BIG EAST Takes Over New York City During Men’s Basketball Tournament Week
Tournament Week in New YorkSchedule (Printable)
NEW YORK – The BIG EAST will once again host a week of unique and engaging events across New York City – culminating in the crowning of the Men’s Basketball Tournament champion on Saturday, March 12. The weeklong plans are a celebration of the BIG EAST’s unprecedented connection to New York City, where the championship will be held for the 34th consecutive year at Madison Square Garden, the World’s Most Famous Arena and the “Mecca” of basketball. It is the longest relationship in college basketball history.
The pinnacle of the week will be the BIG EAST Men's Basketball Tournament, presented by the Jeep Brand. The tournament will be played at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, March 9 through Saturday, March 12. The first two games will be played Wednesday, March 9, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Thursday delivers a huge day of BIG EAST basketball, with four games beginning at noon. The semifinals are Friday night March 11th at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Fans will see which team will be #MadeAtMSG as the champion will be crowned Saturday evening with the championship game starting at 5:30 p.m. Games will be carried at FS1 with the championship game at FOX.
Other activities for the week, in order of their date, include:
- Tournament Week in NYC will open with the second annual BIG EAST SERVES DAY on Wednesday, March 9. BIG EAST staff, partners, and friends, along with member school participants, will visit four Boys & Girls Clubs in New York City. Volunteers will read to the children from approximately 3-5 p.m.
- Also on Wednesday, the major award winners for the 2015-16 BIG EAST regular season will be announced at 4:30 p.m. press conference at the Madison Square Garden Theater. Awards include: Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Coach of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
- On Thursday, March 10 the league will hold its inaugural Sports and Entertainment Career Networking Event at Madison Square Garden starting at 6 p.m. This invite-only event brings BIG EAST students together with industry professions for an evening of networking and basketball.
- On Friday, March 13, BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman, along with presenting sponsor Jeep, FOX Sports and members of the BIG EAST Conference will ring the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange.
- Commissioner Ackerman will also host the third annual BIG EAST Basketball Roundtable on Friday, March 11, bringing together a diverse group of sports professionals to discuss current topics in college basketball during the Conference Tournament in New York City. The three panel event will be held at the Madison Square Garden Theater Lobby and will focus on key topics relating to men’s college basketball from the perspectives of BIG EAST school Presidents, officials, former players, television analysts and pro basketball executives. The roundtable will be held from 1-3:30 p.m.
- On Championship Saturday, March 12, the Empire State Building will light up in the BIG EAST colors (red and blue) to mark the championship game. Tweet photos to @BIGEASTmbb #MadeAtMSG.
- The BIG EAST Championship game, airing nationally on FOX at 5:30 p.m. ET, will be broadcast live on the billboard outside the Marriott Marquis in Times Square.
Tickets for all five sessions are available at
www.ticktmaster.com/bigeast. For more information on the Tournament visit BIGEAST.com for the BIG EAST #MadeAtMSG Tournament Central.
About the BIG EAST
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of ten nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments. The athletic programs of BIG EAST institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,000 student-athletes on over 180 men’s and women’s teams in 22 sports. Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST’s members are located in seven of the country’s top 35 largest media markets and include Butler University, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University. For more information, visit www.bigeast.com.