Big East basketball schools reportedly hold meeting to discuss future

The seven Big East Conference programs that do not play FBS football met with commissioner Mike Aresco on Sunday to express concerns over the direction of the league. News of the meeting was first reported by Mark Blaudschun.

The meeting in New York has already sparked rumors that the seven schools (DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's and Villanova) could split from the Big East's FBS schools and form their own conference.

"It's too early to say on that,'' a source told ESPN.com.

The concerns of the seven schools are centered around the programs which have recently left the Big East and the programs the conference has elected to replace them with.

The league lost West Virginia to the Big 12 this season, and will soon lose Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Louisville to the ACC. Rutgers will be leaving for the Big Ten in 2014. The Big East is filling the void left by those programs with new full-time members Memphis, Temple, Tulane, Central Florida, SMU and Houston.

"The basketball schools are not thrilled with Tulane and what they will do to the league's RPI," a league source told ESPN.com. "They were not all that excited with that addition."

If the seven schools do elect to split from the Big East, they would almost certainly look to invite other traditionally successful basketball programs that do not play FBS football. Potential candidates would likely begin with A-10 powers like Xavier, Butler, Saint Louis, Dayton an VCU.

I hear "Do They Know It's Christmas" every time I read a new Big East story these days.

Well tonight thank God it's them, instead of you.

I can't equate something to anything else unless it's Christmas-related, apparently.