Rick Pitino has been calling for a the Big East to become a mega-conference for some time. And in his latest appearance Monday on The Pat McAfee Show, the Naismith Hall of Fame St. John’s coach reiterated that he’d like to see the Big East merge with the ACC.

Rick Pitino joins "The Pat McAfee Show" to discuss the SEC's recent success and what moves he'd like the Big East to make.

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Pitino maintained his innocence throughout that scandal, which included allegations that Adidas representatives funneled $100,000 to the family of a Louisville recruit. In November of 2022, Pitino was exonerated by the Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP).

In two seasons at St. John’s, Rick Pitino has catapulted a dormant program to the pinnacle of the Big East. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?

That time Rick Pitino coached Texas Western in ‘Blue Chips’ ⁦ @StJohnsBBall ⁩ pic.twitter.com/YGCfIfIXto Fast forward 31 years from that 1994 film and Nolte is 84 and out of acting while Pitino, 72, is still winning championships and still leading his teams to the NCAA Tournament.