After more than a half century of waiting, Madison Square Garden finally will get to play host to March Madness again.
In 2014, the Garden will be the home for the East Regional round of the NCAA Tournament, to be played on March 28 and 30. The World’s Most Famous Arena last hosted the NCAA tourney in 1961. Between 1943 and 1961, the Garden hosted 71 NCAA Tournament games.
The Garden will have completed all three phases of its renovation by that time.
“Only three arenas have hosted more tournament games than Madison Square Garden, despite it being more than five decades since the last time it hosted,” NCAA vice president of men’s basketball Dan Gavitt said in a statement. “That gives you a great sense of the historical significance of bringing the tournament back there.”
The Carrier Dome in Syracuse will be the home for the East Regional round of the tournament the following year.
“The bid process was as competitive as ever, with 53 cities expressing the desire to be a part of one of the world’s premier sporting events,” Gavitt said. “We are thrilled for our hosts for the ’14 and ’15 tournaments, as they include a mix of cities that have proven over the course of several decades how to stage this great event, as well as cities that have come on to the scene in recent years and have embraced the tournament.”
The Final Four is set to be at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta this year, followed by Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in 2014, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., in 2015, and Reliant Stadium in Houston in 2016.