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Big East Conference Ready to Build on Its Laurels
BY BERNIE BEGLANE
The baseball playoffs are underway…golf clubs have not been put away because of the balmy weather…football, both collegiate and professional, are in full swing.
Can college basketball be far off? After all the Big East Conference, largest in the history of Division I-A of the NCAA, mailed out notices that Media Day is right around the corner.
Wednesday, Oct. 24, to be exact. And at (where else?) Madison Square Garden.
Michael Tranghese has been with the conference since opening day. Initially as the associate commissioner for media relations and now as commissioner.
BIG MEN IN CONFERENCE: Dave Gavitt, left, makes presentation to Georgetown’s Jeff Green. Mike Tranghese, right, gives trophy to Coach John Thompson Jr. at last year’s Big East championships.
Tranghese, the first full-time employee of the 16-member school conference, was an easy hire for Dave Gavitt, the founding commissioner.
Michael was sports media relations director when Gavitt was athletic director/basketball coach of Providence College.
How much did Dave accomplish as the major domo of the Big East? Enough to be selected for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The first year (2005-06) with 16 members – you must remember, only seven started on May 31, 1979 – brought about a great deal of curiosity from the world of intercollegiate athletics.
To say nothing of the media.
Significant success in arenas and on playing fields and, most importantly in the classrooms, impressed one and all.
National Recognition
Two years ago in men’s basketball, Big East members secured a league-record eight NCAA bids. Women’s teams earned seven. As for football, West Virginia received national acclaim with its victory over Georgia in the Nokia Sugar Bowl. The Mountaineers were the conference’s representative in the Bowl Championship Series.
In 2005-06, the Big East welcomed five new members to increase its membership to 16: Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and South Florida. Some were ready to call the new league alignment too unwieldy, but the league showed that there can be strength in numbers even when that number is a large one.
Schools are located in nine of the nation’s top 34 largest media markets: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Tampa, Pittsburgh, Hartford, Milwaukee and Cincinnati. With its newest members, markets contain almost one-fourth of all television households in the U.S.
Since its inception no league has won 25 national team championships in six different sports and none have produced the 124 student-athletes who have captured individual national titles.
Over 5,500 athletes compete in 23 sports.
In 2005-06, Providence College’s Mary Cullen won the NCAA 5,000-meters race.
Also, the Villanova women’s cross-country squad was named the NCAA’s Silver Anniversary Program. The Wildcats have won seven NCAA team titles since 1981.
Former Wildcat standout Carole Zajac was selected as the top individual performer of the era.
The Big East has always been able to boast that some of its best students are also some of its best athletes. More than 350 student-athletes have earned Academic All-America honors. Last year, West Virginia’s Joe Herber was named the Academic All-America of the Year in men’s basketball.
Basketball Success
The Big East has continued its basketball success. In 2003-04, Connecticut became the first school in NCAA history to win the men’s and women’s titles in the same season. With the Syracuse men and the UConn women grabbing NCAA championships the previous year, the Big East became the first in NCAA history to win the men’s and women’s titles in consecutive seasons.
In fact, the Big East has finished in five of the last seven women’s basketball tournaments and three of the last eight men’s.
Moving proactively has been a consistent strategy for the conference. The Big East has continually turned challenges into opportunities to become stronger.
In the spring of 2001, the Big East added women’s lacrosse and rowing to its growing list of sports. The inaugural women’s golf championship was held in the spring of 2003.
The Big East became a reality following a meeting of athletic directors from Providence, St. John’s, Georgetown and Syracuse at LaGuardia Airport. Seton Hall, Connecticut and Boston College completed the original seven-school alliance.
While the membership has both increased and changed, the focus of the Big East has not wavered. The conference reflects a tradition of broad-based programs, led by administrators and coaches who place a constant emphasis on academic integrity.
The Big East Conference has enjoyed a leadership role nationally. Its student athletes own significantly high graduation rates and their record of scholastic achievement notably shows a balance between intercollegiate athletics and academics.
Any successful organization needs outstanding leadership. Tranghese, for 11 years the associate to Gavitt, moved into the top role in 1990. In his first year, he administered the formation of the Big East Football Conference.
Promotion and Publicity
The league has long been considered a leader in innovative concepts in promotion and publicity, particularly regarding television. Those efforts have resulted in unparalleled visibility for student athletes. The conference has enjoyed longstanding relationships with CBS, ESPN and ABC.
While Big East basketball games are regular sellouts at campus and major public arenas, including the annual men’s championship in Madison Square Garden, attendance figures also are significant at Big East soccer, women’s basketball and baseball games.
More than 550 Big East athletes have earned All-America recognition.
Olympic Representatives
The Big East also has been well-represented on U.S. or foreign national and Olympic teams. Several athletes earned gold medals in each of the last five summer Olympiads.
Reflecting on what he has accomplished, as a coach, athletic director and commissioner, Gavitt explained, “I gave up coaching too young for two reasons. My children were growing up and Xavier McDaniel said to me, ‘You’re like a Jamaican, you’re always working two jobs. And I knew I couldn’t get the league going and continue to coach’.”
Gavitt received approval from the Hall of Fame to have the four league coaches who already had been enshrined – Lou Carnesecca of St. John’s, John Thompson, Jr. of Georgetown, Jim Calhoun of Connecticut and Jim Boeheim of Syracuse – to present him for induction.
“He is the godfather of the Big East,” said then-Providence coach Tim Welsh.
“Without Dave and his vision, where would we be? But more than his vision is his compassion and commitment to the game. He’s an adviser and a mentor to us all, and he’s always had the good of the game at heart.”
Roadrace in Greenpoint
The 15th annual Get to the ’Point - 5K Run will be held on the streets of Greenpoint on Sunday, Oct. 14, at 10:30 a.m. Runners from all over the metropolitan area will compete. The event is produced by the St. Stan’s Athletic League. Get to the ’Point! features three main events - the preliminary children’s dashes (from ages two to 12), the 5K (3.1 mile) run / walk around Greenpoint, followed by a gala post-race party (complete with awards, entertainment and refreshments for all entrants). Applications are now available on-line at www.gettothepoint5k.com or by calling Frank P. Carbone at 718-963-2569.
Girls’ Softball Clinics
Interparish Sports Association & USA Sports Clinics & Showcases will be holding a softball clinic for girls ages eight - 18 who are interested in improving their skills on Saturday, Oct. 27, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. and the following day at the same times. They will be held at the King’s Bay Youth Organization Fields, Sheepshead Bay.
This clinic is designed to help younger players improve their chances of playing high school softball, and will help the high school player improve her chances of playing at the college level.
Any questions can be addressed to Mike Rossetti, 718-645-0269 or Coach Gus Garcia, 917-519-6040. Registration and application information is also available at www.eteamz.com/interparish.
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