Cambridge, Mass. — The America East Conference has chosen the University of Hartford as hosts for its 2011 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.Just months removed from the fi rst-ever combined men’s and women’s championship, the conference Athletic Directors chose to build off themomentum created from this past year and once again hold the tournament in Hartford.“Our 2010 Championship in Hartford was a great experience for our teams and our fans and this drove the decision by our Athletic Directors to build offthis success,” said America East Commissioner Patrick Nero. “We look for 2011 to be even better.”The 2011 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will be held on March 3-6, 2011 at The Chase Family Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion on Universityof Hartford’s campus. The fi rst, quarterfi nal and semifi nal rounds for both the men and women will be held at the combined tournament, while thetitle games will again both be held the following weekend at the site of highest seeds remaining.“I am thrilled to be able to once again host the America East Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships in West Hartford,” said University of HartfordDirector of Athletics Patricia H. Meiser. “Our arena provides a unique and fan friendly environment in hosting the championship and we look forward towelcoming all nine conference schools, their teams and their fans back to campus in March.”“I am delighted that the University of Hartford has been selected to host the combined men’s and women’s America East Conference championships forthe second straight year,” said University of Hartford President Walter Harrison. “I look forward to building on last year’s success, and welcoming fans fromthroughout the conference back to the Greater Hartford area again.”Both fi rst round games will be held Thursday, March 3, while the women’s quarterfi nals will follow on Friday, March 4. The men’s quarterfi nals will bescheduled for Saturday, March 5 and both the men’s and women’s semifi nal tilts will take place Sunday, March 6. The highest seeds remaining in both themen’s and women’s tournament will host the championship games with the men’s title game on Saturday, March 12 and the women’s fi nal tentatively setfor that same day.The 2010 America East Championship presented by Newman’s Own drew over 17,000 fans to Chase Arena, the University’s 3,508 facility, and over 21,000fans in total. The tournament also featured the largest title sponsor in conference history in Newman’s Own, whose Foundation also sponsored a CampusCommunity Challenge, which contributed more than $100,000 to organization in America East communities.Prior to the combined format, Hartford had hosted the America East Women’s Championship seven times in the previous eight years. The women’s championshiphad utilized a single-site format since 1998. Maine hosted the fi rst single-site event, followed by University of Vermont in 1999, 2000 and 2001,and Hartford in 2002-06. The tournament traveled to Binghamton in 2007 before returning to Hartford in 2008 and 2009. Last year was the fi rst time thewomen’s championship had a dual site format, which helped result in a 77 percent increase in attendance from the previous season.The America East Men’s Championship has utilized the present format of a single site for the fi rst rounds, with the championship game played at the higherremaining seed since 1996. University at Albany’s SEFCU Arena hosted the tournament in 2009, while Binghamton University’s Event Center was the site ofthe championship in 2006 and 2008. Boston University hosted at Agganis Arena in 2007 and at Walter Brown Arena in 2003 and 2004, while the Terrierswere a co-host in 2002 at Matthews Arena. The championship was played at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, Del. from 1996 to 2001.Hartford has attracted more than 66,000 fans to championship games at Chase Arena since 2002. The Hawks also led the conference last season, drawingan average of 1,737 fans for women’s basketball games. Chase Arena drew over 43,000 fans for home men’s and women’s basketball games during the2009-10 regular season.For information on the America East basketball, log on to the conference’s offi cial website, http://www.americaeast.com/.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
AMERICA EAST TO RETURN TO HARTFORD FOR 2011 MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Cambridge, Mass. — The America East Conference has chosen the University of Hartford as hosts for its 2011 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.Just months removed from the fi rst-ever combined men’s and women’s championship, the conference Athletic Directors chose to build off themomentum created from this past year and once again hold the tournament in Hartford.“Our 2010 Championship in Hartford was a great experience for our teams and our fans and this drove the decision by our Athletic Directors to build offthis success,” said America East Commissioner Patrick Nero. “We look for 2011 to be even better.”The 2011 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will be held on March 3-6, 2011 at The Chase Family Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion on Universityof Hartford’s campus. The fi rst, quarterfi nal and semifi nal rounds for both the men and women will be held at the combined tournament, while thetitle games will again both be held the following weekend at the site of highest seeds remaining.“I am thrilled to be able to once again host the America East Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships in West Hartford,” said University of HartfordDirector of Athletics Patricia H. Meiser. “Our arena provides a unique and fan friendly environment in hosting the championship and we look forward towelcoming all nine conference schools, their teams and their fans back to campus in March.”“I am delighted that the University of Hartford has been selected to host the combined men’s and women’s America East Conference championships forthe second straight year,” said University of Hartford President Walter Harrison. “I look forward to building on last year’s success, and welcoming fans fromthroughout the conference back to the Greater Hartford area again.”Both fi rst round games will be held Thursday, March 3, while the women’s quarterfi nals will follow on Friday, March 4. The men’s quarterfi nals will bescheduled for Saturday, March 5 and both the men’s and women’s semifi nal tilts will take place Sunday, March 6. The highest seeds remaining in both themen’s and women’s tournament will host the championship games with the men’s title game on Saturday, March 12 and the women’s fi nal tentatively setfor that same day.The 2010 America East Championship presented by Newman’s Own drew over 17,000 fans to Chase Arena, the University’s 3,508 facility, and over 21,000fans in total. The tournament also featured the largest title sponsor in conference history in Newman’s Own, whose Foundation also sponsored a CampusCommunity Challenge, which contributed more than $100,000 to organization in America East communities.Prior to the combined format, Hartford had hosted the America East Women’s Championship seven times in the previous eight years. The women’s championshiphad utilized a single-site format since 1998. Maine hosted the fi rst single-site event, followed by University of Vermont in 1999, 2000 and 2001,and Hartford in 2002-06. The tournament traveled to Binghamton in 2007 before returning to Hartford in 2008 and 2009. Last year was the fi rst time thewomen’s championship had a dual site format, which helped result in a 77 percent increase in attendance from the previous season.The America East Men’s Championship has utilized the present format of a single site for the fi rst rounds, with the championship game played at the higherremaining seed since 1996. University at Albany’s SEFCU Arena hosted the tournament in 2009, while Binghamton University’s Event Center was the site ofthe championship in 2006 and 2008. Boston University hosted at Agganis Arena in 2007 and at Walter Brown Arena in 2003 and 2004, while the Terrierswere a co-host in 2002 at Matthews Arena. The championship was played at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, Del. from 1996 to 2001.Hartford has attracted more than 66,000 fans to championship games at Chase Arena since 2002. The Hawks also led the conference last season, drawingan average of 1,737 fans for women’s basketball games. Chase Arena drew over 43,000 fans for home men’s and women’s basketball games during the2009-10 regular season.For information on the America East basketball, log on to the conference’s offi cial website, http://www.americaeast.com/.
