Big East Officially Announces New Television Deal with CBS Sports

The Big East Conference will be undergoing radical changes in the near future, but its games will still be televised on CBS Sports—at least through the 2019-20 season.

According to a press release by the organization, CBS Sports has agreed to broadcast up to 12 contests per season—half of which would be Big East conference games, while the others would be chosen by the network among conference, non-conference and neutral-site contests.

Representatives from both CBS and the Big East seem thrilled to continue this longstanding partnership.

Commissioner Mike Aresco stated, “We are delighted to be extending the historic and successful relationship that we have enjoyed with CBS Sports since 1983,” while CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus said, “As the conference enters into a new and exciting era, we are proud to continue our relationship and showcase the conference’s best games.”

McManus was referring to the overhauled Big East, which will be comprised of basketball members UCF, Cincinnati, UConn, Houston, Memphis, SMU, South Florida, Temple and Tulane beginning in the 2014-15 season.

East Carolina and Navy are also set to join the conference, but not participate in basketball. 

This announcement comes on the heels of the “Catholic Seven” defecting from the organization and forming a new “Big East” with founding members Butler, Creighton, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova and Xavier.

This split shakes up a conference that formed back in 1979 and was widely regarded as one of the premier collections of basketball talent in the nation. Unfortunately, things changed drastically over the past few years and numerous programs elected to jump ship for various reasons.

It’s good to know that the “old” Big East is here to stay and has struck a television deal with CBS to continue its ongoing tradition of exciting basketball.