NCAA extends Stagg Bowl, hoops
The City of Salem has even more reason to tout itself as “Virginia’s Championship City.”
The NCAA has awarded Salem and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference approval to serve as co-hosts for the prestigious Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl and the Men’s Division III Basketball Championship through 2013. The Stagg Bowl Football contract is for an unprecedented 3 years.
“This enables us to focus even more of our energies on the student-athletes, who have always been our number one priority,” says Carey Harveycutter, Salem’s Director of Civic Facilities and Game Manager for NCAA events.
“We’re just very pleased and proud that the NCAA continues to trust the city and the conference to host these prestigious events,” says Harveycutter.
The City of Salem also was awarded women’s softball through 2013. In 2011, the Division II and Division III championships will be played in back-to-back weeks at the James I. Moyer complex. In 2012, Division III will return, while Division II softball comes back to town in 2013.
“The softball isn’t always considered a marquee event, but we really enjoy these events as much or more than any of the championships we host,” he says. “Plus, the economic benefits for the community are greater with softball because these folks are here longer.”
In 1993, Salem began hosting NCAA Championships when it secured the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. Since then the city has hosted 17 straight football championships and entertained athletes and coaches from all over the country for a staggering 59 NCAA National Championship events thanks in part to the support of sports fans in the Roanoke Valley and the hard work of City of Salem and Old Dominion Athletic Conference officials.
“The people in the stands are the most critical part of the bid process with the NCAA because they believe the student-athlete’s experience is magnified greatly when you have a lot of fans, and we’ve been blessed with great support,” he says.
