FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2017
Contact: Courtney Morrison Archer (cmarcher@c-usa.org)
CONFERENCE USA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS MOVING TO FRISCO, TEXAS
Ford Center at The Star Provides Shining Venue
IRVING, Texas – Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod announced today the 2018 and 2019 Conference USA Men's & Women's Basketball Championships will be hosted at Ford Center at The Star, in partnership with the University of North Texas, the Dallas Cowboys and Visit Frisco.
Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star will be the presenting sponsor of the 2018 C-USA Basketball Championships, which are scheduled for Wednesday, March 7 through Saturday, March 10, with all 22 games – 11 men’s and 11 women’s games – being held at The Star. The conference champions receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
"We are excited to have our men’s and women’s basketball teams compete at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco," MacLeod said. “This unique setting within an outstanding venue and a thriving area will truly add to the championship experience of our student-athletes and fans."
The University of North Texas boasts nearly 120,000 alumni within the four Texas counties of Dallas, Denton, Collin and Tarrant. More than 25,000 total alums from the other 13 C-USA member schools also reside within that area.
“We are always looking to bring new experiences to student-athletes, their families and fans with our state-of-the-art facilities. Conference USA’s basketball tournament is a great opportunity to showcase the versatility of Ford Center as well as what The Star and the City of Frisco have to offer,” said Dallas Cowboys Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Jerry Jones, Jr.
“As we look to spring 2018 to open Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research, we’re thrilled to be part of these tournaments,” said LaVone Arthur, chief integration officer and senior vice president of business development, Baylor Scott & White Health. “The facility will neighbor the Ford Center where these games take place, and will work to keep athletes healthy and playing at their highest levels.”
Frisco will be the eighth location to host the C-USA Men’s Basketball Championship and the 13th host city for the C-USA Women’s Basketball Championship. Conference USA has hosted two women’s basketball tournaments within the Metroplex area as the 2006 C-USA Championship was held at SMU’s Moody Coliseum in Dallas and the 2004 C-USA Championship was in Fort Worth at TCU’s Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
“We are excited to host the Conference USA Men's & Women's Basketball Championships,” said Frisco Mayor Maher Maso. “Frisco is a great location for these games because our community is active, collaborative and sport-centric. We’re also a fast growing community and extremely proud of the world-class facilities we have available to host events such as this. Hosting the Conference USA Men's & Women's Basketball Championships enhances our reputation as a tourist and sports destination while providing entertainment and economic benefits for our residents.”
“We are thrilled to partner with the city of Frisco and the Dallas Cowboys to bring the Conference USA basketball tournament to DFW,” said Wren Baker, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Director of Athletics at North Texas. “I believe the venue and experiences coupled with high quality teams will provide an incredible opportunity for people in the region to participate actively in March Madness. UNT looks forward to working with Conference USA to make the tournament special for fans as well as participating student-athletes and coaches.”
Ticket information will be announced this fall and more information is available at www.ConferenceUSA.com.
ABOUT CONFERENCE USA
Conference USA is an NCAA Division I athletic conference based in Irving, Texas, that services 14 institutions of higher education – Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UTEP, UTSA and WKU. Now in its third decade, Conference USA has adapted to the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics with an unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity and leadership in competition, academics and community. More information about the league and its members is available at www.ConferenceUSA.com.
ABOUT THE STAR
The Star is the 91-acre campus of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and practice facility in Frisco, Texas. Developed as a first-of-its-kind partnership between the City of Frisco and Frisco ISD, The Star features Ford Center, a 12,000-seat stadium that hosts Frisco ISD football games and other events; Cowboys Fit, a 60,000 square-foot gym developed in partnership with leading fitness developer, Mark Mastrov; and Cowboys Club, a members-only club where the country club meets the NFL. Throughout 2017, The Star will welcome The Omni Frisco Hotel, a 16-floor, 300-room luxury hotel; Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star, a 300,000 square-foot center of excellence for sports medicine; as well as a variety of shopping, dining and nightlife options. For more information on The Star, visit: http://thestarinfrisco.com/.
ABOUT VISIT FRISCO
Founded in 2003, Visit Frisco, the Frisco, Texas, Convention & Visitors Bureau, has grown in tandem with the extensive growth of leisure travel, sports, and meeting facilities within the city. It’s their mission to generate a positive awareness of Frisco as a premiere destination for meetings, sporting events, conventions, trade shows, leisure travel, and to positively impact the economic base of the City of Frisco. Official accreditation recognizing excellence and achievement was awarded in 2009 by the industry organization Destination Marketing Association International. Learn more at visitfrisco.com or call 877-GO-FRISCO.
ABOUT BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE SPORTS THERAPY & RESEARCH AT THE STAR (ST&R)
Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star (ST&R) will be a world-class sports medicine facility opening in early 2018. On site will be a Sports Performance Center dedicated to athletes at all levels ranging from amateurs to nationally prominent professional sports figures. In addition, there will be an Urgent Care Center, Imaging Center, Ambulatory Surgery Center, Outpatient Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation, Pharmacy, Primary Care, and more. At the ST&R, athletes will have access to tools that help enhance physical performance, gain education and training on injury prevention, as well as treatment options for injury recovery.
-ConferenceUSA.com-