For the first time in more than two years as a media guy it was nice to be back in Wheeling and back to WesBanco Arena. A lot has changed in the world since COVID-19 shut everything down but this is one event that I have truly missed. The fact that the conference announced on Sunday that the men's and women's basketball tournaments will stay here another three years is just"icing on the cake." Every time I come back to this event it quickly reminds me of that week back in March of 2019 when the Falcons knocked off West Liberty to cut down the nets and won the school's first conference tournament title and subsequent first trip to the NCAA Tournament that came with it. Seeing basketball fans in the hotels, on the streets, and in the elevators is what makes this tournament so much fun. Then on Sunday at halftime of both the men's and woman's champiosnhip games MEC Commisioner Reid Amos made the announcement that the tournament which has been in Wheeling since 2019 was extended until the 2025 season. "I certainly feel that our event being here is benefiting Wheeling and the support we're getting is greatly benefiting the Mountain East Conference, "Amos explained. "The MEC is happy to play both tournaments (men and women) in one location which is something not a lot of Division II conferences can claim. It is roughly a 5,000 seat arena (WesBanco Arena, home of the Wheeling Nailers) and it is a perfect size for an event like this. For a long time it was just thought of as a hockey arena but it is a lot more than that." Amos continued:
I've always said that athletics is the front porch of our institutions and it is a great way to sell our institutions as a whole. It is important for us to have events like this because it helps elevate the profiles of all 12 of our institutions."
NDC head coach Mark Richmond agreed with Amos:
"This extension is great for our conference, "Richmond mentioned. " It is nice to be back to a little bit of normalcy. WesBanco Arena is a good venue with a ton of upside. It is always a great atmosphere. It was a big crowd as they always have for the West Liberty, Wheeling game before ours and it was a good crowd for our game against Fairmont State as well. From what I understand they had good crowds for the games on Saturday and Sunday also. It is a perfect venue for our tournament, Wheeling has everything that we need. I am happy the tournament will be there for the next three years."
The only down side in my book is that unless you are crowned a champion your season will end here. The way it is run and the access to everything is top notch. Kudos to the MEC on it all. I am already looking forward to coming back next March.
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