New Conference: The Little East

OH NOOO!  (AP Photo/Tom Lynn)

The seven Big East schools that don't play major college football have decided to leave the conference and pursue a new basketball framework.

The presidents of the seven, non-FBS schools made the announcement Saturday, saying it was a unanimous vote. The schools: DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova.

Big East spokesperson John Paquette told ESPN.com the seven schools will leave on June 30, 2015, per conference bylaws. Those bylaws require departing members to give the conference 27 months' notice, but the league has negotiated early departures with several schools during the past year. 

The statement in which the seven Catholic schools announced their departure gave no details about their plans.

"Earlier today we voted unanimously to pursue an orderly evolution to a foundation of basketball schools that honors the history and tradition on which the Big East was established," the seven presidents said in a joint statement. "Under the current context of conference realignment, we believe pursuing a new basketball framework that builds on this tradition of excellence and competition is the best way forward."