▁East ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁conference . ▁The ▁" C atholic ▁ 7 ", ▁after ▁purch asing ▁the ▁" Big ▁East " ▁name ▁from ▁the ▁F BS ▁schools ▁and ▁adding ▁Butler , ▁Cre ight on , ▁and ▁X avier , ▁began ▁operating ▁as ▁the ▁new ▁Big ▁East ▁Conference ▁beginning ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁athlet ic ▁program ▁fields ▁six teen ▁inter col leg iate ▁teams : ▁basketball , ▁s occer , ▁baseball , ▁lac ros se , ▁tennis , ▁golf , ▁and ▁f encing ▁for ▁men ▁and ▁basketball , ▁s occer , ▁soft ball , ▁vol ley ball , ▁tennis , ▁track ▁and ▁field , ▁cross ▁country , ▁golf , ▁and ▁f encing ▁for ▁women . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁the ▁university ▁elimin ated ▁five ▁men ' s ▁athlet ic ▁teams ▁and ▁one ▁women ' s ▁team ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁comp ly ▁with ▁Title ▁IX ▁rules ▁prohib iting ▁activities ▁that ▁receive ▁federal ▁assistance ▁from ▁disc rimin ating ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁gender . ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 4 – 9 5 ▁school ▁year , ▁the ▁university ' s ▁nick name ▁was ▁the ▁St . ▁John ' s ▁Red men , ▁which ▁referenced ▁the ▁red ▁uniform s ▁worn ▁by ▁its ▁teams ▁in ▁competition . ▁The ▁name ▁was ▁interpreted ▁as ▁a ▁Native ▁American ▁reference ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁and ▁the ▁university ▁did ▁have ▁a ▁mas cot ▁( ad orn ed ▁in ▁Native ▁American ▁dress ), ▁which ▁eventually ▁led ▁to