Featured image credit: Big East/Madison Square Garden
The Big East college basketball tournament will continue to be held at Madison Square Garden until at least 2032, ensuring that the New York arena will have hosted 50 consecutive editions of the event.
The Big East Conference struck the new deal with MSG Entertainment, which owns the Manhattan arena. MSG Entertainment has been a partner of the conference since 1983, when Madison Square Garden first hosted the tournament.
The announcement was made ahead of last Friday’s semi-final double-header. The championship game was played on Saturday between UConn and Marquette in front of a sellout crowd of 19,812.
Joel Fisher, executive vice-president of marquee events and operations at MSG Entertainment, said: “Madison Square Garden and the Big East Tournament have been synonymous with each other for decades, and we are thrilled to extend our partnership with the country’s premier college basketball conference.
“The rich tradition of the Big East Tournament has produced many of The Garden’s most celebrated college basketball moments and has cemented itself as one of the most anticipated annual events.”
Big East commissioner Val Ackerman added: “Our extension with MSG means the Big East will have the privilege of playing our men’s basketball tournament at ‘The Mecca’ for five consecutive decades.
“This event, a New York City staple, has long been synonymous with tradition, rivalries and heart-stopping moments, and we are very grateful to Jim Dolan (MSG Entertainment chief executive) and Joel Fisher for their partnership in one of the most enduring alliances in the sports world.”
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