Big East Conference's headquarters to stay in Providence

The Big East Conference is staying in Providence, the league's home for more than 30 years, Mayor David Cicilline announced Monday.

The nation's largest Division I athletic conference has been headquartered in the city since the Big East was founded in 1979. But the league was forced to give up its current location to make way for the new Brown University medical school building, and was courted by other larger cities.

The conference decided to remain in Providence, but will move from its current location in the city's Jewelry District to another building downtown. It signed a 10-year lease as the signature tenant in its new building, said Big East Commissioner John Marinatto.

The conference employs more than 30 people in Providence and is important to the city's struggling economy, helping support restaurants, hotels and offering some national attention, Cicilline said.

- Associated Press