[b][i]A-10 gambling that A.C. is a good venue for tourney[/b][/i]
By #### JERARDI
Philadelphia Daily News
November 11, 2005
ATLANTIC CITY - If you are going to take a risk, this is the place. The Atlantic 10 in Atlantic City. Why not?
It was announced yesterday morning that the A-10 Tournament will move to Boardwalk Hall, nee Convention Hall, for the 2007 and '08 seasons.
The tournament has been sort of a vagabond. Boardwalk Hall will be its 10th venue.
“In our 30 years, we’ve had many formats for our tournament and various venues,” A-10 commissioner Linda Bruno said. “This is the first site we are going to be able to market as a destination.”
How will the tournament do here? It’s a guess, but there was no reason not to find out.
It did very well at the Palestra, not so well at the Wachovia Spectrum. It did very well in Dayton (attendancewise), but that was not a neutral court. It did not do well last season in Cincinnati (very poor turnout). It is in Cincinnati again this season.
“Two years ago, the Convention and Visitors Authority made a commitment to bring major sporting events to Atlantic City,” said Jeff Vesser, the authority’s executive director. “We had the A-10 in mind. Their member schools come from our market.”
They do indeed.
The venue, right on the boardwalk next to Trump Plaza, is unique. Dedicated on May 31, 1929, and home of the Miss America Pageant from 1940 to 2004, it has been a National Historic Landmark since 1987. A $90 million renovation began in 1998 and ended in 2001.
For those worried about such things, the teams will stay in nongaming hotels. Fans, alums and students can stay anywhere they want. The idea is simple. Get them in town and keep them there, eating, drinking, gambling, being entertained and taking some time to watch 11 basketball games over 4 days and nights in March.
“We took bids from several sites,” Bruno said. “This was the best bid.”
The future?
“The biggest factor is going to be attendance,” Bruno said.
What will make her happy?
“Sold out.”
Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw was in the advance party 18 months ago when Temple alum and former Atlantic City Mayor Jim Whelan broached the subject of the A-10 in this city.
“The [arena] is the perfect size for the A-10,” Bradshaw said.
Boardwalk Hall will hold 10,000 for basketball.
“It’s neat for not only Philly-area alums, but the students from a radius of 200 to 250 miles, where it’s a bus ride or a car ride in here,” Bradshaw said. “The look of it is going to be collegiate. The 10,000 seats should fill up quite easily. The venue, the city, the opportunities, the excitement of college basketball here all look like it’s a ticket that someone won’t want to pass up.”
Vesser pointed out there is Delta service from Cincinnati right into Atlantic City International Airport for the great fans of Xavier and Dayton.
Each March, the New Jersey high school wrestling championships are held here. Last March, over 3 days, the tournament drew 39,400 fans to Boardwalk Hall. In 2007 and '08, there will be one weekend of hoops and one weekend of wrestling.
Val McGonigle, marketing director for Boardwalk Hall and the Convention Center, summed it up just as a marketing guru should: "It will really be March Madness in Atlantic City."
