(02-10-2021 12:35 PM)bullet Wrote:  It was a league run out of Providence for Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's, Villanova and Georgetown.

I strongly disagree.

As previously stated, especially near the end of his tenure, Marinatto was very much siding with the football schools and was challenging the basketball schools on their train of thought/interests. It was the schools like TCU, Houston, UCF and SMU that were invited and approved as full members. Sure, Houston is a top-25 program now, but - when they were invited - had just two NCAA appearances in the prior 20 seasons. SMU, TCU and UCF were all in the same boat - they had known and perceived weak basketball programs. Memphis was included as well and, as a basketball-first school, definitely helped push (or cushion) the weaker basketball programs as full members. San Diego State and Boise State were also invited as football members.

So, no, the Big East at this time was most definitely run for only Providence, Seton Hall, Villanova and Georgetown (and St. John's should also be included in this grouping as well). Marinatto made several mistakes, but catering to the basketball schools was most definitely not one of them. If anything, he was doing more for the football side than preserving the basketball side (which, by this point, was fractured beyond repair).