U.S. college basketball tournament coming to Vancouver in 2017
CBC News | Posted: December 16, 2015 8:23 PM | Last Updated: December 16, 2015
NCAA Division 1 tournament to be played under the sails at the Vancouver Convention Centre every November
American college basketball is set to invade the Vancouver Convention Centre annually starting in November of 2017 with the launch of the Vancouver Basketball Showcase, a tournament featuring eight women's and eight men's Division 1 NCAA teams.
"This is likely Vancouver's biggest elite basketball-related news since the NBA announced that the Grizzlies franchise was awarded to Vancouver," said Howard Kelsey, former Canadian team player and co-director of the event.
The exhibition space at the convention centre will be converted into a 3,000 seat basketball venue during the American Thanksgiving holiday weekend event.
The tournament is the brainchild of bd Global, an American sports and event management firm, and Sport Hosting Vancouver.
"Today's announcement is the start of another exciting chapter for playing host to great sports events in Vancouver," said Michelle Collens, manager of Sport Hosting Vancouver.
Vancouver has a strong record hosting international sporting events like the 2010 Olympics and 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Organizers of the Vancouver Basketball Showcase could not yet say which U.S. college teams will be playing in the tournament.