NEW YORK - The last three Big East tournaments ended with Connecticut and Pittsburgh in the championship game - even Syracuse, which won the national championship two years ago, couldn't break their hold on the final.

The defending national champion Huskies, who won the first and third of those matchups, have been in the title game six of the last seven seasons, winning four. And Pittsburgh has been in the last four championship games, winning it all in 2003.

"That is phenomenal and speaks to what the programs have done," Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said. "You can't come here and not be real good to do that."

The tournament gets under way today at Madison Square Garden with three games: West Virginia vs. Providence, Georgetown vs. Seton Hall and Notre Dame vs. Rutgers. The Big East's five ranked teams - the most for any conference in the Top 25 - all start play Thursday in the quarterfinals.

West Virginia (18-9), Georgetown (16-11) and Notre Dame (17-10) all are in must-win situations as far as their chances for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

The marquee matchup of that round has No. 19 Villanova (21-6), winners of seven straight games, against No. 22 Pittsburgh (20-7) in one of the best conference quarterfinal games in the country.

"We have a very tough opponent who might be playing the best in the Big East right now looking at their last two road wins," Villanova coach Jay Wright said of the Panthers, whose last two wins were at Boston College and Notre Dame. "We have our hands full but that's what you expect in the Big East tournament."

Pittsburgh gets a break in its try for a fifth straight title game because St. John's is ineligible for the tournament because of self-imposed sanctions over possible NCAA violations under former coach Mike Jarvis.

The fifth-seeded Panthers got a first-round bye because the Red Storm's absence meant just 11 teams in the field. No team has won four games in as many days to win the title and Pittsburgh won't have to this year.

"There's a lot of things to point to over the last four years," Panthers coach Jamie Dixon said. "There's a combination of good players and good teams, that's the biggest things. But having enough depth is often times the case. Even in three games that's true because you'll have something come up."

The Villanova-Pittsburgh winner is on the same side of the bracket as No. 7 Boston College (24-3), the top seed after sharing the regular season title with No. 12 Connecticut (21-6). The Eagles, who will play the West Virginia-Providence winner in the quarterfinals, are leaving the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference after this season.

While many feel the thought of leaving the league with a championship trophy in hand on Saturday night is the aim of the Eagles, coach Al Skinner says that's not so.

"The facts it's the last one doesn't have any real significance for the players. That we're competing is the most important thing for us," he said. "It has no motivation for us whatsoever."

Connecticut gets the Georgetown-Seton Hall winner in the quarterfinals, while Syracuse (24-6) waits for the Notre Dame-Rutgers winner.

The Huskies won nine straight conference games to catch Boston College for first place on the last weekend.

"We put some emphasis on the tournament," Calhoun said. "What would you rather do, practice or play against the best teams in the country in Madison Square Garden? People who say that think it tires you out for the real season that begins the next week. We've won two national championships after winning the Big East tournament. Some of these Big East titles have been almost as good as the national championships."

No. 16 Syracuse, which won the national championship in 2003, hasn't reached the Big East title game since 1998 and the Orange last won the league title in 1992.

Still, coach Jim Boeheim feels the tournament only helps.

"It's a tremendous opportunity to play under tremendous pressure and in our league it's against teams as good as you'll face in the NCAA tournament," he said.

Wait 'til next year.

While Boston College leaves, Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and South Florida join the Big East.