MAAC Names MassMutual Center in Springfield Site for 2012-2014 MAAC Basketball Championships
MAAC Sports
Springfield, Mass. - The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference has named the MassMutual
Center in Springfield as the site for the 2012-2014 MAAC Basketball
Championships.
"The
MAAC Council of Presidents have unanimously voted to accept the bid from
Springfield, Massachusetts to host the 2012-14 Men's and Women's Basketball
Championships at the MassMutual Center," MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor stated. The decision concludes an 18-month process
that was assisted by services of consultant Rich Oriolo from Stafford Sports,
LLC, which is headquartered in Medford, N.J.
"In
reaching its decision, the Council concluded it is time to take the
championships to a neutral site," Ensor noted.
"The MAAC has built the event to the level where the next step in its
evolution is a neutral arena in a destination city. In Springfield, the MAAC membership can grow
the championship in an environment that favors no single program because of
location, and presents its fans the opportunity to enjoy the Basketball Hall of
Fame and the amenities of the Pioneer Valley.
"The
coaches and administrators had expressed to the Council and league office
during the selection process that home sites have become too big of a playing
and recruiting advantage for the host school.
This is understandable, and speaks to the increased competitiveness of
the MAAC. It seems appropriate and
financially sustainable to move beyond the comfortable confines of an arena
with a home school fan base. I would note that the MassMutual Center and the
Local Organizing Committee have guaranteed the league its best ever financial
result.
"Springfield
was my individual preference for a neutral site as it is the perfect market for
the event as the league moves from a home school arena. It has a proven track record in hosting
neutral site events, an established LOC with strong corporate tie-ins to the
local community, and the valuable asset of the Basketball Hall of Fame, which
is offering the MAAC use of its facilities for the championships and a
permanent exhibit on MAAC basketball for the duration of the hosting agreement.
This association with the Basketball Hall of Fame offers the MAAC the
opportunity to be directly associated with the history of the sport and
provides the MAAC and its institutions with unique branding within the college
basketball community," Ensor concluded, who is in his 22nd year as
Commissioner of the MAAC.
The MassMutual Center is a 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena
that is home to the Springfield Falcons of the
American Hockey League and the Springfield Armor of the NBA Development League. The building, located in the "Birthplace of
Basketball", will serve as host of the 2010 and 2011 NCAA Division II Men's
Basketball Elite Eight. Springfield has
hosted the event 20 times previously, including the last four years which have
featured historically successful attendance numbers and an enhanced schedule of
Championship Week events.
"We
are honored to bring the MAAC Tournaments to the birthplace of basketball,"
said James E. Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center
Authority, which owns the MassMutual Center. "The impact that the Metro
Atlantic Athletic Conference and its fans will bring to Springfield is even
greater than their economic stimulus. This announcement advances our goal
of making Springfield first in the minds of basketball fans across this country
as Basketball Town, U.S.A. I am grateful for the work of our partners,
the Basketball Hall of Fame, the City of Springfield and the GSCVB, in making
this bid a reality."
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is prepared to represent
the MAAC in their museum with an exhibit which will position the MAAC with the
legends and history of the game of basketball.
The Hall of Fame honors exceptional basketball players, all-time great
coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the
game. Named after basketball inventor Dr. James Naismith, its mission is to preserve and promote basketball at all levels and
serve as the ultimate library of the sports' history.
"The
Basketball Hall of Fame is extremely proud to have been an integral part of the
team that aggressively pursued and ultimately were awarded the MAAC
Championships for 2012-2014," said John L. Doleva, President & CEO of the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. "As Springfield and the region
continue to use basketball and the Hall of Fame as a platform for economic
development and sports tourism, we are pleased that this event will contribute
over $4 million in economic impact each year it resides in the city. The
MAAC is a first-class conference deserving of Hall of Fame treatment."
Formerly known as the
Springfield Civic Center, the arena opened in 1972 and was owned and operated
by the City of Springfield until 1990, when a six-year period of contracted
private management began. In February
1996, the SCC returned to city operation.
In November 1997, the Massachusetts Legislature authorized funding for a
major renovation and enlargement of the facility. Six months later, the Legislature formally
transferred ownership of the SCC to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In April 1998, the Commonwealth turned the
building over to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA), which
currently owns the facility. In November
2003, the Massachusetts Mutual Life
Insurance Company entered into a
relationship with the MCCA, earning naming rights for the facility.
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Mayor Domenic J. Sarno
extended his appreciation to the MAAC officials for choosing the City of
Springfield as the host city for the 2012-2014 Basketball Championships and to
local officials who worked tirelessly to secure the Championships. "As
the birthplace of basketball, our City has always had strong ties to the
history of the game and Springfield is a great location with the amenities
players and spectators will be looking for," said Sarno. "The championship
games will draw thousands of people to the downtown area and will have a large
economic impact for downtown businesses," stated Sarno. My administration will
continue to be aggressive and utilize the Basketball Hall of Fame as a catalyst
to bring more sports conventions," added Sarno.
The intersection
of Interstates 90 and 91 - the Crossroads of New England - is only minutes from
the MassMutual Center. Amtrak rail and national motor coach service
provide even more ground-transportation options, and all major carriers fly
into Bradley International Airport, less than 20 minutes from
Springfield.
"The GSCVB is delighted that the MAAC Tournaments
will be held in Springfield," said Mary Kay Wydra, President, Greater
Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Players and conference
administrators will fill more than 600 hotel rooms in the region and due to the
close proximity of the member institutions; we anticipate a large number of
fans adding significantly to the economic impact of this event."
"Hospitality services, coordinated by the
GSCVB, will help to make this an event to remember. From FanFest and
educational programming to dine-arounds and welcome signage, the region looks
forward to welcoming the MAAC and showing off all that the Pioneer Valley has
to offer," said Wydra.
Below is a chart
that outlines the distance between the 10 member institutions of the MAAC to
this year's championships and to the MassMutual Center:
|
MAAC School
|
Location
|
2010
Citizens Bank MAAC Basketball Championships (Albany)
|
2012-2014
MAAC Basketball Championships (Springfield)
|
|
Canisius College
|
Buffalo, N.Y,
|
289
|
375
|
|
Fairfield University
|
Fairfield, Conn.
|
142
|
87
|
|
Iona College
|
New Rochelle, N.Y.
|
148
|
122
|
|
Loyola University Maryland
|
Baltimore, Md.
|
330
|
333
|
|
Manhattan College
|
Riverdale, N.Y.
|
150
|
128
|
|
Marist College
|
Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
|
80
|
122
|
|
Niagara University
|
Niagara University, N.Y.
|
301
|
387
|
|
Rider University
|
Lawrenceville, N.J.
|
189
|
199
|
|
Saint Peter's College
|
Jersey City, N.J.
|
147
|
150
|
|
Siena College
|
Loudonville, N.Y.
|
0
|
88
|
The 2010 Citizens Bank MAAC
Basketball Championships will take place at the Times Union Center in Albany,
N.Y. on Thursday, March 4 through Monday, March 8. The men's championship game
will be televised Monday night, March 8, at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN. The Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn.
will host the 2011 championships.