In a departure from recent tradition, this year's Amstel Sigerson Cup will be played over three days this weekend at Queen's University, Belfast. The addition of the Friday quarter-finals to the usual schedule is viewed with mixed feelings.

On one hand, it eliminates the administrative trouble of organising four separate matches on a weekday. But equally, the format places a heavy burden on the competing teams.

Three matches on successive days on heavy pitches will require a lot of each college's strength-in-depth, and the higher panel numbers may turn out to be as important as the first 15 by the time Sunday's final is finished.

Today's quarter-finals begin this morning with the meeting of two of the most successful of the regional institutes, Sligo and Athlone, who have both reached the semi-finals in the last two years but whose achievements have been overshadowed by the success of their Tralee counterparts. Sligo gave Tralee their hardest match of the campaign two years ago when the sides (then RTCs) met in the 1997 semi-final in Coleraine.

Athlone lost more heavily to ITT in Tralee last year, but they have an impressive panel - including captain James Ruane, a former Sligo IT player - and will be marginally favoured against a Sligo team likely to lose the services of talented dual player Sean Flannery to Sligo Rovers' National League commitments.

Although IT Tralee are chasing a third consecutive Sigerson in their four years in the competition, the team isn't quite as strong as last year's after the loss of four All-Ireland medallists of the last two years: Seamus Moynihan, Michael Donnellan who have left, the injured Michael Francis Russell and the suspended Padraig Joyce, who will miss at least two of the weekend's matches, assuming the holders survive this afternoon's tilt at UCC.

They should. Captain Jimmy McGuinness is still around and playing well, and this year's intake includes Laois under-age star - and Ireland panellist - Colm Parkinson, and Noel Kennelly, the spectacular Kerry minor from a couple of years ago who played with Waterford IT last season.

UCC have a couple of Cork seniors at the back, Donagh Wiseman and Anthony Lynch, and a some lively forwards including Padraig Griffin, one of the stars of Clonakilty's 1996 county championship win - ironically beating UCC in the final. But overall they don't have the depth of ITT, despite the Kerry college's loss of important players.

St Mary's Belfast have done extremely well this campaign with a surprise win over UL, the current Limerick county champions, in Dublin. Their defeat of GMIT in the second round was comfortable. Given their restricted resources, St Mary's have done well, but the loss through injury of Tyrone's Ciaran Gourley is accordingly severe. Their only Sigerson title was won when Queen's last staged the competition, in 1989.

Their opponents, Garda College, are along with ITT and Queen's one of the big three going into the weekend. They beat the former and lost to the latter in the Ryan Cup, and boast an array of talent including captain Cathal Sheridan, who has found good scoring form at inter-county level since transferring from Meath to Kildare, 1997 All Star Cathal Daly and experienced former UCG player Don Connellan, who won a Sigerson medal in 1992. Garda will be expected to progress.

Finally, hosts Queen's carry the burden of favouritism, however marginal. The experience of reaching last year's semi-finals will help the team which looked good on its recent visit to Dublin to squash UCD's hopes. Affected by injuries which remove Armagh senior Barry O'Hagan and Antrim midfielder Joe Quinn, they will probably show only one change from the second round line-out.

Quinn will have to be replaced, although namesake Peter has recovered from a hamstring pull picked up at Belfield. The team is a potent blend of careful defenders and remorseless forwards, particularly their half-line of Fermanagh's Tom Brewster, Tyrone All-Ireland minor captain Cormac McAnallen and Donegal's Barry Ward. In the full forwards, Armagh's Colm Hanratty, recovered from a dreadful leg-break sustained over a year ago against Donegal in the National League, is back with Queen's having won a medal in 1990.

The home team should have too much for Dublin IT's perky attack which includes Meath's Ollie Murphy and Erin's Isle's Niall Crossan, scorer of one of last year's most controversial goals - the one which sparked the did it/ didn't it cross the line debate after the last-minute score eliminated Castlehaven from the All-Ireland semi-final in Thurles.