University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Asheville to Host Collegiate Invitational Basketball Event
07.18.2011 | Women's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C.- UNC Asheville, with support from the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, will host the inaugural "Asheville Collegiate Basketball Invitational" on December 10, 2011 in the University's new Kimmel Arena. The Invitational tournament will showcase women's teams from UNC Asheville and Radford from the Big South Conference along with Appalachian State and Wofford from the Southern Conference for a doubleheader.
The Invitational is being established as an early-season showcase event featuring teams from both conferences. The four teams will spend two days in Asheville and will join together for a banquet on the evening of Friday, December 9 with games held the following day.
UNC Asheville Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone is pleased to welcome the tournament to the school's campus.
"The Bulldogs are delighted to host the Invitational," declared Cone. "We are proud of our new world class facility and are eager to provide student-athletes a wonderful experience."
"The Sports Commission is committed to making sports tourism an integral part of our community," stated Ben VanCamp, Executive Director of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission. "The Invitational along with the Southern Conference Basketball Championships returning to Asheville are two great basketball events that will have a strong economic impact on our community."
Both Southern Conference Commissioner, John Iamarino and Big South Commissioner Kyle Kallander were on hand Monday to lend their support to the Dec. 10 event.
"The Big South Conference is pleased to be included in the Asheville Collegiate Basketball Invitational," said Kallander. "This will be a great celebration of college basketball in our region and is a wonderful opportunity for our teams to play high-quality opponents at a neutral site. We are grateful for the support from the Asheville-Buncombe Regional Sports Commission and UNC Asheville and want to thank them for their vision in making this happen."
"The SoCon is pleased to join the Big South and UNC Asheville in showcasing high-quality Division I basketball for the sports fans of Asheville and western North Carolina," commented Iamarino. "We see a lot of growth potential to the Invitational."
The Asheville Collegiate Invitational will be expanded in 2012 to include both men's and women's competition. The Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission is currently working with both conference commissioners, various athletic directors, and coaches to line up both men's and women's teams for 2012. Asheville's 2012 Collegiate Basketball Invitational is being planned for November 10th and 11th, the first weekend of the 2012 season. The 2012 men's games are tentatively planned to take place in the Asheville Civic Center with the women's games continuing to be held in the Kimmel Arena.
Sponsors for the event include Biltmore Farms Hotel, Crons and Zero Zen Designs.
Tournament Schedule
Dec. 10
Game 1: Radford vs. Wofford, 2 p.m.
Game 2: UNC Asheville vs. Appalachian State, 4:30 p.m.
About the Kimmel Arena
UNC Asheville's Kimmel Arena is one component of the new Sherrill Center facility the campus will bring online this summer. The Center includes the North Carolina Center for Health and Wellness, UNC Asheville's Department of Health and Wellness, and the Kimmel Arena. The arena is a 3,800 seat facility designed to host a variety of events including collegiate basketball.
About the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission
The Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission was formed in the fall of 2010 by a handful of civic-minded leaders who had a vision to impact the local economy by bringing more sporting events to the region. The Sports Commission is a community driven organization led by a diverse board of directors representing varied community interests. These leaders share a common goal of improving the health and quality of life of Asheville and Buncombe County residents while enhancing our community's economic vitality with a thriving sports tourism market.
