Announcing the future of the BIG EAST

Dear members of the Marquette community:

As we celebrate our men's basketball team's eighth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and No. 3 seed, we are excited to begin a new chapter for Marquette's Intercollegiate Athletics program. At a press conference earlier this morning in New York, the future of the BIG EAST was revealed on a national stage. We are proud to join Butler University, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Providence College, Seton Hall University, St. John's University, Villanova University and Xavier University in the "new BIG EAST" — a premier athletics conference centered on elite-level basketball. With the addition of Butler, Creighton and Xavier, we're particularly excited about the prospects of engaging with our alumni and friends in Indianapolis, Omaha and Cincinnati in new ways.

This new conference offers a tremendous opportunity for all 16 of Marquette's athletic programs to compete against mission-driven and like-minded institutions. You can read more about this historic decision, the future of the BIG EAST and the positive gains we expect to see related to academics, financial strength, marketing and admissions in this Marquette Magazine exclusive. The earliest Jesuit educators believed in the character-building value of a competitive spirit, and this move will position our student-athletes to carry this tradition forward.

As a university, we look forward together to this new chapter for Marquette University athletics, which will position our student-athletes to attain the highest levels of success and personal development, both on and off the field. In the meantime, let's gather to celebrate our proud Marquette tradition and spirit to cheer for the men's basketball team in NCAA Tournament action beginning tomorrow, March 21. Thank you for your continued support, and Go Marquette!

Sincerely,

Scott R. Pilarz, S.J.
President
Marquette University

Larry Williams
Vice President and Director of Athletics
Marquette University

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