New Basketball Tournament Headed To Raleigh

WRALSportsFan

New Basketball Tournament Headed To Raleigh

Feb 10, 2006

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RALEIGH, N.C. — A Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference pep rally on Friday featured students from North Carolina A&T, the only MEAC school near the Triangle. They played to just a handful of people. If the low attendance is any indication, the city has quite a job ahead to sell this tournament to the Triangle after the loss of the CIAA.

“They've got an alumni base of about 250,000,” said Raleigh Assistant City Manager Lawrence Wray. “It's got a student base of 74,000 compared to the other conference. I think there's potential there.”

Next month, the MEAC starts a three-year run in Raleigh after six years in Richmond.

“Since we lost the CIAA, that'll give us something to do,” said basketball fan Judy Dodson.

“It always makes me feel proud as an A&T alum to see the energy follow,” said N.C. A&T alum LaRhonda Cain-Foreman.

By the numbers, the MEAC pulled in about $4 million in its last year in Richmond. It's projected to bring in $2-3 million in its first year in Raleigh.

As for attendance, the championship night last year in Richmond only drew a little more than 3,000 fans, with a Virginia school in the finals.

“People love basketball,” said MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas. “We're part of Division I.”

MEAC officials are banking that the Division I fan base will step up. But the challenge -- the MEAC tips off the same week of the ACC tournament in Greensboro, and one week after the CIAA tournament in Charlotte.

“You can't judge us off of the six years the CIAA was in Raleigh,” said Wray. “Judge us off the first year they were here.”

According to Raleigh city leaders, the CIAA's first year generated about $2-3 million for the city. Six years later in 2005, that figure grew to more than $12 million.

The MEAC Tournament is set for March 6-11.