The Big East's success story

When realignment siphoned off several of the old Big East's football schools, the non-football group, with a couple of new additions, got permission to use the Big East name, leaving the remainder of the old Beast (plus a few) to form the AAC. They wanted to go with their strength - basketball - and they have succeeded. Last year the Big East was the 2nd-ranked league, behind only the Big 12. All that football TV money couldn't get the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 or the SEC ahead of them. So far this year the Big East is in 3rd place, behind the Big 12 and the Pac-12. They have proven that basketball without football can still be big-time.