NORFOLK, Va., March 12, 2013 - The 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament tipped off this week in Norfolk, Virginia.
The tournament started on Monday and will conclude on Saturday with the championship games beginning at 1 p.m. for the women and 5 p.m. for the men. Both games are televised on ESPNU with the men's game broadcasting live and the women's game broadcasting taped delayed on Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
The tournament features all 13 MEAC member institutions including local schools Hampton and Norfolk State.
Hampton University earned the top seed on the women's side after finishing the regular season with a 16-0 conference record. The Norfolk State Spartan men's team also finished with an unblemished record of 16-0 and earned the No. 1 seed. Both Hampton and Norfolk State earned first-round byes and will begin play on Wednesday, March 13.
"I would like to thank Mayor Paul Fraim, the City Council, Norfolk City Manager Marcus Jones and the other city staff for embracing and supporting the MEAC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament," said Commissioner Dennis Thomas. "The tournament has seen a tremendous amount of support with over 5,000 pre-tournament ticket book sales including 46,000 single game tickets."
Norfolk, Virginia will serve as the host city for three years beginning with 2013 through 2015. All tournament games are held at the Norfolk Scope Arena. Additional ancillary events including the annual Cheerleading Championship and post-game concerts and parties also make up the overall festivities of the tournament experience.
"The City of Norfolk is ready to welcome the thousands of fans to the MEAC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament this week", says Mayor Paul D. Fraim. "Many of our downtown restaurants extended their operating hours; our hotels are near or at capacity and when the numbers are tallied we expect the tournament to have a substantial economic impact on the city."
"I would like to also thank VisitNorfolk and its staff including CEO and President Tony DiFilippo and Donna Allen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for their support and marketing assistance with this year's tournament," said Commissioner Thomas.
For more information about the 2013 MEAC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament including brackets, ancillary events, tickets and travel information log on to www.MEAChoops.com.
About the MEAC Men and Women's Basketball Tournament
The MEAC Men and Women's Basketball Tournament is a single elimination championship playoff that involves Division I historically black colleges and universities located across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman, Coppin State, Delaware State, Florida A&M, Hampton, Howard, Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central, Savannah State, and South Carolina State.
The tournament is played at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Virginia. Both the men's and women's champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
About Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia is a city of some 242,803 residents and more than 100 diverse neighborhoods. It is the cultural, educational, business and medical center of Hampton Roads, hosts the world's largest naval base, the region's international airport and is one of the busiest international ports on the East Coast of the United States. The city is undergoing a successful renewal, including new office, retail, entertainment and new residential development along the rivers and bay front, and revitalization projects in many of its neighborhoods. Norfolk's residents and city officials have long supported sports programs at all levels.
About VisitNorfolk
VisitNorfolk is the official Destination Marketing Organization for the City of Norfolk. VisitNorfolk, a non-profit organization is dedicated to enhancing the role of travel and tourism in our economy by producing high volumes of both leisure and convention visitors, tax revenues and travel related jobs in Norfolk. VisitNorfolk also provides the resources and tools to ensure our visitors stay in Norfolk is both a productive and enjoyable one. For more information, visitnorfolktoday.com or call 800-368-3097. #Norfolk, Virginia