From 1980-2013, the Big East Tournament reigned as the single most exciting event in college sports. There were no obscure teams. No lopsided match ups. And no mention of anything North Carolina related for 5 days. The most physical, most competitive conference tournament in NCAA basketball will be missed. Good night, sweet prince…

The Pittsburgh Panthers are planning on starting Chris Blewitt, a freshman kicker, in 2013. We hope he doesn’t blow it. Better puns, after the jump!

When Syracuse and Pittsburgh announced they were leaving the Big East for the ACC last month, it marked the biggest conference-shifting news since Nebraska bolted for the Big 10 last year, and the end of the Big East football conference as we know it. It also got some people thinking: did ESPN play a role in the move? A couple days ago, one ACC athletic director sent those thoughts into overdrive. And today, he tried to take it all back.

According to CBS Sports’ Brett McMurphy, Syracuse and Pittsburgh sent the ACC letters of application. If those applications are accepted, it would not be good for the Big East. As a football conference, it’s already fledgling (even after TCU’s addition), and going down to seven football schools could be the death knell. While it doesn’t seem anything is finalized yet, it’s a very real possibility, and there seems to be agreement on one point: the Big East has incompetent leadership to “thank.”

In one of the more insane endings to a basketball game you’ll ever see, the Butler Bulldogs beat the Pittsburgh Panthers after two foul calls that were very, very far away from the basket.

Yes, it’s that glorious time of year when everyone gets asked about their NCAA brackets. That, of course, includes the President of the United States.

UConn’s Kemba Walker had 24 points, and thanks to a great call by Jim Calhoun, hit the game-winning shot against Pitt today in Madison Square Garden.

Ohio University’s Rufus Bobcat has some competition for most unruly college mascot of 2010 – earlier today, the University of Cincinnati’s Bearcat mascot was involved in a bit of an episode during the team’s game against Pittsburgh.

If we’re going to point out when college basketball coaches hypocritically break the rules, it’s only fair we also highlight when they, like Pitt’s Jamie Dixon last night, do things that are, plainly, awesome.