James M. Danko, President of Butler University, has been elected to a two-year term as Chair of the BIG EAST Conference Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is comprised of the Presidents of the BIG EAST’s 10 member institutions.

Danko replaces Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., President of Providence College, who served on the BIG EAST Executive Committee since 2013 and as BIG EAST Board Chair since 2016. Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, President of Villanova University, will serve as new Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors. Fr.  Michael J. Graham, S.J., President of Xavier University, was elected to fill the third Executive Committee position.

Danko, who has served as Butler’s President since 2011, oversaw the school’s entrance into the BIG EAST in 2013. He has served on the conference’s Executive Committee since that time, most recently as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors. Danko also currently serves as the BIG EAST’s representative on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Presidential Forum. 

The Executive Committee appointments were made in connection with the annual spring meeting of the BIG EAST Board of Directors, which was held at the Conference’s offices in New York City. Agenda items included men’s and women’s basketball matters, transfers, esports, and strategic direction as the Conference enters the sixth year of its current configuration. Katrice Albert, NCAA Executive Vice President of Inclusion and Human Resources, made a presentation to the Board on the NCAA’s current initiatives in the area of diversity and inclusion. The Board of Directors also received a report on the recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court on sports betting and the potential ramifications for intercollegiate athletics.