This continues our series of daily articles previewing each men's and women's college conference. All the conference previews can be found here.

As our preview of the 2010 college season continues, our search for the top teams in the country leads us to the Big East, home to some of the top women’s programs in the land. The conference is split into two divisions; here’s our evaluation of each.

National Division

A dominant 2009 saw Notre Dame (21-4-1) roll through the Big East tournament to the NCAA Championship semi-finals; and the Irish are loaded again in 2010. Offensive co-POY Lauren Fowlkes and juniors Courtney Barg and Jessica Schuveiller return to give Notre Dame a formidable lineup to rival any in the country.

Rutgers (14-4-4) made a strong run in 2009, but after losing star goalie Erin Guthrie and defender Jennifer Anzivino to graduation, the Scarlet Knights will struggle for similar results in 2010. Senior forward Ashley Jones will need help from a talented but inexperienced underclass.

Departed senior and Offensive co-POY Sara Jordan will leave a void in Georgetown’s stable of strikers in 2010, but dynamic junior midfielders Ingrid Wells and Kelly D’Ambrisi give the Hoyas plenty of options in the attack.  

Villanova sent three players to all-conference teams last year – and only one, defender Kelly Eagan, will need to be replaced. Forwards Katie Ryan and Heidi Sabatura give the Wildcats an aggressive attacking mentality that could take them far in 2010.

DePaul snuck into the Big East playoffs with a 5-6 conference record in 2009. Senior midfielder Tara Strickland and sophomore defender Chelsea Grant provide a solid foundation, but the Blue Demons will need to overachieve to pose a threat in 2010.

Cincinatti(w), Louisville and Seton Hall are three teams apparently lost in a conference packed with perennial powers. Incoming freshmen like Katie Buczek and Natalie Domanic of Cincinatti(w), Ariana Kulinczenko of Louisville and Ashley Clarke of Seton Hall will need to hit the ground running for any of these teams to have a chance.

American Division
Marquette fought through a cutthroat divisional race to emerge as 2009 regular season champs, and will again display great balance as forward Rachel Sloan, midfielder Rosie Malone-Povolny, defender Ally Miller and goalkeeper Natalie Kulla all return in 2010.

The departure of four standout seniors, led by Amanda and Nicole Pasciolla, leaves a gaping hole in the middle of the St. John’s(w) midfield and defense. 17th-year head coach Ian Stone’s teams are always better than the sum of their parts, but keeping the Red Storm competitive in 2010 will put his talents to the test.

West Virginia loses all-conference performers Carolyn Blank and Nicole Mailloux, but players like Megan Mischler and Bri Rodriguez appear ready to handle an increased workload. If their leadership provides a spark, the Mountaineers could challenge for the division crown in 2010.

Freshman Taylor Patterson was the only true standout for South Florida in 2009, but the Bulls played well as a team on their way to the Big East tournament. As a sophomore in 2010, Patterson will need help from teammates to push the team even farther.

Despite a mediocre conference record (5-5-1) in 2009, Connecticut snuck into the Big East tournament anchored by senior defender Brittany Taylor. With Taylor gone in 2010, precocious youngster Linda Ruutu and midfielder Kacey Richards will have to seize their opportunity to lead the Huskies to new heights.  

An uninspiring conference record (3-3-5) belies the talent of a Pittsburgh team that sent four players to all-conference teams. If midfielders Liz Carroll and Katelyn Ruhe, defender Kat Weiler and forward Ashley Cuba fulfill their potential, the Panthers could make a surprise title run in 2010.

Providence and Syracuse both spent 2009 fighting to avoid last place, and Syracuse eventually lost that battle. But the Orangemen might have the better upside of the two teams, as all-conference second team midfielder Tina Romagnuolo will be even better than she was during her stellar freshman campaign.