ACC Could Play Men's Basketball Tournament At Madison Square Garden

Filed under not new news ... The ACC is "thoroughly investigating" playing its men's basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden, according to ESPN's Brett McMurphy. It'll be there, man. Just a matter of when, not if.

Cue anonymous league source TOTALLY not affiliated with Syracuse or Pittsburgh ...

"We'll be playing there. It's just a matter of getting all the legal ramifications worked out."

"There is real momentum to play the tournament at Madison Square Garden. Why shouldn't the premier basketball conference play in the world's premier arena?"

"No matter what business model you're in, if you're the best -- and our league is the best -- you should take it to New York."

But ... about that little ol' legal ramification?

Here's the catch: the new, 10-school Big East Conference and Madison Square Garden recently announced a 12-year deal through 2026. However, sources told McMurphy that MSG can get out of its deal before 2026 if the new Big East doesn't reach certain benchmarks.

Hear that, DePaul fans? You actually have to show up for this thing now.

Of course it would only be fitting that after poaching seven former Big East schools -- Boston College, Louisville, Miami, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Virginia Tech -- that the ACC also snatch the Big East's men's basketball tournament home since 1983 out from under them as well. I'd say that would put a nice little bow on Swofford's decade-long raid of the Big East Conference.

Manifest destiny achievement unlocked!

The ACC will hold its men's basketball tournament in Greensboro for 2014 and 2015, but no decision on tournament location has been made beyond that. A decision is not expected for the 2016-21 ACC Tournament sites when the ACC's spring meetings conclude this week.

While I would love to see the ACC unseat the Big East at Madison Square Garden, frankly I'm growing a little tired of all the politicking on behalf of Pittsburgh and Syracuse to move the tournament to New York. Boston College fans are certainly no strangers to the feeling of loss that accompanies having your men's basketball tournament played at NOT Madison Square Garden. The men's basketball tournament at MSG was one of the few things I actually missed about being a member of the Big East Conference. I also fully support moving the tournament out of Greensboro and into a major city easily accessible to the rest of the conference given the tournament's expanded format and conference's expanded geographic footprint.

I get all that. But this just seems too much ... too soon. Like, officially join the conference first and give Greensboro a shot before making demands?