http://www.nj.com/college-basketball/ind...rence.html

There is some kind of a gypsy curse on this link, so after you click on it you have to go fix it so it says "conference"

NJ.com, December 13, 2012. Brendan Prunty, Star-Ledger.

Those assets include the shared pot of buyout money already paid to the league from departed teams like West Virginia, the site of the men's basketball conference tournament at Madison Square Garden -- a deal which reaches well into the next decade -- and most importantly, the name "Big East Conference.".....

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/coll..._East.html
Mike Jensen, December 14, 2012

According to reports, the seven schools are united on the decision to leave. However, leaving isn't necessarily the right word. Look for Villanova and Georgetown and the rest to stake a claim to the Big East name because of the non-football schools' current majority status.
Obviously, attorneys and accountants will get plenty of work in the months ahead. The sub-agreement apparently called for the conference "to equitably distribute the [financial] assets," the source with knowledge of the sub-agreement said. Any distribution of assets is crucial, involving millions in NCAA basketball tournament revenue and exit fees from schools that already left.

http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/O...w=ZW50aXR5
This one has become clear. Citing a “departure document” drawn up in 2005 by the Big East staff, the basketball group is able to “act in concert” and withdraw from the Big East without paying a withdrawal fee....The withdrawal means the schools left behind — Cincinnati, Connecticut, South Florida and a host of incoming members — become the Big East. Getting that name back from the football side will be negotiated.

http://www.nj.com/college-basketball/ind...rence.html

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...ment-funds
By Jeremy Fowler | College Football Insider
February 1, 2013 3:07 pm ET
A sample of questions the agreement asks of the Catholic 7:

“Would you be amenable to an earlier separation date?”

”If so, what is the earliest date you would consider?”

“Would you be amenable to allowing the other group of schools to retain the Big East name under appropriate conditions?”

“Would you consider a change in format that might allow both groups to hold a shorter tournament at (Madison Square Garden), or would you consider other potential alternatives (such as alternating years with the other group at MSG)?”

Hat-tip to Attackcoug.

http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=5097#more-5097

One of the main negotiating points will be the name “Big East” which the Catholic 7 group wants. Aresco and the Big East will listen and could agree to giving up the name, with some concessions, one of which will include an understanding not to withdraw until July 1, 2014.

Orangefan brings us.......
http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2013/01/...countdown/

MacManus: CBS Wants “Catholic 7″ Deal: CBS Sports is interested in acquiring television rights to the “Catholic 7″ college basketball conference, CBS Sports chairman Sean MacManus told Sports Illustrated in a piece published Sunday. CBS has already spoken with the former Big East schools, MacManus said, with the intention of acquiring rights for both CBS and the CBS Sports Network. (SI.com)

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/ne...&eref=sihp
10c. CBS is definitely interested in bidding on the rights to any hoops-only league featuring the seven Catholic Big East basketball schools. "I have thought about it a lot," McManus said. "As the original network broadcaster for Big East basketball and the heritage we have with so many of those schools, we are interested. We have spoken with them. We would like that programming for CBS and CBS Sports Networks. It is a lot of good high quality basketball and we do a lot of basketball on both networks."

This is more about when the league will start, but anyway...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/col...7781.story

"I feel strongly that the Cathiclic schools are going to be there with us," Brey said. "That's one of the reasons we decided to sit tight. It looked like the Catholic schools were not going to be able to formulate the league they're going to put together. Could they put it together in the next six weeks? Nothing would shock me."

from post on BE board:
Ok well this will show ajerseyguy is full or crap but it also isn't great news for the football schools either. I was asked by my source not to give their name. Here is what I was sent when I emailed said source about the Big East name.

Current stance is:

A fight to the death on both sides.

Reality is:

The separation agreement from many moons ago says that if both want it, then it goes to binding arbitration in Providence, Rhode Island (location of the conference office and founding member Providence College).

Our group has one founding member, UConn. Their group has Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova, and Georgetown - five founding members.

looks like odds are pretty solid for us to get the name.

It's a short post, so I cut the quoting to a minimum

http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogp...=1cle0&wjb

.........The 10th spot has interesting candidates... What isn't negotiable is the 7 want/need the schools to be all in for basketball.

http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?tid=615...pid8940651

Archaeology of the Big East split...
http://mysite.verizon.net/fethrs/Minutes...202003.pdf
http://mysite.verizon.net/fethrs/Minutes...202003.pdf

In the "this better not be true" file:

I heard last week that someone representing the C-7 schools approached somebody at Memphis to gauge if that school had interest in joining their league. (The answer, I was told, was a quick "no.") Both sides of that make sense. Why shouldn't the C-7 try to put together the best basketball league it can? But Memphis also knows that football is ultimately the biggest moneymaker, and staying with Temple and others is the obvious play.

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/coll...hythm.html

http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=5119

"The Big East will also have the Big East name–lots of luck or lots and lots of money for the Catholic 7 to get the name at this point."

EDITED TO MAKE IT NOT USELESS.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/b...MmA5Ph1NzN

By LENN ROBBINS
Posted: 12:30 AM, February 16, 2013

A source in the Big East said though the league prefers not to litigate, it will fight to retain the name. The Post recently reported the Big East probably would win such a case, but it’s not a slam dunk.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/col...story.html

John Feinstein, Feb 17

Tom O'Connor of GMU as commissioner. Siena? Detroit-Mercy as an possible replacement for Butler?

http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=5238
Mark Blaudschun February 21
--10 team conference to start
--2013 start unlikely
--Football schools likely to keep the name
--Maybe nobody gets MSG?
--Commissioner Jaime Zainovich, current WCC commissioner

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...gotiations

The NBC-Big East contract included a provision for a $2M marketing campaign for a new name.

http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=5347
FEbruary 27, Blaudschun
"Big East officials are willing to make this move for 2013 –and sell the Big East name-if enough money is paid to the remaining conference schools"

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/28/sports...html?_r=1&

big-east-considers-selling-its-name-to-departing-members

I'll try to keep this down to 1 post per day.

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketbal...good-place
The logistics of setting up a league, including soccer in August, are what could keep the seven in the Big East until the fall of 2014.

"As he negotiates the split with seven basketball schools, Big East Conference commissioner Mike Aresco insists his league will retain its iconic name. - See more at: http://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc...Sq3PZ.dpuf"

http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=5365
"The financial details of this arrangement still must be worked out, but both sides appear ready to announce that the Catholic 7 group will leave in July and take the Big East name with them."

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketba...ng-sources
STarting in 2013 with X, Butler, and probably Creighton, with Dayton and SLU coming in 2014

The Big East football schools are expected to keep nearly all of the exit fees the league earned from its spree of attrition and the leftover NCAA units from the departure of schools such as Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Syracuse.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college...z2MIKieDc6

http://m.nypost.com/p/sports/college/bas...9AiafuJtrO

Blaudschun: The Deal Is Not Done
http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=5385

The only problem on Friday morning was that the remaining Big East Presidents meeting in Atlanta hadn’t AGREED or signed off on ANYTHING yet. No final money offer had been agreed and we are talking millions of dollars that the Catholic 7 would leave on the table for the privilege of leaving early and taking on the Big East name.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nca...s/1957721/

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/coll...chism.html

"There's nothing that can't happen that doesn't involve the color green," said the Big East source.
The negotiating pressure seems to be on the Catholic Seven group,