The seven Catholic schools taking the Big East name have expanded their new league by adding Butler, Xavier and Creighton. The new league will officially commence operations on July 1.
The conference also agreed to a 12-year television contract with Fox Sports on Wednesday. A source close to the matter told reuters that the deal was worth between $500 million and $600 million over 12 years. The Big East men's basketball tournament will continue to be played at Madison Square Garden in New York.
"Today we relaunch the Big East," said Rev. Brian Shanley, president of Providence College, at a news conference in midtown Manhattan. "We go back to being a basketball-centric ... league going forward. And I think Dave (Gavitt) is smiling down right now on what it is that we're doing."
Gavitt, who served as the former coach and athletic director at Providence, founded the original Big East in 1979. The original four members -- Georgetown, Providence, St. John's and Seton Hall -- will all be part of the new conference, along with Villanova, Marquette and DePaul.
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