Big East Tournament to Remain at Madison Square Garden Through 2032

The Big East Tournament will remain at Madison Square Garden through 2032, ensuring a half-century of championship college basketball play at the historic New York City arena.

The Big East Conference and Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. announced the extension as the semifinals of this year’s tournament were about to tip off. The two groups have been partners since the tournament was first played at the venue in 1983 and is the longest running postseason championship held at one continuous location.

“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,” said Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman. “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 and Joel Fisher for their partnership in one of the most enduring alliances in the sports world.”

The Big East tournament was moved around for the first three years of the conference’s history between Providence, Rhode Island; Syracuse, New York, and Hartford, Connecticut, before heading to the Garden in 1983 when St. John’s won.

“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,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president of marquee events and operations, MSG Entertainment. “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.”

Georgetown has won the most tournament championships with eight; Connecticut is second with seven and could tie the Hoyas this weekend. The Big East tournament has provided many memorable moments in college basketball history with Connecticut winning five games in five days to claim the 2011 title, Georgetown as an underdog winning four games in four days in 2021 and the second-longest game in NCAA history coming in the 2009 semifinals when Syracuse beat UConn in six overtimes.

The Big East women’s basketball tournament in 2022 announced an extension to remain at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut through 2026.