NEW YORK (June 2, 2025) – The BIG EAST Conference last week concluded its annual block of spring meetings that started on May 19 with three days of sessions in Ponte Vedra, FL with the league’s Directors of Athletics, Senior Woman Administrators, head men’s and women’s basketball coaches, leaders from FOX Sports and Madison Square Garden, NCAA executives and conference staff.   The meetings continued in New York, NY last week with two sessions of the conference’s Board of Directors, which is comprised of the Presidents of the BIG EAST’s 11 member institutions.
  
Topics discussed at the meetings included the House settlement, NCAA governance, future television and digital coverage plans, and strategies to maintain the conference’s continuing national successes in the sport of basketball.
 
At the New York meeting, the Presidents elected St. John’s President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., Ph.D., to a two-year term as Chair of the BIG EAST Board of Directors.    He will begin his term on June 30, 2025.  Fr. Shanley succeeds Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, S.J., Ph.D., President of Creighton University, in the BIG EAST Chair role.  
  
The BIG EAST has concluded twelve years of achievement in its current configuration.  As part of its customary recognition at the Florida meeting of outstanding individual contributions and service, the conference paid tribute to retired DePaul women’s basketball coach Doug Bruno, who coached the Blue Demons for 39 years while winning 786 games. He is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.  Two other retiring administrators, Marquette’s Senior Woman Administrator Sarah Bobert and BIG EAST Senior Associate Commissioner for Sports Media Relations John Paquette, were also recognized for their decades-long service to the conference and college sports. 
  
“This year's meetings allowed us to reflect on the successes of the past year, take stock of fast-moving currents in the college sports world, and identify priorities as we plan for next year and beyond," said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman.  "We believe our basketball focus, broad national television reach, the stature of our coaches, the appeal of our conference tournaments, our brand strength and our unified strategic outlook will create advantages for our schools as we look to maintain our future stability and standing.”
  
Other highlights noted at the meetings were as follows: 
  
Men’s Basketball — The BIG EAST Tournament again was played before sold-out crowds in each of the five sessions at Madison Square Garden, with St. John’s clinching its first tournament crown in 25 years. Television viewership on FOX and FS1 was up 24% versus last year’s record high ratings, making it the most watched BIG EAST Tournament ever on FOX.   The BIG EAST Tournament was the 43^rd consecutive played at Madison Square Garden, the Tournament’s home since 1983, and will remain at The World’s Most Famous Arena until 2032 at the earliest.  
 
Five BIG EAST men’s teams received post-season bids to the NCAA tournament.  BIG EAST teams have won four of the last nine NCAA national titles, more than any other conference during that span.  
 
Women’s Basketball — The BIG EAST celebrated UConn’s 24^th Final Four appearance in program history and the school’s record 12^th national title. The Huskies also were the league’s regular season and tournament title winners. The BIG EAST Tournament at Mohegan Sun boasted the highest attendance and viewership numbers since realignment, with three of five sessions recording sellouts and television coverage across FOX/FS1/FS2 up 74% over last year’s previous record.
 
NCAA Representatives -- NCAA President Charlie Baker and Senior Vice President and General Counsel Scott Bearby addressed BIG EAST Presidents during the New York meeting.  Dan Gavitt, Senior Vice President for Basketball and Dave Schnase, Vice President of Membership and Academic Affairs participated in the Florida meeting.
  
FOX Sports – Representatives from FOX Sports, the league’s primary television partner, led by Executive Vice President Jordan Bazant, spoke to the administrators and men’s and women’s coaching groups about plans for the 2025-26 season, including scheduling and promotional strategies to enhance their already innovative wall-to-wall coverage of BIG EAST basketball.   The 2025-26 season marks the start of the conference’s new, six-year media rights agreement with FOX Sports, NBC/Peacock and Warner Brothers Discovery, who will combine to provide comprehensive coverage of BIG EAST basketball and other sports.
 
Madison Square Garden — Joel Fisher, Executive Vice President of Marquee Events, and Sal Federico, Vice President of Sports Properties, participated in discussions about the continued success of the BIG EAST Tournament and potential future events involving BIG EAST schools at The World’s Most Famous Arena.