February 20, 2007
Women’s Basketball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VALLEY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES MOVE TO NEUTRAL SITE FOR POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT

ST. LOUIS – In 2008, the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Championship will move to a neutral site for the first time in league history, bringing the championship to The Family Arena in Saint Charles, Mo. The tournament will include all 10 teams as league administrators and Valley women’s basketball coaches recommended the move last spring.

The 2008 dates are slated for March 13-16, one week following the men’s basketball tournament in St. Louis. The Family Arena, one of the region’s premier entertainment venues, is a multi-purpose facility that plays host to numerous sporting events. It is the home of the United Hockey League’s Missouri River Otters, as well as the Rivercity Rage of the National Indoor Football League.

“I think that moving to a neutral site is a great thing for our league,” Indiana State head coach Jim Wiedie said. “This may have been long overdue. I had an opportunity to be part of the Missouri Valley’s Neutral Site Committee, and to go through the whole phase of making that decision. It was great to see the support from the administrators throughout the process. Now, it’s our job as coaches to build our programs and our fan bases to a level that will support a neutral site into the future.”

The Family Arena opened in September 1999 and has hosted over 90 basketball events. The basketball floor was resurfaced in 2006. Saint Charles, Mo., is located approximately 25 miles west of downtown St. Louis, on the banks of the Missouri River. With a county population that boasts over 325,000 people, The Family Arena is located just two miles from Saint Charles’ historic main street, a place where a vibrant community mixes with shopping, dining, festivals and unique accommodations that are guaranteed to enhance each visitor’s experience.

“Saint Charles is delighted to have the opportunity to showcase our community to the teams, coaches and fans of the Missouri Valley Conference’s Women’s 2008 Basketball Tournament,” said David Rosenwasser, director of the Saint Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau. “This exciting event will find a level of hospitality and service in Saint Charles that will no doubt match the level of play from these outstanding student athletes.”

The format will remain the same as has been the past two years, since the league expanded its tournament to 10 teams in 2006. It begins with two games on Thursday, March 13, continues with four quarterfinal games on Friday, March 14, two semifinal games on Saturday, March 15, and it concludes with the championship on Sunday, March 16.

“Bringing our women’s basketball championship to a neutral site is a natural progression and something we’ve been working toward for several years,” said Commissioner Doug Elgin, now in his 19th season with the Missouri Valley Conference. “We are indebted to the continuing commitment of our sponsors, namely State Farm Insurance, who have made this possible. We anticipate the Saint Charles community will embrace our women’s championship and help it grow.”

The conference conducts its men’s basketball championship at a neutral site (Scottrade Center in St. Louis). The league conducted its first postseason women’s basketball tournament in 1983, and the format change represents the second change in the women’s format since 1995. In 1983, in what was the Gateway Conference, eight conference schools played, with first-round games at campus sites. During the next three years (1984-85-86), there was no tournament, and the league regular-season champ earned the automatic NCAA Tournament bid. Since 2006, all 10 teams have played on a predetermined campus site.

 

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