Six schools, including Big East basketball powers...

Six schools, including Big East basketball powers Georgetown and St. John’s, will participate in a new Division I-AA football conference next season.

The football version of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference also will include four members of the MAAC basketball league--Canisius, Iona, St. Peter’s and Siena.

All six football programs are switching from Division III to a Division I-AA league, where there will be no athletic scholarships because of a new NCAA rule that prevents Division I basketball schools from sponsoring football programs below the Division I level.