Farmers Insurance Group Sponsors SWAC Basketball Tournament at CenturyTel Center
BIRMINGHAM, AL (February 2, 2010) The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Basketball Tournament has spent the last few years in Birmingham, AL, at the Fair Park Arena, and is now making its debut in Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, at the CenturyTel Center Wednesday through Saturday, March 10-13, 2010. Farmers Insurance Group is the title sponsor for the tournament and continually reaches out to support students and communities.
The tournament is made up of 16 teams from SWAC’s 10 member institutions—Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn State, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Grambling State, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State, Prairie View A&M, Southern University and Texas Southern. The top eight teams from the men and women’s regular season meet in single-elimination action with the championship games culminating on Saturday, March 13, 2010 live on ESPNU. The men’s and women’s tournament winner will receive the Conference’s Automatic Qualifier and participate in the 2010 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament.
“We are excited about this move,” says Duer Sharp, Commissioner of SWAC. “The SWAC Basketball Tournament will now be in a centrally located area with just a five hour drive for most schools. We want the fans, alumni and students to really get involved this year and not only support the tournament, but the city of Shreveport-Bossier as well.”
“I’m excited to welcome fans to a family friendly community that is committed to making the SWAC Men and Women’s Basketball Tournament a success,” says Stacy Brown, President of the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau. “The diversity of our region offers a wide array of exciting hotels, attractions, restaurants, historic sites, shops and outdoor recreational activities, so there’s something for everyone.”
Family activities include The Louisiana Boardwalk on the Red River in Bossier City with more than 60 outlet stores and restaurants; the Barksdale Air Force Base, the world’s largest airfield of its time and a key player in today’s military; Southern University Museum of Art features more than 300 original pieces of African-American art; the Louisiana Audubon Golf Trail; Gators and Friends Alligator Park and Exotic Zoo; and the Red River District, featuring comedy shows, live music and food.
“Bossier City is glad to be the host city for the SWAC Men and Women’s Basketball Tournament,” said Mayor Lorenz Lo Walker, Bossier City Mayor. “We are always proud to bring new events to our city. This only adds to the great quality that we offer.”
“We are excited to partner with SWAC,” says Mayor Cedric B. Glover, Shreveport Mayor. “An opportunity to interact with each school and have not only a great tournament, but a great place for fans to visit is important. We know that our location plays a part in this tournament, and we are glad to be able to unite the schools and our communities together for this great event.”
The CenturyTel Center features 75 TV monitors in the concourse, seats approximately 8,000 fans and with a center hung video scoreboard, fans can experience the up close action of the game.
“This great event will only strengthen the relationship and commitment that we have for SWAC,” says Mary Ann Tice, Executive Director/CAO of the Shreveport Regional Sports Authority. “We are looking forward to this tournament and the excitement that the fans will experience.”
For tickets and more information, visit www.swac.org.
About SWAC
SWAC, a historically black college athletic conference, is a Division 1 member of the NCAA and consists of 10 member institutions—Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn State, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Grambling State, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State, Prairie View A&M, Southern University and Texas Southern—across Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas. The purpose of SWAC is to encourage, promote, advance and conduct intercollegiate sports activities. Along with the basketball tournament, SWAC also holds tournaments and championships involving football, track and field, golf, softball, baseball among others.
About Shreveport-Bossier
Shreveport-Bossier City has over 300,000 residents and has a myriad of shopping, casinos, food and family activities. They call themselves “Louisiana’s Other Side” because of the mix of Texas character and Cajun flare. Among the entertainment available in the city, there are festivals, comedy shows, live theater and symphony performances, museums, historic churches, boardwalk shopping, gaming at casino