The wrenching realignment that has turned the Big East Conference inside-out has not only meant the loss of members but also a divorce from its name.
On Friday, the Big East announced an agreement to sell its name to the seven Catholic universities that are breaking away on June 30 to form a basketball-only conference. The new league will also assume the old one’s contract to play its conference tournament at Madison Square Garden.
“I am pleased that this agreement has been reached,” Big East commissioner Mike Aresco said. “… We part ways as friends and colleagues and look forward to the success of both conferences.”
The Catholic 7 schools – DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John’s and Villanova – will form a 10-team league by adding Butler, Xavier and likely Creighton, sources told ESPN.
TOP 25 WOMEN’S HIGHLIGHTS
No. 10 Maryland 92, Wake Forest 81 (OT): Alyssa Thomas had the first triple-double in ACC tournament history, leading the Terrapins over the Demon Deacons in the quarterfinals in Greensborough, N.C.
Thomas had a career-high 32 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for her second triple-double this season for the second-seeded Terrapins (24-6).
Chelsea Douglas scored a career-high 31 points for the Demon Deacons (13-19).
No. 19 Texas A&M 61, No. 17 South Carolina 52: Kristi Bellock scored 17 points, Karla Gilbert added 11, and the Aggies beat the Gamecocks in the SEC tournament quarterfinals in Duluth, Ga.
The Aggies (22-9) snapped a three-game losing streak and will play No. 9 Tennessee in the semifinals today.
Ashley Bruner finished with 19 points, and Ieasia Walker added 15 for South Carolina (24-7).
FASTBREAKS
Akron starting point guard Alex Abreu pleaded not guilty to trafficking and possession of marijuana on Friday. He has been suspended indefinitely, pending the outcome of the police investigation. On Thursday, the 21-year-old Abreu and Austin L. Durgala, 18, were arrested by police for allegedly accepting a package containing 5 pounds of marijuana. … Lehigh star guard C.J. McCollum has been ruled out for the Patriot League semifinal today at Lafayette. McCollum hasn’t played since Jan. 5, when he broke his left foot in a game at Virginia Commonwealth. … North Carolina sophomore James Michael McAdoo is playing through a bulging disk in his back but says he’ll be ready for today’s rivalry game with No. 3 Duke. McClatchy news services
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.