Dec. 9, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
P enn State Intercollegiate Athletics in conjunction with the Big Ten Conference announced on Tuesday a landmark agreement with Madison Square Garden to play conference basketball and hockey games on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 against Michigan.
"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," Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany said. "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."
The Nittany Lions and Wolverines will take part in a historic Big Ten doubleheader, the first of four annual events, at The World's Most Famous Arena, which will also host the 2018 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Feb. 28-March 4 of that year.
"Any chance we have to showcase Penn State and the Big Ten in the northeast corridor, not to mention in one of the most historic venues in the world, is a tremendous opportunity," Patrick Chambers, Nittany Lion basketball head coach, said. "We are looking forward to taking part in the first conference basketball and hockey doubleheader, along with Coach Gadowsky, next year and kicking off the presence of Big Ten basketball leading up to the tournament in 2018."
"This is a tremendous opportunity for our program and the conference to bring great college hockey to Madison Square Garden," said Guy Gadowsky, Penn State's men's hockey head coach. "We had a great experience this past November against Cornell and we're thrilled to be a part of the first Big Ten doubleheader at MSG."
The collaboration between the conference and the arena extends to year-round branding opportunities throughout the building as well as select promotion through print, television and social media outlets affiliate with the arena and its tenants.
"We are proud and honored to collaborate with the Big Ten on this unprecedented partnership," Joel Fisher, executive vice president, MSG Sports, said. "Teaming up with the Big Ten for the men's basketball tournament and the basketball and hockey doubleheaders will be a win for college sports fans and the nearly 100,000 conference alumni that live in the New York metropolitan area."
Big Ten men's basketball and hockey programs will play regular-season games in late January or early February in 2016 through 2019. The Nittany Lion men's hockey team recently played at Madison Square Garden in the Frozen Apple this November against Cornell, while the men's basketball team last visited MSG in 2009 when it captured the National Invitation Tournament.
Madison Square Garden is celebrating 80 years of college basketball this season, one year removed from hosting the NCAA Men's East Regional that saw Michigan State visit New York City.
The Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament will be played at Chicago's United Center (2015), Indianapolis' Bankers Life Fieldhouse (2016), Washington's Verizon Center (2017) and New York's Madison Square Garden (2018) over the next four editions. Chicago (2019, 2021) and Indianapolis (2020, 2022) have the remaining rotation dates.
About The Madison Square Garden Company:
The Madison Square Garden Company is comprised of three business segments: MSG Sports, MSG Media and MSG Entertainment and is built on a foundation of iconic venues and compelling content that the company creates, produces, presents and/or distributes through its programming networks and other media assets. MSG Sports owns and operates the following sports franchises: the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL), the New York Liberty (WNBA), the Westchester Knicks (NBADL) and the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). MSG Sports also features the presentation of a wide variety of live sporting events including professional boxing, college basketball, bull riding and tennis. MSG Media is a leader in production and content development for multiple distribution platforms, including content originating from the Company's venues. MSG Media's television networks consist of regional sports networks, MSG Network and MSG+, collectively referred to as MSG Networks. MSG Entertainment is one of the country's leaders in live entertainment. MSG Entertainment creates, produces and/or presents a variety of live productions, including the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the New York Spring Spectacular, both featuring the Rockettes. MSG Entertainment also presents or hosts other live entertainment events such as concerts, family shows and special events in the Company's diverse collection of venues. These venues consist of Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., The Chicago Theatre, and the Wang Theatre in Boston, Mass. More information is available at www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com.