The conference formally announced Tuesday its extensive agreement with Madison Square Garden to feature the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament in New York in 2018. According to the agreement, Madison Square Garden will also feature men’s basketball and hockey regular-season doubleheaders from 2016 through 2019.
In addition, the Big Ten will be branded at Madison Square Garden throughout the year with signs inside and outside the arena as well as given print and television ?exposure.
The 2018 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will take place Feb. 28 through March 4, 2018.
Big Ten men’s basketball and hockey programs will also be featured at the Garden during the regular season with four consecutive doubleheaders in late January or early February from 2016 through 2019. The first doubleheader will be between Michigan and Penn State basketball and hockey teams Jan. 30, 2016.
“I think playing in Madison Square Garden is one of my favorite experiences as a college basketball player,” junior guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell said earlier this week.
Although Ferrell enjoys playing in New York, other Big Ten members have expressed concern. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo told reporters Monday that playing a week earlier will put a strain on teams because of a necessary compressed schedule.
He also brought up concerns about whether or not Midwest-based Big Ten fans will be willing to travel to the east coast.
The Big Ten Tournament will be played in Washington, D.C., at the Verizon Center in 2017 before being moved to New York in 2018 as part of a push from Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany to expand the conference across the United States.
The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament has been in either Chicago or Indianapolis through its first 17 years of existence. The Tournament will return to the United Center in Chicago in 2015 for the ninth time and will return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the 10th time in 2016 before the two-year east coast trip.
The Big Ten Tournament will return to Chicago in 2019 and 2021 and be played in Indianapolis once again in 2020 and 2022.
“We are thrilled to establish this long-term partnership with Madison Square Garden, one of the most-revered brands and buildings in all of sports,” Delany said in a Big Ten release. “This pairing is a natural fit for us as we continue to extend our brand and live in two regions of the country. The Garden has been the site of countless iconic moments throughout history, and we look forward to showcasing some of the best basketball and hockey programs in the country through this ?partnership.”
