Oct. 27, 2000

NEW YORK (AP) – The Big East and Madison Square Garden announced an agreement Wednesday that will keep the conference’s postseason tournament at the arena through 2011.

The Big East tournament has been played at Madison Square Garden since 1983.

The league expanded to 14 teams this year with the addition of Virginia Tech, and for the first time in conference history not all of the schools will compete in the tournament.

The top two finishers in each of the seven-team divisions will receive a bye into the quarterfinals. The third-place finisher in each division will play the sixth-place team and the fourth- and fifth-place teams will also meet.

This year’s tournament will be held March 7-10.