Tagliabue to Help Big East

I'm assuming he'll help the conference try to stay intact as much as possible (i.e. stave off potential raids from the Big 10, etc.). Here's the press release sent out by the Big East.

Paul Tagliabue, the Commissioner of the NFL from 1989 until 2006, will serve as a Special Advisor to the BIG EAST Conference to provide strategic advice on future television arrangements and other priority matters, BIG EAST Commissioner John Marinatto announced. Tagliabue, who currently chairs the Board of Directors of BIG EAST member Georgetown University, will serve the BIG EAST on a volunteer basis.

“Few individuals have had as broad and deep experiences in sports as Paul Tagliabue,” stated Commissioner Marinatto. “Paul’s understanding of collegiate athletics and academics and his extensive experience and leadership of the NFL for 17years will certainly be invaluable to the BIG EAST Conference and its 16 member institutions.”

The BIG EAST’s strategic planning will assess the Conference’s collective strengths and opportunities, as well as the evolving landscape of broadcast television, cable and other subscriber-supported networks – national, regional or conference-based -- and other new media opportunities.

Tagliabue served with distinction as NFL Commissioner and presided over an extended period of labor peace, industry-leading television and new media arrangements, league expansion and revenue growth in professional football. For his leadership in sports, Tagliabue has been recognized by the NCAA and the American Football Coaches Association as well as by many youth football and sports organizations. Before becoming the NFL’s CEO, Tagliabue served as counsel to the NFL, professional soccer and tennis, and other clients for two decades, and he recently chaired an independent committee that reported on the governance of the United States Olympic Committee.

Tagliabue is a 1962 graduate of Georgetown. He was a standout basketball player for the Hoyas and served as the team’s captain during his senior season.

For the BIG EAST, the upcoming 2010-2011 academic year will be the fourth of six-year television agreements with ESPN and CBS Sports and the fourth of a six-year agreement with marketing rights holder ISP Sports. These agreements were signed just one year after the league reconfigured and expanded its membership to 16 teams.

“When we expanded our membership to 16 schools in 2005-06, it also enhanced our media markets to represent approximately 25 percent of the country, thereby creating the groundwork for significant long-term revenue growth and security for our membership,” added Marinatto. “Now going into our sixth year under this configuration, we will strategically re-evaluate ways to build upon that foundation.”

Since the reconfiguration, the BIG EAST Conference has had unparalleled success in the sports of football and men’s and women’s basketball.