Halifax scores CIS men's basketball championship

Canadian Interuniversity Sport has selected Halifax to host the 2017 and 2018 CIS men's basketball championship.

Dalhousie University, Acadia University and Sports & Entertainment Atlantic teamed up to bring the tournament to the Scotiabank Centre, which was the site of 24 straight national competitions from 1984 to 2007, when it was known as the Metro Centre.

"Something of this magnitude, we couldn't have done it on our own," said Kevin Dickie, director of athletics at Acadia University.

"I think it's great. We've got an amazing fan base here and a tremendous support alumni group and I think for them, it's a really big deal as well," he said.

'Unique situation'

Dickie says he is looking forward to the tournament coming back to Halifax.

"It's a pretty unique situation. A big school in the city (Dalhousie University) and a small school in rural Nova Scotia partnering on an event, but I think the linchpin in the event is Sport and Entertainment Atlantic," he said.

Dickie says Sport & Entertainment Atlantic are the key people to run the event. The Halifax based company partnered with St. Francis Xavier and Saint Mary's universities to stage the 2015 and 2016 University Cup men's hockey tournaments.

"Someone like myself, who grew up in Halifax going to that championship as a kid, I always aspired to play in that one day and become a university student and a student athlete," said Tim Maloney, director of athletics at Dalhousie University.

Maloney thinks local businesses such as restaurants and hotels will benefit from the tournament coming back.

'Going back to tradition'

"This is a basketball region so families and fans have traditionally planned vacations around this event in the past," said Maloney.

Maloney predicts the tournament will be a big success.

"I'm just thrilled for our players, our staff and our student community to be able to be a part of it and experience it," he said.

"For us, it's going back to the tradition," said Michel Bélanger, communications director for CIS, adding that many consider Halifax to be the tournament's unofficial home.

He says Halifax was bidding against Ryerson University and Ottawa to host the championship, which brings together the best eight teams across Canada to compete.

"The reason we left Halifax a couple of years ago wasn't at all a reflection of Halifax's CIS Men's Basketball market. On the contrary, it was a testament to how Halifax and Atlantic University Sport built that event that allowed us to take it across the country," said Bélanger.