With the defection of the "Catholic 7," and the loss of the Big East name, the conference formerly known as the Big East needed a new moniker. Something that feels focus-grouped to death. Something that emphasizes its spiritual co-option of Conference USA's "we'll take anyone" business plan. Something inclusive of the…

Realignment is a massive game of musical chairs, and the tone-deaf Big East didn't hear the music stop. The conference, under John Marinatto, was convinced only a few megapowers would be left standing. They were right. Their mistake was thinking they were one of them. That's why they lost every program of value, and…

Our friend Sally Jenkins wrote a column on the death of Big East this Thursday, and quoted University of Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin, who was very passionate about the conference's widely perceived demise:

With the Big East ceding its name to the breakaway faction of basketball schools known as the Catholic 7, the old, orphaned Big East has until July 1 to come up with something to call itself. And while there's been no official announcement, ESPN's Brett McMurphy is reporting that the a favorite has emerged, and that…

No, the sad-sack Big East didn't find a miraculous way to stop hemorrhaging schools, nor re-negotiate its TV deal with ESPN that will pay six times less than what it was offered just two years ago. The Big East, one of the most storied basketball conferences in the country, wasn't able to swing a last-minute agreement…

A year ago, the NHL introduced a major realignment plan. Gone were the six divisions, and two conferences. In were four geographic conference, with the winners of each thrown into a final four for the Stanley Cup. The Board of Governor's approved the plan, but it was essentially scuttled by the lockout. Citing…

Starting in the 2013-2014 season, University of Maine at Presque Isle and Mills College in Oakland, Calif., will play in the same athletic conference. These now-Division III schools are over 3,000 miles apart. How did this happen?

Never mind that it's located some 2,700 miles from the league office in Providence, R.I.: Boise State decided last year that it was all set to join the Big East for football next year. The move lacked geographic sense, but it made perfect football sense because it gave the upstart Broncos a place at the BCS trough…

With the Big East in full meltdown mode, two of the traditional basketball powers are considering a move to the ACC—or, barring that, UConn and Cincinnati will take their ball and go start their own conference, according to The Sporting News. The only flaw in this plan is that the new conference would blanket the…