The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of 15 universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's members participate in 24 NCAA sports. Three members have football programs but are not Big East football schools: Notre Dame football is independent while Georgetown and Villanova compete in the Football Championship Subdivision. Another five schools—DePaul, Marquette, Seton Hall, St. John's, and Providence—discontinued their football programs.