Big East Basketball

The History Of Big East Basketball

Basketball was the central focus of the Big East Conference in its formative years. Officially, the Big East was established in 1979 by a group of seven colleges on the east coast. These seven colleges had a history of basketball excellence, and wished to carry on this tradition by making a conference to attract basketball powerhouses.

The Big East Conference rejected schools applying for membership if they did not have strong basketballs program representation. Penn State’s request to join the conference was rejected in 1982 for that very reason; their basketball just wasn’t good enough to please the Big East. Big East Basketball also has a hand in stocking the NBA draft with above average talents. Professional NBA stars such as Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, and Dikembe Mutumbo all spent their college years in Big East schools, helping spur on its reputation for instilling elite athletic qualities in young ball players.

Big East Basketball Tournament

Like other conference basketball tournaments, the winner of the Big East Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments will automatically advance to the esteemed NCAA Tournament. Due to the large number of teams in the Big East, the tournament is the lengthiest of all the inter-conference challenges. The athletic excellence of the Big East Basketball programs is undisputable, as it is also the only conference to have every tournament game broadcasted on sports giant stations ESPN and ESPN2.

Georgetown stands out as a leader in the Big East Basketball Tournament, claiming seven of the 28 conference championship titles. As one of the original members when the conference was formed in 1979, Georgetown represents a fine basketball tradition, even claiming the very first NCAA championship title for the Big East in 1980.

ACC Vs. Big East Basketball

Big East basketball is not the only organization upholding a long tradition of athletic greatness. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has long been a part of the college basketball scene since 1953, a lengthy 26 years before the Big East even existed. The two conferences go head to head statistically, each claiming the NCAA championship title from time to time making it difficult to say which one is the stronger organization. Since 1996, an impressive 23 ACC teams have appeared in the closing rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Big East has sent 24 teams into the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament, another impressive number. This is stiff competition and only time can measure the victory.