HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 4042 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE CHRIST.
6947H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
WHEREAS, Saint Louis University (SLU) is one of Missouri's leading private 2 research universities and a nationally respected institution that serves as a major 3 representative of the St. Louis region and the state of Missouri; and 4 5 WHEREAS, the Big East Conference is one of the most prominent basketball- 6 focused conferences in the United States, known for competitive excellence, national 7 visibility, and institutions with strong academic and mission-driven traditions; and 8 9 WHEREAS, SLU represents a perfect fit for the Big East Conference as a basketball- 10 first institution in a major metropolitan market, aligned with the conference's culture and 11 institutional profile, including private, urban, and mission-centered universities; and 12 13 WHEREAS, SLU also fits naturally within the Big East Conference's existing 14 geographic footprint, strengthening the conference's Midwest presence while maintaining 15 practical travel alignment for member institutions; and 16 17 WHEREAS, Missouri has a proven record of benefiting from strategic conference 18 affiliation, including the University of Missouri's move to the Southeastern Conference 19 (SEC), which has delivered substantial and growing conference distributions — most recently 20 totaling $808.4 million distributed across SEC universities for the 2023-24 fiscal year — 21 reflecting the expanding value of premier conference membership; and 22 23 WHEREAS, Missouri State University's move to Conference USA reflects continued 24 momentum for Missouri institutions pursuing increased national opportunities and long-term 25 sustainability, and Missouri State has demonstrated early success in that transition by earning 26 the opportunity to participate and compete in a bowl game in its first season in Conference 27 USA; and 28 HR 4042 2
29 WHEREAS, acceptance of SLU into the Big East Conference would create 30 significant economic opportunity for Missouri and the St. Louis region through increased 31 visitor spending, higher-demand home sporting events, expanded sponsorship opportunities, 32 and additional national broadcast exposure supporting tourism, talent recruitment, and 33 economic competitiveness; and 34 35 WHEREAS, the Big East Conference's recent long-term national media agreement 36 further increases the value of membership for participating universities and the communities 37 they represent; and 38 39 WHEREAS, national basketball leaders have publicly recognized the value of 40 expanding the Big East Conference, including Rick Pitino, a Big East member and nationally 41 recognized coach, who has supported conference expansion and has specifically cited Saint 42 Louis University as a strong potential addition; and 43 44 WHEREAS, United States Senator Eric Schmitt has recently advocated for Saint 45 Louis University's admission into the Big East Conference, reflecting the importance of this 46 opportunity to Missouri's national profile and economic competitiveness: 47 48 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the members of the Missouri 49 House of Representatives, One Hundred Third General Assembly, Second Regular Session, 50 hereby express support for the Big East Conference's acceptance of Saint Louis University as 51 a member institution, recognizing the civic, educational, and economic value this opportunity 52 would provide to the St. Louis region and the state of Missouri. ✔