NEW YORK -- The BIG EAST Conference has announced that John Paquette, Senior Associate Commissioner for Sports Media Relations, will retire at the conclusion of the 2024-25 academic year.   This week’s BIG EAST Tournament will be his 35^th and last serving as media coordinator.
 
Paquette has served at the BIG EAST in the lead communications role since 1990 after four years at league member Seton Hall University.  He manages the conference’s day-to-day relationships with print and electronic journalists and is widely regarded as one of the most respected communications administrators in college sports.  He is a member of the BIG EAST’s senior management team and oversees a communications staff responsible for helping to administer all 22 BIG EAST Championships.  He has also directed operations for the league’s annual pre-season basketball media day at Madison Square Garden.
 
Since 1987, Paquette has been a fixture at the BIG EAST Tournament, which has remained one of college basketball’s premier events and annually attracts hundreds of credentialed media members.   
 
“While it’s impossible to imagine a BIG EAST world without John Paquette in it, we join in the chorus of congratulations that we know will come his way with this announcement,” said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman.  “The BIG EAST will be eternally grateful to John for countless late nights, unrelenting travel, his unmatched knowledge about our proud history, and the extraordinary relationships he’s developed with media members across the country.  Simply put, few have done more for the BIG EAST than John.   We wish him, Debbie, Phil, Charlotte, Terry, and his family nothing but the best as they begin this new family chapter.”
 
Paquette has been active in College Sports Communicators (CSC), the national trade organization of college athletics communicators. He has served terms on the CSC Executive Board and Board of Directors and was CSC President for the 2023-24 academic year.  Paquette is a member of the CSC Hall of Fame.
 
Paquette also has mentored many communications interns who have gone on to enjoy productive careers in college athletics.