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New Big East to burst on scene with 5-game New Year's Eve marathon

The Johnnies will open up Big East play against Xavier in Cincinnati.

By Quinn Rochford
USA TODAY Sports
You know those cold winter days when you get caught up in a marathon of your favorite TV show?

Apparently the new Big East does, because that's what they will give you on New Year's Eve. The league, which is set to officially go into motion under new commissioner Val Ackerman on Tuesday, will kick off conference play with a five-game marathon to be televised on Fox Sports 1.

The news of this exciting quintuple-header comes just hours after the announcement of Fox Sports' hiring of longtime ESPN and CBS color analyst Bill Raftery to broadcast Big East games alongside the energizing play-by-play man Gus Johnson.

St. John's, entering its fourth season under Steve Lavin, will be seeking a splash season in 2013-14 with what could quite possibly be the most talented roster in the league. A team that has been plagued by youth and inexperience for two seasons has now become a squad with experience at almost every level.

The Johnnies' Big East campaign will begin in the first leg of this New Year's Eve marathon on the road against the Xavier Musketeers at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati. Chris Mack's team joins the Big East after leaving the Atlantic 10 following last season. Xavier missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years in 2012-13.

The following is the order of the games that will be seen on Fox Sports 1 on December 31st:

  • St. John's at Xavier - Cintas Center (Cincinnati, OH)
  • Seton Hall at Providence - Dunkin Donuts Center (Providence, RI)
  • DePaul at Georgetown - Verizon Center (Washington D.C.)
  • Villanova at Butler - Hinkle Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, IN)
  • Marquette at Creighton - CenturyLink Center (Omaha, NE)
How do you feel about St. John's opening the Big East schedule at Xavier? What other game in the New Year's Eve marathon are you most looking forward to?

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