BOSTON (AP) – Al Skinner has what other coaches envy: A 24-3 record, two all-Big East players on the roster and an us-against-them snub to motivate his team in the conference tournament.

If only he were interested.

“If that’s what’s going to motivate you, then you shouldn’t be playing,” Skinner said of the Big East’s failure to schlep a trophy to the team’s regular-season finale at Rutgers. “You’ve got to bring your own motivation.”

Boston College is leaving the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference next season, a decision that created no shortage of bad feelings among fans, players and officials of the jilted league. But dealings remained essentially cordial until BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo told reporters on Sunday the league was “petty” for giving regular-season co-champion Connecticut – but not BC – a trophy at its finale.

“Our players and coaches had absolutely nothing to do with Boston College’s decision to go to the Atlantic Coast Conference,” DeFilippo said. “If the Big East has problems with me, let them take it out on me.”

Big East officials denied that they were out to get Boston College, noting that they were only in Storrs, Conn., to honor UConn’s Jim Calhoun and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, who each picked up his 700th victory. UConn officials asked them to bring the trophy in case the Huskies won.

“We have never presented a trophy at an away venue,” Big East spokesman John Paquette said Monday.

Meanwhile, DeFilippo has gotten over the slight – or at least decided to accept it. He declined requests for comment on Monday.

“There was some disappointment about the trophy situation, but today the mood at BC is all about happiness,” spokesman Chris Cameron said.

“We’re Big East champions with a No. 1 seed in the tournament and we’re ranked seventh in the country. So life is good at Boston College.”

Nothing motivates coaches and athletes more than disrespect – even Bill Belichick felt the need to play the card while the Patriots were on their way to a third Super Bowl victory in four years.

“Fuel to the fire,” said Craig Smith, one of two BC players named to the all-Big East team on Monday.

Boston College was scheduled to leave on Tuesday for New York, where they’ll get their trophy at a banquet. The tournament starts Wednesday, with BC getting a bye until Thursday as a No. 1 seed; the Eagles will play West Virginia or Providence.

“It bothers us and motivates us,” Jared Dudley, the other all-Big East selection, said of the trophy flap. “We do think everybody’s against us.

“We know they don’t want us to win the championship in our last year, but that’s what we’re going to do.”

Skinner said he understands the rule about trophy presentations at away games, and he thinks the controversy could have been avoided if someone had told BC beforehand.

But he’ll take a pass on using it to fire up his team.

“That’s not the most important thing,” he said. “I’d like to believe that just the fact that you’re playing for the Big East championship is enough motivation.”

And another trophy will be presented on Saturday night.

“They can’t avoid that one,” Skinner said.