als ▁ ▁March ▁ 2 4 ▁and ▁ 2 5 ▁East ▁Regional , ▁Mad ison ▁Square ▁Garden , ▁New ▁York , ▁New ▁York ▁March ▁ 2 6 ▁and ▁ 2 7 ▁West ▁Regional , ▁Municipal ▁Aud itor ium , ▁Kansas ▁City , ▁Missouri ▁ ▁Championship ▁Game ▁ ▁March ▁ 3 0 ▁Mad ison ▁Square ▁Garden , ▁New ▁York , ▁New ▁York ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁third ▁straight ▁year , ▁the ▁Municipal ▁Aud itor ium ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁West ▁regional ▁games , ▁but ▁unlike ▁the ▁previous ▁two ▁years , ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁championship ▁game . ▁This ▁honor ▁fell ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁to ▁the ▁Mad ison ▁Square ▁Garden ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁the ▁country ' s ▁most ▁pr estig ious ▁ar ena ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁The ▁Garden ▁also ▁hosted ▁the ▁East ▁Regional ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁ending ▁a ▁stre ak ▁of ▁three ▁straight ▁years ▁of ▁it ▁being ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁App al ach ians ▁and ▁four ▁straight ▁years ▁of ▁being ▁on ▁a ▁college ▁campus ▁( although ▁the ▁ar ena ▁did , ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁host ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁college ▁teams ▁as ▁an ▁alternate ▁ven ue ). ▁This ▁marked ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁seven ▁times ▁in ▁eight ▁years ▁that ▁the ▁tournament ▁did ▁not ▁feature ▁any ▁college ▁aren as , ▁the ▁only ▁seven ▁times ▁to ▁date ▁for ▁this ▁to ▁happen . ▁The ▁same ▁span ▁saw ▁the ▁same ▁ven ues ▁used ▁every ▁year ▁except ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁when ▁H ec ▁Edmund son ▁Pav il ion ▁in