Nothing has changed in nine years — despite the addition of Connecticut, despite the loaded state of the Big East this year.

The conference hierarchy is still Villanova … followed by everyone else. Jay Wright’s team still owns the conference.

Saturday night, for the fifth time since the league was realigned, the Wildcats and their fans celebrated a Big East Tournament title. On the four occasions that didn’t happen, they won the regular season crown. The road this time was challenging, with three tight games and doubts along the way.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter.

Second-seeded Villanova found a way each night, edging St. John’s, Connecticut and on Saturday night, Creighton. Collin Gillespie — the Big East Player of the Year, this tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, the accomplished fifth-year senior who has improved so much in his five years at Villanova — led the way in the 54-48 triumph at the Garden, scoring eight of the Wildcats’ final 10 points in the final 2:44.

“There’s nothing like this,” Wright said. “Playing this game is awesome, but doing it here, with these fans, and at this storied arena, it’s just off the charts.”

Gillespie’s back-to-back 3-pointers, both over the outstretched arms of Creighton’s 7-foot-1 center, Ryan Kalkbrenner, closed an 11-2 run, turning a four-point deficit into a five-point lead with 2:04 remaining.

Creighton got within two with 37.5 seconds left after two Trey Alexander free throws, but Justin Moore scored inside, and the Wildcats held the Bluejays without a field goal for the final 3:49.

“That’s why you win championships, when you’ve got two guards like this,” Wright said.

Down the stretch, all that experience and championship muscle memory shone through. Young Creighton, which started two freshmen and a sophomore, missed 11 of its last 12 shots. Gillespie and Moore executed, and delivered. And now Villanova (26-7) could wind up with a two-seed in the NCAA Tournament’s East Region, and a chance to play at home at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on the second weekend.

Gillespie finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Moore added 16 points and six rebounds. Kalkbrenner led Creighton (22-11) with 19 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. The Bluejays have reached the title game four times, but have yet to win it all. Twice, Villanova stood in their way.

“At the end we got Gillespied,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. “We wanted to try to make him make shots off the dribble. He had a huge three off the dribble out of that timeout going to his left hand, and that’s an All-American play.”

Creighton held a four-point edge with 5:25 left, on the strength of an 18-6 run powered by Kalkbrenner. Wright used two timeouts in the span of 2:41. The Wildcats answered, as they always do — and as they have since the moment the new Big East was formed nine years ago.

Soon, Frank Sinatra was blaring over the Garden speakers, confetti covered the court and Wright was standing atop a ladder, cutting down the final strand of net. “Let’s go ’Nova” chants echoed throughout the building as Villanova fans serenaded their championship team. This scene has now been repeated five times in the last seven years.

“It’s an out-of-body experience,” Wright said. “I’ve always come here as a kid, as an assistant coach to watch the Knicks, to watch the Holiday festival, and now you’re down here on the court. You take a second to think about that every now and then, and it is an unreal experience. You can’t believe you’re a part of it.”

Wright and his Wildcats are more than a part of the Big East. They are the face of this league — the driving force behind it — and that doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon.

“The new Big East would not be where it is today without Coach Wright and the Villanova Wildcats program,” Big East commissioner Val Ackerman told The Post. “We’re all in awe of the consistency, the culture, the professionalism; the clear relationship he has with his players; the strength of the alumni base. They’ve got the whole package.

“They’ve led and pretty much everybody else has followed.”