Southern Conference Basketball Championships To Remain In Asheville Through 2026
Tournaments will have been in Asheville for 15 straight years at end of new deal
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference has reached an agreement with representatives from the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, Buncombe County and the City of Asheville, North Carolina, to continue to host the league’s men’s and women’s basketball championships at Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville through 2026. The new five-year deal extends a partnership that has proven successful for both the league and the Asheville community for more than two decades.
A formal press conference to announce the agreement will take place at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the banquet hall at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville.
“This is a historic day to extend the Southern Conference’s long-standing and successful partnership with Asheville to host our basketball championships,” SoCon Commissioner Jim Schaus said. “Over the 101 SoCon basketball championships, Asheville has hosted the most of any city. What makes this tournament special is how the city and area community embrace it, having an ideal venue and how much our schools and fans enjoy coming here.
“I would like to thank the sports commission, City of Asheville, Buncombe County commissioners, local organizing committee, volunteers, my outstanding staff and our title sponsor Ingles and presenting sponsor General Shale of the last several years for making this tournament not only the oldest conference basketball tournament but the best. We can’t wait to work together with our outstanding local team to continue grow this event for years to come.”
First contested in 1921, the SoCon men’s tournament is the nation’s oldest collegiate conference tournament. Asheville has served as host to the SoCon’s championship more than another other location, with the 22-year history of the tournament in the city comprising a 12-year run from 1984-95 and the current 10-year run that began in 2012. At the end of the current extension, the tournament will have been in Asheville for 15 consecutive years, which will eclipse a 14-year stay in Raleigh, North Carolina, from 1933-46 as the longest stretch the tournament has stayed in one location consecutively.
The SoCon women’s basketball championship has been contested in Asheville 11 times, with the semifinals and final played there in 1995 before the current 10-year stretch.
“The Southern Conference Basketball Championships have a rich tradition in Asheville and we are excited that the tournaments will remain in Asheville through 2026,” Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission President Demp Bradford said. “This is more than basketball for our community – it’s the Downtown Dribble, Education Days and Hometown Heroes. All of these special events surround some of the best basketball in the country, and Asheville is excited to continue to be the home of this tournament.”
After a 17-year absence, the SoCon tournaments’ return to Asheville in 2012 was a resounding success, with the men’s tournament drawing more than 12,000 additional fans from the year prior. The relationship between the tournament and Asheville has continued to flourish, as four of the last five tournament title games have sold out. The 2020 tournament averaged just under 5,000 fans per session, the best average attendance for the league since 2012.
While COVID protocols drastically limited attendance in 2021, all 18 SoCon teams were able to participate and the tournament was played to completion, sending men’s champion UNCG and women’s champion Mercer to the NCAA postseason.
“Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority is thrilled that the Southern Conference Basketball Championships will tip off in Asheville once again,” said Vic Isley, President & CEO of Explore Asheville. “The long-standing Southern Conference partnership results in positive economic value and meaningful community engagement, generating nearly $4 million direct spending for local businesses in past years just before we swing into spring season.”
The entirety of the men’s tournament run in Asheville has been contested at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville. With renovations to the building part of the initial draw to bring the SoCon back to Asheville, the venue has continued to make improvements, with new videoboards and ribbon boards installed ahead of the 2021 championships.
“For over 20 years, our venue has been proud to host the SoCon Championships for men’s and women’s basketball,” Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville General Manager Chris Corl said. “As we move forward in returning to large-scale elite athletic and music events, we are honored to say that the Southern Conference Basketball Championships will remain one of our favorite anchor events of the year.”
The 2022 SoCon Basketball Championships are scheduled for March 3-7.
American Cornhole League Is Coming To Asheville
Professional Cornhole Is Making It’s Way to Asheville
Asheville, NC - American Cornhole League announced the host cities for the league’s newest event series called the American Cornhole League Pro Shootout Series. Asheville is one of the eight cities to host a Pro Shootout event this summer. The event is expected to draw between 200-250 professional cornhole players on June 11-12, 2021 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville.
“Asheville is excited to be hosting the American Cornhole League Pro Shootout at the Harrah's Cherokee Center-Asheville. Cornhole has grown in popularity nationally and this is an event which we feel will introduce our community to professional cornhole and opens the door to hosting more cornhole events in the near future,” said Demp Bradford, President of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission.
Mostly known as recreational activity in the backyard or at tailgates, cornhole is one of the fastest growing competitive sports in the country and the American Cornhole League is one of the fastest growing sports leagues in the nation.
Western North Carolina is the home of two professional American Cornhole League players in Danny Williams from Hendersonville and Tyler Stephenson from Clyde. Williams and Stephenson are the 64th ranked pro doubles team in the American Cornhole League.
“I've enjoyed being able to go many different places all over the nation to play but now to have not only an ACL event, but an ACL Pro event in our local area is awesome. It's going to be great to be able to compete with the best cornhole players in the world right here in my own backyard,” said Stephenson.
The two-day event will be free for the public to attend on Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12. The Championship will be broadcasted live on the CBS Sports Network Saturday, June 12, 2021 from 6pm-8pm ET.
For more information on the tournament, please visit: www.iplaycornhole.com
For free tickets to Saturday, please visit: https://aclproshootout-hcca.eventbrite.com
Students Adopt-a-Team for Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships
Students Adopt-a-Team for Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships
Credit: BCS Communications Dept.
The 2021 Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships Presented By General Shale tipped off without spectators on Thursday, March 4, but that's not stopping Buncombe students from cheering on their teams!
This year, ten Buncombe County schools - one for each Southern Conference team - adopted a university to cheer on throughout the March 4-8 event. Organized through each school's physical education (PE) program, students and teachers teamed up to make signs and recorded themselves chanting and cheering. The video clips will be played on screens at Harrah's Cherokee Center throughout the tournament for both men's and women's matchups, giving athletes a virtual fan experience and letting them know their supporters are not far away. Additionally, PE teachers are organizing basketball-themed games and lessons in their classes this month, encouraging health and exercise with a fun March Madness twist.
At Enka Intermediate School, PE students will be checking in on Mercer University's progress throughout the tournament.
"When I told [students] we had the opportunity to adopt the Mercer Bears and be up on the screen, they got so excited," said Enka Intermediate PE teacher Katherine Thomas. "They wore their orange and black, we talked about where the university was and the team's record this year, and they just appreciated being a part."
After hearing about the students' efforts, some Southern Conference teams have already made plans to reach out to the schools. For example, Western Carolina University Coach Kiley Hill sent a special video message this week to the students at Johnston Elementary.
"We are so jacked that you've adopted us for this year, and we're excited to see you guys very, very soon," Hill said to the students.
During the tournament, three BCS high school JROTC units will virtually introduce games through formal Presentation of Colors videos, accompanied by student musicians. The groups include A.C. Reynolds High's Army JROTC and Chorale, Enka High's Air Force JROTC and Wind Ensemble, and T.C. Roberson High's Air Force JROTC and Chamber Choir. The virtual JROTC presentations were produced by the BCS Communications Dept.
In past years, third through eighth grade BCS students have attended games during the Southern Conference's Education Days, often as a reward for positive decision-making in school. Last year, just prior to the pandemic, nearly 2,900 BCS students and chaperones attended the games at Harrah's, and several arts programs and clubs performed during breaks.
The 2021 women's Southern Conference tournament runs March 4-7, and the men's tournament runs March 5-8.
Special thanks to the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville, and the Southern Conference for their role in involving students in this tradition during this unusual year."
Southern Conference Basketball, 2021 BCS Adopt-a-Team
Chattanooga Mocs, West Buncombe Elementary
The Citadel Bulldogs, Haw Creek Elementary
East Tennessee State Buccaneers, Avery’s Creek Elementary
Furman Paladins, Emma Elementary
Mercer Bears, Enka Intermediate
Samford Bulldogs, Candler Elementary
UNC Greensboro Spartans, Leicester Elementary
Virginia Military Institute Keydets, Black Mountain Elementary
Western Carolina Catamounts, Johnston Elementary
Wofford Terriers, North Buncombe Elementary
Teams were adopted on a first-come first-served basis.
By: Benjamin Rickert
BCS Communications Dept.
7th Annual Hoops Against Hunger partners with Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships
7TH ANNUAL HOOPS AGAINST HUNGER PARTNERS WITH INGLES SOCON BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS March 4-8
CHEROKEE, N.C. (WLOS) — For the seventh straight year, Eblen Charities is launching its Hoops Against Hunger campaign in partnership with the Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships March 4-8 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center.
Starting now through the end of the basketball tournament on March 8, both monetary donations and easy-to-prepare, kid-friendly food items will be collected in the lobbies of several Asheville hotels hosting the SoCon basketball teams.
This year, all food and monetary donations will go straight to benefit Buncombe County students and their families who have been affected by the pandemic.
Donations can be made by texting “HOOPS” to 345345 or by visiting eblencharities.org.
Participating hotels where food items will be collected include:
Cambria Hotel -- 15 Page Avenue, Asheville
Crowne Plaza -- 1 Resort Drive, Asheville
DoubleTree by Hilton Biltmore -- 115 Hendersonville Road, Asheville
Hilton Biltmore Park -- 43 Town Square Blvd, Asheville
Hyatt Place Downtown and Renaissance -- 199 Haywood Street, Asheville
This year, Eblen Charities celebrates its 30th anniversary of providing emergency support to people in need in Western North Carolina.
Eblen serves people in crisis, such as due to a job loss, serious illness or disability, by providing financial assistance with heating, utility bills, rent, medical, transportation, food, clothing and more.
The 2020 3rd annual Hoops Against Hunger Hotel Challenge brought in a record amount of food for Buncombe County kids who may not have enough to eat while away from school on Spring Break.
More than 10,000 snacks and meals -- nearly 5,000 pounds of food -- were collected at the hotels and the Ingles SoCon Basketball Tournament.
By Brittany Whitehead
Through COVID-19, Asheville Tennis finds new approach to deliver access and equality to underserved communities
Through COVID-19, Asheville Tennis finds new approach to deliver access and equality to underserved communities
On a mountaintop southeast of Asheville, four 8-9-year-olds bat a tennis ball back and forth over a portable net with more enthusiasm than finesse. The children, who live in neighboring houses, have been inseparable playmates for years. And while they don’t need any encouragement to entertain themselves outdoors, the pals are having fun playing tennis—a game new to them. “We’re not focusing on the rules yet,” said Heather Sellers, the mother of one of them. “But hitting the ball helps with their hand-eye coordination and gross motor skill development.” Right now, the four play on an overgrown dirt court constructed by residents who lived on the mountain years ago. Sellers said they hope to play on a real court with friends in the future.
The youngsters might never have discovered tennis if not for COVID-19.
Coronavirus strikes a hard blow
As COVID-19 raced unchecked across the nation, North Carolina officials issued a statewide stay-at-home order in late March 2020, to be followed later by a three-phase, gradual lifting of restrictions. About the same time it showed up on the state’s radar, Jeff Joyce, president of the Asheville Tennis Association (ATA), was preparing as usual for a year that would become anything but that.
“We were getting the tennis courts ready for our April 1 opening,” Joyce said. “We had several clinics scheduled and had budgeted to give every child who participated a free racquet and balls.” However, plans were put on hold indefinitely when the City of Asheville suspended outside groups from holding programs at its facilities, including the Aston Park Tennis Center.
As North Carolinians isolated, Joyce canceled and rescheduled events one after the other. By early summer, ATA made the hard call to scratch its full slate of programs, including clinics for all ages, socials, programs for the underserved and the Asheville Open Tennis Championships, the latter for the first time since World War II. Additionally, the U.S. Tennis Association North Carolina suspended leagues, sidelining 1,200 Asheville players who signed up for spring competition.
“This has been a tough year, to say the least,” Joyce said. “With the global pandemic, social unrest and the economic crisis, we lacked any semblance of normalcy.” As a result, ATA’s mission to promote and grow tennis for the first half of 2020 was nil.
The North Carolina Tennis Association (NCTA), the umbrella for community tennis associations like Asheville, saw the same scenario playing out across the state. In response, it rolled out an innovative game-changer that moved tennis from public courts to private homes. The Try Tennis Toolkit, which includes a mini-net, four rackets, balls and game instructions, was designed to provide families with a way to learn and play the game at home. Additionally, the toolkits were conceived as a fundraiser for community tennis associations to sell to the public.
ATA ups its ground game
While the fundraiser looked good on paper, ATA board members felt there was a better alternative than benefitting its own coffers. Asheville’s economy—heavily reliant on the hospitality and tourism industries—was particularly hard hit, the unemployment rate soaring near record levels. “With so many people out of work, asking them to spend $150 for a tennis kit wasn’t realistic,” Joyce said. “Instead, we decided to take the sport to Asheville’s minority and low-income neighborhoods.”
ATA co-vice president Kate Hurley suggested finding sponsors to purchase the toolkits, then donating them to families in areas with limited or no access to tennis courts and gear. With the Asheville Open cancelled, Hurley, who also co-chairs the tournament, first approached Brian Elston Law, the Open’s presenting sponsor, about diverting his funds to underwrite the toolkits. “Brian jumped at it,” Hurley said of Elston, the firm’s owner and an avid tennis player. When combined with an anonymous donation and contributions received earlier in the year, ATA had the more than $9,000 needed to purchase 75 toolkits. Joyce lobbied hard to receive the state’s first shipment of toolkits and set up an assembly and distribution center in his garage.
ATA reached out to more than a dozen nonprofit organizations and government agencies in Asheville and Buncombe County to identify and select recipients. In addition, toolkits were given to Special Olympics and ACEing Autism families, Asheville Housing Authority, Asheville Parks and Recreation Rec N Roll, and Buncombe County Sheriff's Office.
“Delivering the toolkits and seeing the happiness they brought is a stark reminder to how fortunate we are,” Joyce said of the distribution, which started in early August. “This project gives ATA a way to grow the sport of tennis in a different and inventive way.”
Hurley echoed Joyce’s position: “Jeff’s leadership from day one has been to serve the underserved.” Joyce, who retired from the Asheville Department of Parks and Recreation, said throughout his career here and in other cities he’s seen a common need to provide something of value. “We serve a lot of people who have a tremendous need,” he said. “As long as I’m here, we’ll continue to do that.”
Big shoes to fill on and off court
This charge became even more vital with the 2019 passing of Lewis Isaac, described as a “true hero” for his many decades of community service. Isaac championed more than a dozen Asheville organizations with a lifelong dedication to improving life for those in need. He was also a natural athlete who excelled at several sports. A fixture on the local tennis scene, he taught low-income kids at clinics, held ATA leadership positions and rubbed shoulders with top players at Asheville-hosted, back-to-back U.S. Fed Cups. With overwhelming community support, the City of Asheville named court No. 1—Isaac’s favorite—at the Aston Park Tennis Center in his memory.
To further honor Isaac’s legacy and raise awareness, ATA established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee to ensure everyone has the same opportunity to enjoy tennis and promote equality in play. In another key move, board members banded together to attend Building Bridges, a nine-week educational program to understand and combat racism in Asheville. “For us, it was a springboard to address social justice,” Hurley said. “The sessions weren’t always easy, but the experience really opened our eyes to see systemic racism in nearly every sector of society.”
Joyce and Hurley agree that those efforts in 2019 positioned ATA to address racial injustice issues that surged to the forefront during 2020. Voicing its commitment to equal opportunity in sport and society, ATA has pledged to put free racquets in the hands of children, support local African-American-owned businesses and stand with all people of color along the path toward social justice.
To this end, ATA partnered with Rec N Roll, Asheville Parks and Recreation's mobile initiative, to run tennis clinics this fall for youth in public housing areas and low-income neighborhoods. Parking lots doubled as courts for clinics, which used the Try Tennis Toolkits. Those attending learned fundamentals of the game and took home a free racquet and balls. The mutually beneficial partnership between ATA and Parks and Recreation was further strengthened as both organizations adapted to delivering programs during the pandemic.
Playing it forward
“We put 100-125 racquets in the hands of kids we wouldn’t have reached otherwise,” Joyce said. “While we’ve been frustrated by the continued restrictions caused by COVID-19, we feel incredibly fortunate to have found a way to put tennis in the forefront of our community.”
He describes one young man who attended three sessions. “He was the first one there and the last one to leave,” said Joyce, who made a surprise visit to the boy’s home to give him a toolkit. “He just lit up,” Joyce recalls. “This lets us know why we’re in this business.”
Long stigmatized as a “country club” sport, ATA is determined to show tennis can be enjoyed by everyone and for a low cost. Heather Sellers can attest: She discovered a new sport for her son and his friends after seeing a flyer for the Try Tennis Toolkit. And she’s grateful to the benefactors who wanted to share their love of tennis. “Because the toolkit is portable, I took it on a group camping trip with other families,” Sellers said. “A lot of the children had never picked up a racket before, but, thanks to the toolkit, now they have.”
By Olivia Maddox
Asheville Tennis Association recognized as RSI's Community Tennis Association of the Year
Asheville, N.C. (January 27, 2020) Since its founding in 1961, the Asheville Tennis Association has strived to be “one voice for Asheville tennis” by providing a culture that welcomes players of all ages and ability levels. The ATA offers a wide breadth of tennis programs and events, and advocates for the construction and improvement of public facilities. And its success is why the ATA is RSI's Community Tennis Association of the Year.
“We are proud of introducing the sport to many through our efforts of recruiting and leading volunteers at two Fed Cup ties, conducting ACEing Autism and Special Olympics clinics, and especially our Try Tennis Kit initiative during 2020,” says ATA President Jeff Joyce. The ATA provided Try Tennis Kits to 75 under- served families so that they could have fun playing driveway tennis during the pandemic. Continuing ATA initiatives include free and low-cost clinics for youth, affordable adult clinics, Sunday match play for middle school kids, adult tennis socials and online tennis ladders.
By Judy Leand, Racquet Sports Industry Magazine
All award winners are available in the magazine’s January 2021 issue.
Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission Named as SportsEvents 2021 Readers’ Choice Award Winner
Asheville, N.C. (Dec. 30, 2020) —SportsEvents Media Group, the leading industry publication focused exclusively on helping sports event planners produce excellent competitions in the United States, has announced that Asheville-Buncombe Regional Sports Commission in Asheville, North Carolina has been recognized as a 2021 Readers’ Choice Award winner, 1st place in All Star Destination Partners.
The top three award winners from sports event planners, destinations, events and sports venues for youth and amateur sports will be honored in the February 2021 issue of SportsEvents magazine. Honorable mentions will also be highlighted along with bonus nominations that shared in the voting.
Sports event professionals were asked to nominate destinations and sports venues that they believe display exemplary creativity and professionalism toward the youth and amateur sports groups they host. Almost 4,000 votes were cast to name the winners in each category, including an emerging industry leader and all-star virtual and live events. “The destination partners, venues, industry professionals and events nominated for the Readers’ Choice Awards were selected by sports industry peers,” said Sherri Middleton, executive editor of SportsEvents magazine
“It is my honor to recognize Asheville-Buncombe Regional Sports Commission as a 2021 winner. During a difficult year in sports, you overcame obstacles and creatively led the way for others,” Middleton said.
Documentary on Asheville public course to air nationally on Golf Channel
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Paul Bonesteel began playing at Asheville Municipal Golf Course – long known as the “Muni” – more than 20 years ago.
As a documentary filmmaker (“The Day Carl Sandburg Died,” “The Mystery of George Masa”), Bonesteel soon recognized the wonderful stories and characters that were the fabric of North Carolina’s oldest municipal course that opened for play 93 years ago.
He understood that there was so much more to Muni than 18 well-worn holes that weaves through the East Asheville neighborhood of Beverly Hills.
The backdrop of Muni is a culture of black and white, once divided by Jim Crow rules that fostered racism but eventually gave way to a diverse nature of coexistence, of friendship and camaraderie amid the heat of competition.
The history of that evolution and the rich stories of those who have lived much of their lives at the golf course is well captured in “Muni,” a one-hour documentary by Bonesteel that will debut on the Golf Channel, a 9 p.m. airing on Oct. 27.
Shot over a span of four years, “Muni” is an oral history presentation through the eyes and voices of a collection of golfers who for decades have played the course and have not only witnessed but played huge roles in the changes from a time when blacks were allowed to play there just one day a week.
Locals who play Muni will recognize names like Billy Gardenhight, Cortez Baxter, Dwight Bryson, C.Y. Young and Pete McDaniel.
These are men that as youngsters served as caddies to white men, fell in love with golf and became obsessed with the game despite the lack of opportunities to play.
Their stories and recollections, from fond memories to the ugly days of segregation, are the heart of the film and provide a cultural timeline to the history of Muni.
Cortez Baxter has worked at the Muni for exactly half of his life. At age 92, he is in his 46th year at the course, still putting in three or four days a week, sometimes 10 hours a day as a starter on the first tee. He could be the epitome of both the golf course and the film. “Golf is my outlet, my love,” he said. “I feel like if I can just get to the golf course, I have no problems.’’
When he is not getting about 200 golfers a day organized to tee off, Baxter is chipping and putting at the practice green next to his starter’s stand.
In his 11th decade on the planet, he is still working to get better, seeking answers to a better golf game.
“Over the years, golf has been a beautiful thing for me; don’t know what I would do without this place,” he said. “This is where I come to relax, and not worry about anything. I’ve made a lot of friends at Muni, and I hope to make some more.”
The film, narrated by popular rock and country singer (and avid golfer) Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish fame, also focuses on the Skyview Golf Tournament, held annually at Muni since 1960 until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 event.
Billy Gardenhight helped create the tournament and was the tournament director for more than a half-century.
He talks lovingly of his baby, which brought some of the best black golfers in the game to Asheville. Lee Elder, the first black man to play The Masters, won three Skyview tourneys in a row in the early 1960s.
Once a regular stop of the black North American Golf Association tour, the Skyview was created as a blacks-only event but by the second year became integrated.
In its heyday more than 225 pros and amateurs competed over three days and 54 holes, and a downtown banquet and dance was a highlight of the black social season in Western North Carolina.
Bonesteel effectively ties in the evolution of black-and-white golf at both Muni and the Skyview tourney over decades. “As a white male who grew up with easy access to a golf course, I wasn’t sure it was a story I could or should tell,” said Bonesteel. “I really wanted to make a film that let these guys tell their story about how their love of golf permeated their lives, how they fell in love with the game and were going to play it no matter what challenges they faced.”
In addition to the original Golf Channel airing on Oct. 27, Bonesteel hopes his film will be shown again on the network on future dates. “Muni” is also scheduled to be featured on PBS’ Reel South Series in April, 2021.
“This was a chance to retell the painful story of segregation through the lens of golf, with some wonderful characters,” said Bonesteel. “Golf is not about getting a chance to play on fancy courses that cost a lot of money...this film tells a story about how golf is loved by people of color and that golf belongs to everyone.”
By Keith Jarrett
The 2020 Maui Jim Maui Invitational Relocates to Asheville, North Carolina
ASHEVILLE, NC (Sept. 18, 2020) – Asheville is pleased to be named the host city in the mainland move of the 2020 Maui Jim Maui Invitational. The Tournament receives national coverage each year by ESPN and is considered the premier event around the Thanksgiving holiday. With the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) announcement that the 2020-21 college basketball season will start on Nov. 25, this year’s event dates have yet to be finalized. All games will take place at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville in downtown Asheville.
Teams expected to participate are Alabama, Davidson, Indiana, North Carolina, Providence, Stanford, Texas and UNLV. The Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission (ABRSC) worked with several collaborative entities in securing the event’s relocation to Asheville amid a worthy consideration set.
Those involved in the Tournament – teams, staff, officials and ESPN media – will be in a bubble environment that limits their movement and interaction outside the venue. The Tournament will follow North Carolina guidelines on mass gatherings.
“We couldn’t be more excited and deeply honored to bring the Maui Jim Maui Invitational here to Asheville,” said Demp Bradford, president of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission. “Asheville’s ability to host this top-level sporting event is a testament to state and local partnerships built on a track record of welcoming and supporting national, and international, competitive events to Buncombe County.”
The Tournament is expected to generate more than $1.1 million in economic impact in Buncombe County, according to Bradford.
In recent years, Asheville has landed such quality athletic competitions as the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas (with both Serena and Venus Williams on the Team USA roster), the Southern Conference and Big South Basketball Championships, iconic outdoor events like Haute Route and Spartan Race, as well as extreme trail races such as the Black Mountain Marathon and Mount Mitchell Challenge.
ABRSC worked closely with Buncombe County health officials and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to develop a plan that makes safety a priority for this tournament as well as multiple sporting events that could be hosted in the Asheville area. Those involved and traveling to Asheville for the Tournament will undergo testing throughout the event.
Surrounded by the highest mountain peaks east of the Mississippi and intersected by “America’s Favorite Scenic Drive,” the Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville is steeped in natural history, outdoor adventure and cultural legacies. The city’s backdrop features one million acres of protected wilderness, thousands of miles of hiking and biking trails and George Vanderbilt’s 8,000-acre legacy, Biltmore Estate. At the heart of Asheville is a vibrant downtown brimming with Art Deco architecture, James Beard chefs, craft breweries and distilleries and an innovative art, music and theater scene.
“Love for athletics runs strong in these mountains,” said Chris Cavanaugh, interim executive of Explore Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Asheville is thrilled to share the national spotlight offered by high-caliber events like the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. These events enrich and enliven our community on many levels as an opportunity to celebrate this compelling region and its sporting history.”
The Tournament will result in a homecoming for North Carolina coach Roy Williams, a three-time national champion and 2007 inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame who was born and raised in Western North Carolina. In high school, Williams lettered in basketball and baseball at Asheville’s T. C. Roberson. His first coaching job was at Charles D. Owen High School in nearby Black Mountain.
Great Smoky Mountain Grapple 2020 has been postponed
THE ASHEVILLE BUNCOMBE REGIONAL SPORTS COMMISSION ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT REGARDING THE 2020 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN GRAPPLE:
“As you are aware, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association has modified their season for wrestling for 2020-21. As a result, we will not be able to host the Great Smoky Mountain Grapple in December 2020. After the first of the year, our tournament committee will re-evaluate and see if there is a possibility to host a wrestling event later in the year in potentially June.
We realize that each state will be going through different guidelines so we wanted to let you know as soon as possible. We have some incredible teams from across the Southeast and we wish each of you the best as your season progresses and we hope that your athletes have a safe school year. We will be following you and cheering for your programs as you capture State Championships.
Please mark your calendars for December 17-18, 2021 for the 2021 GRAPPLE. Thank you for your dedication and participation in the tournament over the past three years.”
- Demp Bradford, President