Buffalo's First Niagara Center Awarded 2014 NCAA Second & Third Rounds
MAAC Sports
Edison, N.J. - The 2014 NCAA
Division I Men's Basketball second and third rounds will return to the First
Niagara Center in Buffalo, NY as awarded by the NCAA Division I Men's
Basketball Committee. The Buffalo second and third rounds will take place
on March 20 and 22. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) will co-host with Canisius
College and Niagara University.
"It is tremendous news that Buffalo has been selected to
host the second and third rounds of the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball
Championship," notes Richard Ensor, MAAC Commissioner. "I believe the
selection reflects the confidence the NCAA staff and the Division I Men's
Basketball Committee have in the co-hosts, the First Niagara Center, the
Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau and the City of Buffalo to
stage a great championship."
This will be the sixth time that the MAAC has hosted an NCAA
championship at the First Niagara Center including five NCAA Division I Men's
Basketball Championship events and the Frozen Four in 2003. Each of these previous
NCAA Championship events had sold out ticket sales.
"We're proud to be able to bring the NCAA Men's
Division I Basketball Championship tournament to Buffalo and First Niagara
Center in 2014," said Buffalo Sabres President Ted Black. "This will
be the fifth time the tournament comes through our facility and the first for
our new ownership. We have great partners in the NCAA, the MAAC, Canisius
College and Niagara University so we know it will be a tremendous
success."
A total of 53 cities put in bids to host NCAA Division I Men's
Basketball Championship events and 25 cities were awarded for the 2014-2015
sites.
"We are thrilled that the NCAA has once again selected
Buffalo to host the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship," said Bill
Maher, Director of Athletics at Canisius College and Tournament Co-Director.
"Western New York has hosted five NCAA Championship events in the First Niagara
Center and our proven success in hosting outstanding championship events has
led them back to Buffalo once again."
Tom Crowley, Athletic Director of Niagara University and also Tournament Co-Director noted, "This is the fifth time Niagara has partnered with the MAAC and
Canisius to bring the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament to Buffalo and we look
forward to a great weekend for fans from all across the nation who come to
Buffalo to celebrate March Madness."