Hosting the Big South tourney is beneficial for HPU basketball
By Nick Sturdivant
For the past couple of years the women’s basketball Big South Conference Tournament has called High Point University home. The tournament gives spectators more than just a basketball showcase, but a platform for the city of High Point and the more than 200-acre campus to showcase their beauty.
According to Craig Keilitz, Athletic Director at High Point University, the school does its best not only to draw in student attendance to the games but they reach out to people in the community.
“For our season ticket holders and our alumni we send emails and text messages. Also in the newspapers we advertise [the tournament] throughout the year and we use a little word of mouth and radio ads as well,” said Keilitz.
Not only is attendance critical to the overall well being of the tournament, but also other factors determine whether the tournament comes back.
HPU has been pretty successful at hosting the Big South tournament, whether it being for women’s basketball or any other sport on campus. In 2010, High Point also played host to the Men’s Soccer Big South Tournament and will play host for the 2012 Men’s Baseball Tournament as well.
So what’s made HPU so successful? Well it’s not easy, but High Point has found a way to meet the credentials necessary year after year.
First, they must have plenty of hotels. In High Point alone, there are 18 hotels, many of them in close proximity to the school.
Luckily it has a central location within the Big South Conference and in North Carolina. Downtown High Point is only minutes away and with its central location, visitors don’t have to drive far to bigger cities like Greensboro, Charlotte or Winston-Salem.
It also doesn’t hurt to have some eye candy to look at while at the tournament. High Point has done this with many multimillion-dollar renovations of the campus. People are attracted to HPU for this reason and so are tournament sponsors.
From the outside looking in, you would think that HPU would have some struggles hosting the women’s basketball tournament since a majority of the students are gone for spring break, the time that the Big South Tournament for women’s basketball falls. The ACC basketball tournament for women and men also makes appearances the same week in the Piedmont Triad.
However, the Big South Tournament is still able to hold its ground here in High Point and isn’t fazed by this competition and adversity.
“It’s really different customers, most of the time those who are interested in the ACC teams are not likely to come to see the Big South teams and vice versa,” said Keilitz.
Even though the women’s basketball Big South tournament will not be back in High Point next year, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t jump at the opportunity to come back again later.
Leon Jiménez, who has been an on-and-off High Point resident for more 30 years, has no problem with the tournament coming back.
Jiménez said, “It gives people in the community something to do and look forward to. Why go out of your way to other cities when you can see good basketball here in High Point?”