The Big East started as a basketball conference in 1979 when Syracuse, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Connecticut, St. John's, Providence & Boston College got together. Villanova joined in 1980 and Pittsburgh rounded it out in 1982. 1982 saw the emergence of Georgetown, Patrick Ewing's freshman year, as the dominant team. The Hoyas would make 3 Championship appearances during Ewing's tenure (1982, 1984 & 1985). The Hoyas won in 1984 by defeating an Akeem (later Hakeem) Olajuwan led Houston team but their losses were 2 of the most classic finals in NCAA history, 1982 to a last second shit by Michael Jordan, losing to UNC 63-62 and the Villanova game on April Fools Day 1985, 66-64.
For those who didn't go to high school in the 80's, the Big East was arguably the premier college basketball conference. It reached it's apex in 1985 when 3 teams; Georgetown, St. John's & Villanova made it to the Final Four. If I'm not mistaken it was the 1st time a conference put 3 teams into the Final Four. As we all know Villanova completed an improbable run by defeating an almost invincible Georgetown Hoya team led by Patrick Ewing. In 1987, 2 more Big East teams made the FInal Four; Syracuse (losing to eventual champions Indiana) & a plucky Providence team coached by Rick Pitino & led by Billy Donovan (whose coached Florida to back to back NCAA titles, how's that for pedigree!).
As the conference went into the 90's it started it's 1st wave of expansion by adding traditional football schools; Virginia Tech, Miami & West Virginia along with Rutgers & Temple. Miami enjoyed great football success in the 80's as an independent and opted for the Big East because it brought back it's basketball program and wanted to mop the floor with the less powerful football programs in the Big East (at least that's my theory). Other expansions included Notre Dame in 1995, hoops no football, and the the poaching of Conference USA (most of the old Metro Conference) in 2005. In 2004 Virginia Tech & Miami bolted for the ACC (2 of the schools that were going to bring football prominence) and in 2005 Boston College would leave for the ACC as well. That's when the cracks started to show and that seems that football became more important that basketball. Connecticut started pouring money into it's football program (Coach Calhoun won hoops titles in 1999, 2004 & recently in 2011) in an attempt to gain national football prominence.
At present time, Syracuse & Pittsburgh are leaving after the 2014 season & West Virginia is suing the conference for the right to leave for the ACC after next season. To combat this the Big East has raised it's exit fee to $10 million and it's made to bones about trying to poach several schools into the conference (they offered TCU as spot for the 2012 season but TCU has opted for greener pastures in another bloating conference).
Football rules what's left of the Big East. Football and the landslide of money it brings (that's a topic for another time). The great tradition of Big East hoops is dead & gone. It is now a bastardized, Frankensteinian creation looking to create its own cable channel (a la the Big 10). Suffice to say I am sad to see it go but that's all in the past. Big East Basketball gave us hall of fame coaches like John Thompson & Lou Carnasecca, future legends; Calhoun, Pitino (he wasn't a PC very long but now he's got Louisville) and Jim Boeheim. It's in the past like the glory days of 1985 & 1987. To paraphrase the last line from The Road Warrior, those days exist only in my memories.
*******************************************************************************************************************
After I wrote all that, the Big East is now counter-suing West Virginia on breach of contract in bolting for the Big 12. Make no mistake, money rules college football. That's why there's no playoff, why Boise St will NOT get a crack at a BCS title game and why players will soon be paid for play, http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7177921/the-beginning-end-ncaa. Thanks to my old friend Scott Goodrich for bringing the article to my attention.
For those who didn't go to high school in the 80's, the Big East was arguably the premier college basketball conference. It reached it's apex in 1985 when 3 teams; Georgetown, St. John's & Villanova made it to the Final Four. If I'm not mistaken it was the 1st time a conference put 3 teams into the Final Four. As we all know Villanova completed an improbable run by defeating an almost invincible Georgetown Hoya team led by Patrick Ewing. In 1987, 2 more Big East teams made the FInal Four; Syracuse (losing to eventual champions Indiana) & a plucky Providence team coached by Rick Pitino & led by Billy Donovan (whose coached Florida to back to back NCAA titles, how's that for pedigree!).
As the conference went into the 90's it started it's 1st wave of expansion by adding traditional football schools; Virginia Tech, Miami & West Virginia along with Rutgers & Temple. Miami enjoyed great football success in the 80's as an independent and opted for the Big East because it brought back it's basketball program and wanted to mop the floor with the less powerful football programs in the Big East (at least that's my theory). Other expansions included Notre Dame in 1995, hoops no football, and the the poaching of Conference USA (most of the old Metro Conference) in 2005. In 2004 Virginia Tech & Miami bolted for the ACC (2 of the schools that were going to bring football prominence) and in 2005 Boston College would leave for the ACC as well. That's when the cracks started to show and that seems that football became more important that basketball. Connecticut started pouring money into it's football program (Coach Calhoun won hoops titles in 1999, 2004 & recently in 2011) in an attempt to gain national football prominence.
At present time, Syracuse & Pittsburgh are leaving after the 2014 season & West Virginia is suing the conference for the right to leave for the ACC after next season. To combat this the Big East has raised it's exit fee to $10 million and it's made to bones about trying to poach several schools into the conference (they offered TCU as spot for the 2012 season but TCU has opted for greener pastures in another bloating conference).
Football rules what's left of the Big East. Football and the landslide of money it brings (that's a topic for another time). The great tradition of Big East hoops is dead & gone. It is now a bastardized, Frankensteinian creation looking to create its own cable channel (a la the Big 10). Suffice to say I am sad to see it go but that's all in the past. Big East Basketball gave us hall of fame coaches like John Thompson & Lou Carnasecca, future legends; Calhoun, Pitino (he wasn't a PC very long but now he's got Louisville) and Jim Boeheim. It's in the past like the glory days of 1985 & 1987. To paraphrase the last line from The Road Warrior, those days exist only in my memories.
*******************************************************************************************************************
After I wrote all that, the Big East is now counter-suing West Virginia on breach of contract in bolting for the Big 12. Make no mistake, money rules college football. That's why there's no playoff, why Boise St will NOT get a crack at a BCS title game and why players will soon be paid for play, http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7177921/the-beginning-end-ncaa. Thanks to my old friend Scott Goodrich for bringing the article to my attention.
No comments:
Post a Comment