Big East Announces Basketball Realignment

Feb. 3, 2000

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – The Big East will split into two seven-teamdivisions with the arrival of Virginia Tech for the 2000-01 basketball season.

The men’s divisions, currently unnamed, are:

-Boston College, Connecticut, Miami, Providence, St. Johns, Villanova, andVirginia Tech.

-Georgetown, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Syracuse and WestVirginia.

Both the men and women will continue to play a 16-game regular seasonconference schedule. A men’s team will play each divisional opponent twice andfour games against teams in the other division.

Also, the league said the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will havea 12-team format beginning next season.

The men’s tournament will involve the top six teams in each division. Thetop two teams in each men’s division and the top four women’s teams will begiven first-round byes.

Currently, all 13 men’s and women’s teams compete in their postseasontournaments.