavier ? and will start play next season with its tournament at Madison Square Garden and a lucrative broadcasting contract from Fox.
The reworked league, put together after a split with the old Big East was completed earlier this month, will feature the so-called Catholic 7 schools from the old conference plus the three new arrivals.
Together, the basketball-oriented schools have a 12-year deal with Fox worth about $600 million, according to a person with knowledge of the details. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the value was not made public.
Providence's president, the Rev. Brian Shanley, was a student at the college when its athletic director, Dave Gavitt, spearheaded the creation of the Big East in 1979. The conference's name was proposed his father's marketing firm.
"This name is bold. This name is strong. This name is memorable," Shanley said. "That's why it's been important for us to keep that name and keep that legacy going."
Providence, Georgetown, St. John's, Villanova, Marquette, Seton Hall and DePaul broke away from the old conference in search of stability, which was badly lacking as the football members kept leaving for other leagues.
They feel they've found kindred spirits in Butler, Creighton and Xavier, all private schools with fewer than 8,000 students.
Creighton's president, the Rev. Timothy Lannon, voiced an appropriate sentiment for a conference with only Butler as a non-Catholic member.
"This is a match made in heaven," he said.
Oh, and these new schools can play basketball a little, too.
Creighton is in its seventh NCAA tournament in 13 years. Xavier was one of only eight schools in the country to make at least seven straight NCAA appearances before missing out this season.
And Butler played in the national championship game in 2010 and '11.
Butler and Xavier are leaving the Atlantic 10, while Creighton departs the Missouri Valley Conference.
Butler coach Brad Stevens' name always comes up when high-profile jobs open. Now he'll be coaching in the Big East.
"The idea of being able to go to the very highest level of conference is attractive," said athletic director Barry Collier, who can speak from experience because he once left the Butler coaching job for a less-successful stint at Nebraska. "In this case, we brought the attractive conference to Brad Stevens."
Xavier's president, the Rev. Michael Graham, can't wait for coach Chris Mack's new pitch to recruits: You can play every March at the Garden, and go on the road to places like Georgetown.
"I'm sure that we're going to have an opportunity to recruit a kid that's a step quicker, a little bit deadlier," he said, mimicking a shooting motion, "than we had before. That's going to make, obviously, a difference in the program. We've done very well for the last several years by any metric, so this is going to allow us to take what we want to take ? which is our next step forward.
"We haven't been to a Final Four yet."
Creighton is the geographical outlier in Omaha. The Bluejays bring a strong overall athletic program, loyal fan base and attractive arena.
And Creighton may not remain by itself in the middle of the country ? the Big East is open to potentially adding more members in the future.
Associated Press
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