BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – The Great American Conference has announced a two-year deal to host the league’s basketball championship tournaments at the Bruin Field House in Bartlesville, Okla.
The announcement was made on Thursday at a press conference in Bartlesville.
The GAC has partnered with the Bartlesville Sports Commission for the two-year deal, starting with the 2012 event. There is an option for the third year. The BSC has hosted the Lone Star Conference basketball championships for the previous four seasons at Bruin Fieldhouse, which has a seating capacity of nearly 2,300. The facility features chair-back seating, two practice courts, two hospitality areas, a media room, a large athletic training room, as well as areas for pep bands and cheerleaders.
“It’s certainly an exciting day for the Great American Conference,” said GAC Commissioner Will Prewitt. “We could not have found a better site to host this event. The Lone Star Conference tournaments have been thought of as one of the premier championship events in the country, and we are excited to be continuing that with the GAC.”
In addition to the athletic facility, the city of Bartlesville played a key role in acquiring the event. On average, the LSC tournaments drew over 300 volunteers per year from the city and surrounding communities. The area also receives benefit through community engagement activities the participating teams will conduct, which includes time spent with the local youth organizations.
“We are very appreciative to the city of Bartlesville with what all they have offered to get this tournament, and we want to give back,” added Prewitt. “The community engagement programs that the BSC has put together in the past four years have been incredible and we are excited to be able to continue and grow those.”
With a population of just over 32,000, Bartlesville provides all of the amenities needed for a 16-team event, which includes the top eight male teams and the top eight female teams from the league’s regular season.
“This is a good day for the Bartlesville Sports Commission and the city of Bartlesville, Oklahoma,” said BSC Chairman Bob Pomeroy. “We’re ready to help the GAC put on a great tournament in any way possible.”
The 2011-12 event will feature an alternating schedule between the men’s and women’s tournaments. The dates have been set for Thursday-Sunday, March 1-4, 2012. Game times will be announced at a later date. For the first year, the men’s opening round will take place on Thursday, followed by the women’s opening round on Friday. On Saturday, the men’s semi-finals will be the first two games of the day, followed by the women’s games. The league’s first ever basketball tournament champions will be crowned on Sunday, March 4. The men’s game will be first, followed by the women’s game.