Rick Pitino on new Big East

"I think they should (get the name)," Pitino told USA TODAY Sports in a telephone interview Thursday. "I think without question, the Catholic 7 deserves the Big East name. They should have, in my estimation, broken away from the football schools three years ago. I think they waited way too long. They should have been fed up a long time ago.

"You have some of the great, great traditions in college basketball. They should have gotten together, made their strong basketball league, sell their own deal and they should be the Big East. They should be playing in Madison Square Garden."

Pitino later added, "Football is running our country right now."