Realistically will B1G tournament be back at MSG?

[DHajekRC84]

While I personally prefer arena location in downtowns with bars and restaurants, the NCAA has had success locating games in arenas surrounded by parking lots. Meadowlands is one. I don’t necessarily think it is a major part of the NCAA’s decision making process. Although it might be more significant for conferences when selecting conference tournament locations.

yes. it is different for conference tourney's cause you have fans of the schools playing that want a place to gather and hang out together. It is also a multi-day continuous event where folks come in and stay for several days. perhaps a week.

 

[RUforJERSEY]

No to Philly. Yes to MSG. Games were sold out today. B1G took over NYC. Big East is kind of an afterthought now.

Such an afterthought that the commitee might just be handing out 2 #1 seeds to the BE next weekend. A #1 and a #2 at worse.

 

[DHajekRC84]

I'm sure not a big enough venue name but Boardwalk Hall in AC holds 15k. Imagine that week in that location. NJ could make a heck of an offer as incentive. (just thinking outside the box)... would think that attractive to the mid-west folks.

 

[Upstream]

I would love for the B10 to hold its Tournament in the Prudential Center. It's a great venue, but Newark might be a hard sell for the fans.

The key issues for the Big returning to MSG on a regular basis for its Tournament, depends on (1) whether the constituent members want to convene the Tournament in NYC, as I am sure that there will be push back from Indy and Chicago; and (2) Will MSG bump the Big East during the years that the B10 wants to return, common sense says "no", but money can sometimes move mountains.

We'll have to see the Big Ten's final assessment of this tournament at MSG before we know if the Big Ten is even interested in returning to NYC. But preliminary reports indicate that the tournament was a huge success from the Big Ten's perspective (other than holding the tournament a week early). Likewise, we'll also have to wait for MSG's assessment to see if they're interesting in having the Big Ten return.

But assuming there is interest on both sides, it wouldn't be until 2023 that the Big Ten could return, since the Big Ten is already contracted to other venues for the next 4 years. And, from MSG's perspective, it would not be until 2027 that the Big Ten could return, since MSG is contracted to the Big East through 2026.

Of course contracts can always be broken or bought out. But there is probably not enough incentive to break two contracts in the next 4 years. In 2023-2026, only one contract (between MSG and the Big East) would need to be broken. But barring a collapse of the Big East, there is not likely to be enough incentive for MSG to do that. Possibly the Big East could be enticed to trade MSG for Chicago for one year, but I don't see the Big East willing to do that, unless they see that as a pilot for post-2026.

2027 is a long way away, so who knows what will happen. Maybe the Big East wants to alternate tournaments between NY and Chicago, since half the conference is in the midwest. Maybe BET becomes less financially viable for MSG and they don't renew the contract with the Big East, or modify it so the Big East is there on a rotating basis, opening up years for the Big Ten and/or ACC. Maybe the Big Ten decides to hold their tournament at MSG every year, so MSG has a straight-up choice between the Big Ten and Big East. I certainly can't predict what the landscape will be in 2027.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

If you look at Stubhub prices the interest in the BE is MUCH, MUCH stronger than the B1G. Not even close.

 

[HallBall'n]

Did the Big 10 sell out the final game? Curiious to know.

Well done though by the Big 10

 

[DHajekRC84]

If you look at Stubhub prices the interest in the BE is MUCH, MUCH stronger than the B1G. Not even close.

may have a bit to do with two things? 1) this was the first B1G at the garden and plenty of pre-tourney concern about the value of it and 2) the VIVID Tix push and pricing as an offset ..does the BE have an official tix link they use? (just asking).

Again, as somebody that went to the semi final last year and first two days this year....the BE isn't ANYTHING like it used to be when Uconn, Cuse, us, BC were there.

I know tix sold is a different measure. But the "feel" is what the announcers were raving about.

 

[batts]

may have a bit to do with two things? 1) this was the first B1G at the garden and plenty of pre-tourney concern about the value of it and 2) the VIVID Tix push and pricing as an offset ..does the BE have an official tix link they use? (just asking).

Again, as somebody that went to the semi final last year and first two days this year....the BE isn't ANYTHING like it used to be when Uconn, Cuse, us, BC were there.

I know tix sold is a different measure. But the "feel" is what the announcers were raving about.

Pure B.S. The place was rocking! I attend the Big East Tournament every year and virtually every game was a sell out. The semis and finals are always sell outs.

 

[RURM85]

If you look at Stubhub prices the interest in the BE is MUCH, MUCH stronger than the B1G. Not even close.

I'm looking at stubhub ticket pricing and I don't see any difference compared to the B1G. 1st round/session tickets start at $6 for 400 level (same as B1G). 2nd and 3rd sessions are $24 (2nd session) and $45 (3 session in the evening and with Seton Hall) for 400 level and 200 level seat pricing in line with the B1G. Friday's semi-final games have tickets starting at $80 and the Championship game is starting at $70, in line with the B1G when 5-6 days out from game day. Where's the difference?

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

I'm looking at stubhub ticket pricing and I don't see any difference compared to the B1G. 1st round/session tickets start at $6 for 400 level (same as B1G). 2nd and 3rd sessions are $24 (2nd session) and $45 (3 session in the evening and with Seton Hall) for 400 level and 200 level seat pricing in line with the B1G. Friday's semi-final games have tickets starting at $80 and the Championship game is starting at $70, in line with the B1G when 5-6 days out from game day. Where's the difference?

I am mistaken, prices have come down. The seat where i sat is slightly higher, but not much.

 

[ru66]

BIG isn't going to the PRU--forget anyone's sense about how close Newark is to NYC--there are tons of BIG alumni living in NYC (Manhattan) and those coming to visit all want immediate, direct access to the venue

 

[King of S]

Did the Big 10 sell out the final game? Curiious to know.

Well done though by the Big 10

No, at least 4,000 empty seats in MSG yesterday.

 

[DHajekRC84]

Pure B.S. The place was rocking! I attend the Big East Tournament every year and virtually every game was a sell out. The semis and finals are always sell outs.

actually I checked and it was the Thursday night session. And the place was NOT rockin. yeah, Xavier, Creighton, and Butler fans just completely took over the place and blow the roof off the place...NOT!

Game 5: No. 7 Xavier 62, No. 2 Butler 57
Game 6: No. 6 Creighton 70, No. 3 Providence 58

maybe the nova and hall games..I'll give you that.

 

[ru66]

"The atmosphere in and around Madison Square Garden this week has been every bit on the level that we see annually for the Big East tournament, too.

Delany's decision to put the Big Ten tourney in the Big Apple was an out-and-out success. Obviously fans of the league want the tournament to rotate between Chicago, Indianapolis and Detroit. But if contracts can been maneuvered, I would not be surprised to see the Big Ten back in New York (in Brooklyn?) within the next decade. From pretty much everyone I spoke with on the Big Ten side of things over the past five days, four words sum up the conference's feelings on the MSG experiment: This was worth it." this from CBS sports

 

[ru66]

GARDEN WAS SOLD OUT ON SATURDAY

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Pure B.S. The place was rocking! I attend the Big East Tournament every year and virtually every game was a sell out. The semis and finals are always sell outs.

As someone who has gone to at least 1 session of EVERY BE tournament since RU first joined, including every one since they left, I can say with 100% certainty that this is not even close to being the truth. Yes, many sessions sell out, but not "virtually ever game" is a sellout. Not even close, actually, as sometimes the day sessions are more than half empty on Weds/Thurs AGAIN depending on who is playing that year. Also have been to 1st or 2nd day night sessions each of the last 3 and they weren't sold out either.

 

[bac2therac]

Pure B.S. The place was rocking! I attend the Big East Tournament every year and virtually every game was a sell out. The semis and finals are always sell outs.

the BE tournament was never a sellout in the first two days of action that is for sure, Big 10 had just as much or more on those two days than Big 10 and I would say the quarterfinals were on par with Big East

plus I have been to quarters that had spotty attendance

 

[batts]

I went to two consecutive quarters of the Big East Tournament that appeared to be sold out (2016 and 2017). Does anyone have any reliable attendance figures showing B10 vs BE attendance?

In any event, the argument is academic as the B10 won't be playing at MSG for the next several years, and it may have to wait to 2027 to attempt to bump the BE.

However, the fact that Rutgers will only be playing in a nearby arena for the B10 Tournament on a very infrequent basis is a very small price to pay for B10 membership.

 

[PiscatawayMike]

Official attendance numbers are in bold and italics below.
(Obviously, these numbers must be tickets sold. Actual attendance on Wed. was about 6,000.)

Session Game Time* Matchup Score Television Attendance
First round – Wednesday, February 28
1 1 5:30 pm No. 13 Illinois vs No. 12 Iowa 87–96 BTN 14,681
2 8:00 pm No. 14 Rutgers vs No. 11 Minnesota 65–54
Second round – Thursday, March 1
2 3 12:00 pm No. 9 Wisconsin vs No. 8 Maryland 59–54 BTN 13,815
4 2:30 pm No. 12 Iowa vs No. 5 Michigan 71–77OT
3 5 6:30 pm No. 10 Northwestern vs No. 7 Penn State 57–65 BTN 13,996
6 9:00 pm No. 14 Rutgers vs No. 6 Indiana 76–69
Quarterfinals – Friday, March 2
4 7 12:00 pm No. 9 Wisconsin vs No. 1 Michigan State 60–63 BTN 14,260
8 2:30 pm No. 5 Michigan vs No. 4 Nebraska 77–58
5 9 6:30 pm No. 7 Penn State vs No. 2 Ohio St. 69–68 BTN 14,530
10 9:00 pm No. 14 Rutgers vs No. 3 Purdue 75–82
Semifinals – Saturday, March 3
6 11 2:00 pm No. 5 Michigan vs No. 1 Michigan State 75–64 CBS 19,812
12 4:30 pm No. 7 Penn St. vs No. 3 Purdue 70–78
Championship – Sunday, March 4
7 13 4:30 pm No. 5 Michigan vs No. 3 Purdue 75–66 CBS 15,063

 

[DHajekRC84]

well looks like we got lucky moving up a week with this storm coming wed-thurs.
I'll have to check my archived pictures to see if I have some from those Thur night games in 2017. (and there is always youtube) .