UD leaders respond to Sen. Husted’s request that Big East Conference consider adding new member

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Officials with the University of Dayton have responded to Senator Jon Husted’s (R-Ohio) request that the Big East Conference consider adding the university as a new member.

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As previously reported by News Center 7, Husted, along with Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), sent a letter on the matter to the conference’s commissioner, Val Ackerman, on Wednesday.

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University of Dayton President Eric Spina and Vice President and Director of Athletics Neil Sullivan sent a response on the request to News Center 7 on Thursday.

“We appreciate Senator Husted’s passion for the University of Dayton, his tireless advocacy for our region and our state, and his strong belief in UD.

The University is fortunate to count him among our alumni, not only as a former student-athlete, but as a leader who understands the complex landscape of intercollegiate athletics and the serious challenges facing it today. He is as well versed in these issues as anyone.

Our goal is to compete in the strongest conference possible alongside like-minded institutions.

As proud members of the Atlantic 10, our basketball programs are currently competing for a championship in a tough and highly competitive league that deserves our full attention. Accordingly, we will not publicly speculate on specific scenarios at this time.

However, like Senator Husted, we remain relentless in our efforts to position the University of Dayton, our student-athletes, and our fans and alumni for the best possible environment in which to compete and from which to remain nationally relevant."

Spina and Sullivan wrote

In the initial letter, Senator Schmitt also requests that the commission consider Saint Louis University for membership.

Both universities are currently members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.

“Both Saint Louis University and the University of Dayton share the core institutional values that have long defined the Big East: they are mission-driven universities with deep commitments to academic excellence, community engagement, and the holistic development of student-athletes,” the letter states. “These Jesuit and Marianist universities would also add to the rich Catholic legacy that the Big East and its members have cultivated.”

The senators also said both universities are “natural fits” athletically.

“Each program emphasizes men’s and women’s basketball as flagship sports, consistent with the Big East’s basketball-centric model,” the letter states.

They also said adding the universities would enhance the conference’s media and market footprint.

For UD, the letter highlighted the Flyers’ ability to “punch above its weight in attendance.”

“In an era defined by realignment pressures and shifting national dynamics, the Big East’s strength has been its cohesive identity, competitive balance, and institutional alignment. Saint Louis University and the University of Dayton would reinforce that model. Both schools bring stability, tradition, and a demonstrated commitment to excellence that would strengthen the conference’s position as the premier basketball-focused league in collegiate athletics,” the letter states.

Both Husted and Schmitt are former collegiate student-athletes. Husted was an All-American defensive back for the Flyers. He was on the team that won the 1989 Division III National Championship.

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