1980–81 Big East Conference men's basketball season
The 1980–81 Big East Conference men's basketball season was the league’s second year with eight teams. Boston College won the regular season with a 10–4 record, while Syracuse won the Big East tournament. Leo Rautins of Syracuse was the tournament’s MVP.
Key points
- Time frame and TV: November 28, 1980 through March 7, 1981; ESPN as the TV partner.
- AP Top 20: Four Big East teams were ranked in the AP Top 20 at various times during the season.
- Tournament format: For the first time, all eight teams played in the Big East tournament quarterfinals; no byes into the semifinals.
- Seed order: 1 Boston College, 2 Georgetown, 3 St. John’s, 4 Villanova, 5 Connecticut, 6 Syracuse, 7 Seton Hall, 8 Providence.
- NCAA Tournament: Three Big East teams earned bids—Georgetown (East first round), Villanova (East quarterfinals), and Boston College (Mideast semifinals).
- NIT: Three Big East teams participated—St. John’s (first round), Connecticut (second round), and Syracuse (advanced to the final, finished as runner-up).
- Awards: Season MVP was John Bagley of Boston College; Finals MVP was Leo Rautins of Syracuse. The season also included All-Big East selections and AP All-America honors.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 00:51 (CET).