The latitudinal variations of the noon sector polar-cusp region and the nightside auroral oval were examined to investigate the auroral oval dynamics during three intense geomagnetic storms. The variations were compared with the variation in ring-current intensity (i.e., Dst) and with changes in the interplanetary magnetic field Bz component to determine the dominant parameter of the large-scale polar-region configuration changes during magnetic storms. Deviations of the polar cusp and the midnight auroral oval from their normal quiet time are also compared to determine the occurrence of the large-scale reconfiguration of the polar-region geometry. It is found that (a) the large (10¿ geomagnetic latitude) equatorial shift of the auroral oval occurs in coordination with the equatorward motion of the polar-cusp region: (b) the polar cusp is displaced by a few degrees more than the nightside auroral oval near the peak of a magnetic storm, (c) the midnight auroral oval recovers more slowly than the polar-cusp region during the storm recovery phase; and (d) the midnight oval and the noon sector polar-cusp region more coherently with the southward variation of the interplanetary magnetic field Bz, but not necessarily with the Dst-intensity variations.