No offense to the Providence Civic Center (now the Dunkin’ Donuts Center), the Carrier Dome or the Hartford Civic Center (now the XL Center) but the best Big East Tournaments have happened at Madison Square Garden. This is the 35th straight season the basketball-focused conference has had their postseason tournament at MSG after rotating between the three aforementioned buildings in the league’s first three year of existence. The Big East Tournament being played at the Garden is a foundational part of the league’s history. Dave Gavitt, the Big East’s father and former Providence coach and Athletic Director, had a way of being ahead of his time. A great example is his insistence that the newly formed Big East play it’s conference tournament in NYC, a story relayed by former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese to Brendan McGair this week.
Continue reading Big East Tournament 2017: 35 Years at Madison Square Garden…and Counting
