Sports

Seton Hall among schools that could get Big East boot

NEWPORT, R.I. — The Big East Conference held a lavish dinner at the New York Yacht Club here Sunday night for television and bowl executives in what might come to be known as the league’s last supper.

The Big East is looking for a new television deal, a deal that ultimately could determine if the conference remains united, splits into two separate leagues or undergoes a reconfiguration that might result in the drastic steps of ousting some non-football playing members and adding a couple of BCS football schools.

One well-respected television executive told The Post the league might need to consider dropping a couple of non-football members that aren’t in large media markets and/or in areas that already have other Big East schools.

“Television networks are going to want to know what they’re getting before they sign on,” said the source. “Remember, the league kept adding schools to survive the loss of Boston College and some other schools. Now bigger may not be better.”

It seems unthinkable for such a move to take place in a league that once prided itself on camaraderie. But what if a reconfiguration is the only way to guarantee a lucrative TV deal?

For example, Seton Hall, which occupies the same television footprint as St. John’s and Rutgers, could be at risk. Marquette — located in Milwaukee, which has the 35th largest market — also could be targeted.

DePaul is located in Chicago, but the Blue Demons hardly command the Second City market. Even Providence, where the Big East’s first commissioner once coached and remains home to the league office, could be expendable because of UConn’s New England presence.

“I can’t see that ever happening,” said one league source. “I think we’d split before that happens.”

Of course, few could foresee the day when the Big East would turn down a $130 million, seven-year extension from ESPN, as it did earlier this year. That decision, along with several others in the past year, have ruffled feathers throughout the conference and, in some cases, created deep divides.

ESPN, the Big East’s most prominent television partner, has an exclusive, 60-day negotiating window beginning in September 2012 to strike a new deal with the league. If the two parties can’t reach a deal, the Big East becomes a free agent.

“It never hurts to test the waters, especially now,” said another knowledgeable TV rights expert. “There’s never been a time in our lives where college sports properties are more valuable.”

That proved true as the Pac-12 signed a $250 million, 12-year deal with ESPN and Fox and the ACC inked a $155 million deal with ESPN.

Despite headaches over contraction or expansion, the Big East finds itself as one of the most desirable free agents in the sports television market. No wonder executives from Comcast, Fox, CBS, ESPN and SNY had a seat at Sunday night’s table.

The Big East has at least four options:

* Remain with ESPN, which does the best job of cross-promoting its platforms and is a proven partner but doesn’t consider the Big East its prime college property.

* Explore any interest from CBS-Turner, which proved its mettle with the new format it used to televise the NCAA Tournament, but has a marquee football property in the SEC.

* Negotiate with Fox, which is looking to increase its college sports. Its Pac-12 deal with ESPN proved it will be creative. And both networks combined to hold off Comcast.

* Take a leap of faith, possibly a very lucrative one, and sign with Comcast/NBC, which is looking for a prime sports property and jumped into the Pac-12 negotiations.

lenn.robbins@nypost.com