XAVIER’S CONFERENCE HISTORY 11 OF LAST 12 NCAA TOURNAMENTS • GOXAVIER.COM 97 BIG EAST CONFERENCE - 7 NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS IN 2017 Web site: www.bigeast.com Address: 655 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017 Commissioner: Val Ackerman Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer: Vince Nicastro Chief Marketing Officer: Ann Wells Crandall Sr. Associate Commissioner, Broadcasting:Rick Gentile Sr. Associate Commissioner, Men’s Basketball: Stu Jackson Sr. Associate Commissioner, Sports Media Relations:John Paquette Paquette cell:401-265-2244 Paquette e-mail:
[email protected] Sr. Associate Commissioner, Sport Administration and Championships:Chris Schneider Supervisor of Officials, Men’s Basketball:John Cahill 2018 BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday The BIG EAST Conference March 7 March 8 March 9 March 10 The BIG EAST Conference will forge ahead in 2017-18 for its fifth year in its cur- rent configuration. Founded by Dave Gavitt in 1979, the BIG EAST reorganized in 2013, entering a new era by returning to its basketball-focused heritage. The annual Gavitt Tipoff Games, pitting the BIG EAST vs. the Big Ten each November, honors Gavitt. The BIG EAST Conference has earned 22 NCAA Tournament berths in its four years in the current 10- team configuration, including seven in 2017, five in 2016, six in 2015 and four in 2014. Nine of the 10 schools in the BIG EAST have earned NCAA berths in the past four seasons: Xavier (4), Villanova (4), Providence (4), Butler (3), Seton Hall (2), Creighton (2), Georgetown (1), St. John’s (1) and Marquette (1).