Winston-Salem to host MEAC hoops tourneys
After months of speculation, the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference announced last week that its growing men's and women's basketball tournaments will be played in Winston-Salem, N.C. at the city's 15,000-seat Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum for the next three years.
Mayor Allen Joines of the City of Winston-Salem, MEAC Commissioner
Dr. Dennis Thomas and Bob McCoy from Visit
Winston-Salem made the official announcement during a press conference held in the
main lobby of the Coliseum last Tuesday.
"We are extremely excited that the basketball tournament is coming to a progressive city such as Winston-Salem," said Thomas. "We look forward to growing the tournament here and know that this city of Winston-Salem's great infrastructure, its citizens, hotels and arena will prove to be a win-win for both sides." "We feel that the MEAC Basketball Tournament will be a tremendous success and are committed 100-percent to its growth," said Joines. "The MEAC Basketball Tournament and the City of Winston-Salem are moving together in the right direction. We know that what's great for the Tournament is great for the city of Winston-Salem."
"A lot of hard work has gone into the bid for the tournament and we are pleased with this unique partnership," said Bob McCoy. "We are eager with the potential economic growth of the MEAC Tournament and will work jointly to make this tournament be the best it can be."
The decision ends months of speculation that had swirled about the tournament's new home after the city of Raleigh, N.C. in January informed the commissioner that the city and its RBC Center did not want to renew a three-year deal hosting the tournament which ended in March of this year.
The move to Winston-Salem marks the third different host city in the new millennium.
The tournament had a five-year run in Richmond,
Va. at that city's Coliseum that ended in 2005.
Raleigh's RBC Center has been the host for the past
three years. This will be the second time that
Winston-Salem has played host to the MEAC. The tournament had a three-year run at the
city's old Coliseum from 1980-82. Another HBCU conference, the
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Associationheld its popular tournament in Winston-Salem at the Joel
Coliseum for six years from 1994-99.
The 2009 MEAC Tournament is scheduled for March 9-14. Tickets for the 2009 tournament will go on sale at a later date.
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