Editing Big East Conference (1979–2013) (section)

====New Big East====
{{Main|Big East Conference|American Athletic Conference}}

Less than two weeks after Louisville announced its departure for the ACC, multiple media reports indicated that the Big East's seven remaining non-FBS schools, all Catholic institutions, were considering a mass exit from the conference.<ref name="Blaudschun 2012-10-10">{{cite news|url=http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=4188 |title=Big East Catholic schools breaking away? |first=Mark |last=Blaudschun |publisher=A Jersey Guy |date=December 10, 2012 |access-date=December 11, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214053033/http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=4188 |archive-date=December 14, 2012  }}</ref><ref name="Katz 2012-12-11">{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8735330/big-east-direction-concerns-conference-catholic-schools-sources-say |title=Big East fate vexes Catholic schools |first1=Andy |last1=Katz |first2=Brett |last2=McMurphy |work=ESPN.com |date=December 11, 2012 |access-date=December 11, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121211070939/http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8735330/big-east-direction-concerns-conference-catholic-schools-sources-say |archive-date=December 11, 2012  }}</ref><ref name="Parrish 2012-12-11">{{cite news |url=http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/21353826/big-easts-non-football-members-meet-discuss-possible-breakaway |title=Big East's non-football members meet, discuss possible breakaway |first=Gary |last=Parrish |work=Eye on College Basketball |publisher=CBSSports.com |date=December 11, 2012 |access-date=December 11, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121211232548/http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/21353826/big-easts-non-football-members-meet-discuss-possible-breakaway |archive-date=December 11, 2012  }}</ref><ref name="DeCourcy 2012-12-10">{{cite news |url=http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2012-12-10/big-east-conference-expansion-dissolve-georgetown-marquette-villanova?eadid=EL/SICOM&sct=hp_t2_a5 |title=Big East basketball-first schools reportedly meet on topic of dissolution |first=Mike |last=DeCourcy |work=[[Sporting News]] |date=December 10, 2012 |access-date=December 11, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20121211112916/http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2012-12-10/big-east-conference-expansion-dissolve-georgetown-marquette-villanova?eadid=EL%2FSICOM&sct=hp_t2_a5 |archive-date=December 11, 2012  }}</ref> By December 13, it was likely that the non-FBS schools would indeed leave to form a new conference,<ref name="McMurphy 2012-12-13">{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8742607/seven-catholic-schools-leaning-leaving-big-east-sources-say |title=Sources: 7 leaning to leave Big East |first1=Brett |last1=McMurphy |first2=Andy |last2=Katz |first3=Dana |last3=O'Neil |work=ESPN.com |date=December 13, 2012 |access-date=December 13, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214142024/http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8742607/seven-catholic-schools-leaning-leaving-big-east-sources-say |archive-date=December 14, 2012  }}</ref> and on December 15, the seven schools (soon to be called the ''Catholic 7'' by the media) made their departure official, effective with the 2015–16 school year.<ref name="Seven leaving">{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8749700/seven-schools-decide-leave-big-east-pursue-new-basketball-framework |title=Seven schools leaving Big East |work=ESPN.com |date=December 15, 2012 |access-date=December 16, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121215232907/http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8749700/seven-schools-decide-leave-big-east-pursue-new-basketball-framework |archive-date=December 15, 2012  }}</ref> Many details remained to be worked out, with one major issue being whether the "Big East" name would stay with the FBS schools.<ref name="McMurphy 2012-12-14">{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8745235/seven-schools-agree-leave-big-east-debating-process-source-says |title=Sources: 7 schools agree to leave |first1=Brett |last1=McMurphy |first2=Andy |last2=Katz |first3=Dana |last3=O'Neil |work=ESPN.com |date=December 14, 2012 |access-date=December 14, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214112022/http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8745235/seven-schools-agree-leave-big-east-debating-process-source-says |archive-date=December 14, 2012  }}</ref>

On December 31, Boise State announced they had decided to stay in the Mountain West conference, leaving the Big East, much like TCU, without ever playing a game in it.  With Boise State staying in the Mountain West, it was noted that San Diego State would indeed try to rejoin the Mountain West as well.<ref name="McMurphy">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8796807/boise-state-broncos-staying-mountain-west-conference-all|title=Boise St. sticking with Mountain West|last=McMurphy|first=Brett|access-date=December 31, 2012|date=December 31, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101041245/http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8796807/boise-state-broncos-staying-mountain-west-conference-all|archive-date=January 1, 2013}}</ref> On January 16, 2013, reports surfaced that SDSU would indeed stay in the Mountain West.  Rumors of the MWC looking at potentially adding Houston and SMU as its 13th and 14th football members, both of which had stated they would join the Big East in 2013, continued to circulate as well.<ref name="McMurphy"/>

In February 2013, multiple media reports indicated that the ''Catholic 7'' would depart in July 2013, two years earlier than originally planned. On March 5, the [[Associated Press]] reported tentative details of a financial agreement: In exchange for selling both the Big East name and a contract with [[Madison Square Garden]] (MSG) to host the men's basketball tournament to the ''Catholic 7'', as well as $10 million, the football schools would receive $100 million of a $110 million pool that had accumulated from entry fees, exit fees, and proceeds earned from appearances in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/9019093/big-east-football-schools-keep-close-110-million-league-split-according-report |title=Report: $100M for football schools |work=ESPN.com |date=March 5, 2013 |access-date=March 5, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306185231/http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/9019093/big-east-football-schools-keep-close-110-million-league-split-according-report |archive-date=March 6, 2013  }}</ref>  On April 3, the football-playing schools, which retained the old Big East's structure and its automatic BCS bid, announced they would operate as the [[American Athletic Conference]] starting on July 1.<ref name="aac">{{cite web|url=http://www.bigeast.org/News/tabid/435/Article/243706/new-name-in-college-sports-current-big-east-enters-new-era-as-american-athletic.aspx |title=New Name in College Sports – Current BIG EAST Enters New Era as 'American Athletic Conference' |date=April 3, 2013 |access-date=April 3, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130406033911/http://www.bigeast.org/News/tabid/435/Article/243706/new-name-in-college-sports-current-big-east-enters-new-era-as-american-athletic.aspx |archive-date=April 6, 2013 }}</ref>