Although Big East basketball takes a hit by losing Notre Dame to the ACC, some may overlook or not even realize that lacrosse will be affected as well. Luckily, Marquette will be joining the Big East for lacrosse this spring, so the conference will still have the necessary 6 team minimum (Villanova, Marquette, Georgetown, St. John's, Rutgers, Providence) to ensure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Regardless, Notre Dame's exit reduces the appeal of Big East lacrosse a great deal. Couple that with Syracuse's departure and the marquee matchups within the conference are basically gone now. As a result, from a schedule perspective, Villanova will have to try and look for some tougher out of conference games to strengthen their NCAA resume each year. On the other hand, Villanova and Georgetown will be the favorites to win the conference and lock up that automatic bid. Getting Notre Dame out of the Big East may mean regular berths to the NCAA Tournament for the Wildcats and once you get in the 16 team field, all it takes is a hot streak of 4 wins to capture the trophy on Memorial Day.