Barclays Center Bringing Atlantic 10 Conference Hoops Tourney To Brooklyn
By BigLeadSports
The Atlantic 10 Conference has signed a five-year deal with the Barclays Center to hold the A-10 men’s basketball tournament in the arena, beginning in 2013. The tournament is currently played at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
The NBA’s Brooklyn Nets will be the venue’s main sports tenants. Operators also have signed deals to have boxing, tennis and college hockey there, in addition to live shows and concerts including Jay-Z, a Brooklyn native and part owner of the Nets.
The A-10 Conference members are Charlotte, Dayton, Duquesne, Fordham, George Washington, LaSalle, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, St. Josephs, St. Louis, Temple and Xavier.
Although Fordham is the only school within New York City, Atlantic 10 and Barclays Center both see it as a valuable and highly profile move.
“The opportunity to partner with the Barclays Center and bring the Atlantic 10 basketball championship to New York has unlimited possibilities,” Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette McGlade said during a press conference on Sept. 28 to unveil the partnership. “ Our teams will compete in the newest, state-of-the-art facility within the Atlantic 10 footprint and the number-one media market in the country.”
“We are thrilled for the Barclays Center to play host to one of men’s basketball’s most prestigious conference tournaments,” said Brett Yormark, Barclays Center CEO. “We appreciate our alliance with the Atlantic 10 as we position the Barclays Center as a significant national collegiate sports venue.”
According to McGlade, the highest concentration of Atlantic 10 alumni in the nation live and work in the New York metro area.
“Brooklyn and the surrounding metropolitan New York area is home to over 100,000 Atlantic 10 alumni; this combined with the eight-million plus population will give the Atlantic 10 an opportunity to grow the championship to new heights,” said McGlade.
The Atlantic 10 hoops tournament is broadcast on CBS. Marketing partners include Geico, Spalding and PowerAde.