Mar 16, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals players celebrate after winning the championship game against the Syracuse Orange at the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden. Louisville won 78-61. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

With Louisville capturing the National Championship in Basketball last night it will be the very last one for the Big East Conference. It is sad to see this conference dismantle since it dominated many different sports especially basketball. As a football fan I know why colleges are moving from the Big East. The reasons are money, power, and being in a respectable conference. Big East football hasn’t been much of anything for a while now, but as a basketball conference they are always one of the best ones in the country.

This is when many people get confused. The Big East recently changed its name to American Athletic Conference or the AAC, but the ‘Catholic 7” are going to keep The Big East as their conference names, so the Big East will live, but it will look a little different.

AAC- downgrade in football and basketball

Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Memphis, South Florida, Southern Methodist, Temple, Boise State, and San Diego State. Current members Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse are headed to the ACC, and Rutgers is headed to the Big Ten. Meanwhile, East Carolina, Navy and Tulane are scheduled to join the reconstituted and renamed Big East in 2014.

Big East- ‘Catholic 7’- none of these football teams play at an FBS level. Will be good in basketball, but will miss Louisville, Syracuse, and Notre Dame.

DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Villanova are the original members. They want to be an all-sports league with up to 12 members. They have also added Butler, Xavier, and Creighton. Other members will be added at later times.

The old Big East basketball teams had won the National Title 4 times since 2000, which is second most to only the ACC (5), which has gotten stronger with the additions of Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse. The Big East will still have strong teams, but they lost two very elite teams in Louisville and Syracuse.

Jan 26, 2013; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Skylar Diggins (4) reacts after a three point basket in the first half against the Providence Friars at the Purcell Pavilion. Diggins went over the 2000 point mark in the first half of the game. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

It all started in high school when she was named a McDonalds All-American, Miss Basketball for the state of Indiana, and the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year in 2008 and 2009. She is the third all-time leading scorer in women’s high school basketball in Indiana. Was a 3 time All-American in high school and her recruitment came down to Stanford and Notre Dame. Believe it or not Skylar Diggins was actually born in South Bend, Indiana and the hometown kid picked her hometown team, Notre Dame.

Muffet McGraw commented on Diggins after the loss to UConn,

I think she’s a champion. I know we didn’t win it, but what she has done for us has been amazing. She leaves Notre Dame as the most celebrated, decorated, and best player ever, and I’m happy for that.

Three straight Final Fours is what Skylar Diggins led her team to. They never won it all, but in most people’s eyes she will be forever remember as one of the greatest women to play college basketball. It isn’t a story book ending, but the great  Coach Geno Auriemma told Skylar after the game “He told me not to let this game define my legacy and said I have done more for the sport than some people who have won four national championships.” Diggins engraved herself into the record books at Notre Dame, she became the only woman in Notre Dame history to reach 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists. She was named the Big East Player of the Year for the second time (other 2012) and a three time AP All-American. Notre Dame won 130 games during Skylar’s career at the University. 2,357 is the amount of points she scored in her career for the Irish, which happens to be the most in Notre Dame history. The next step for Diggins is the WNBA and she will is a top 3 prospect with Brittney Griner and Elena Delle Donne. These three women are going to have immediate impact to whatever team that drafts them. The WNBA draft is April 15, 2013 at 8 p.m. on ESPN 2.

Apr 2, 2013; Norfolk, VA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish players celebrate after their game against the Duke Blue Devils in the 2013 NCAA womens basketball tournament at Ted Constant Convocation Center. The Fighting Irish won 87-76. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Muffet McGraw’s Irish defeated the Duke Blue Devils with a 56-39 2nd half to advance to the Final Four for the 3rd year in a row.

After being limited in the first half because of foul trouble, Skylar Diggins scored 24 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Diggins was named Regional Most Outstanding Player.

Notre Dame star Kayla McBride added 18 points and 7 assists as well. Loyd and Achonwa each added 17 points. Achonwa had 13 rebounds.

The Blue Devils were lead by Tricia Liston who scored 19 points and collected 6 rebounds.

Notre Dame will face Connecticut for the fourth time the season. The Irish won each of the three previous meetings. In the first game, the Irish defeated the Huskies in Storrs by the score of 73-72. The season finale saw a 3 OT thriller in which Notre Dame defeated the Irish 96-87. In the third match-up, the Irish beat Huskies to win its first Big East Tournament. Skylar Diggins made a steal and found Natalie Achonwa with 1.8 seconds to give the Irish the lead. It is almost guaranteed that Notre Dame-Connecticut Part IV will go down to the wire.

The game will air at 9:00 p.m. on ESPN on Sunday. Louisville and California will join the Irish and Huskies in New Orleans for the Final Four. They will play the early game at 6:30 p.m.