The Big Sky Conference has revealed that the future home of the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments will be the CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. The announcement was made today alongside the Boise Chamber of Commerce, the Mayor’s Office and others that will make the event possible.
“The conference is excited to take our most recognizable championships to Boise, which lies right at the heart of Big Sky country,” said Big Sky Conference Commissioner, Andrea Williams. “We’re looking forward to partnering with CenturyLink Arena and the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau for three years of competitive Big Sky basketball. We believe that the proximity of Boise to our campuses will benefit league institutions, and that our fans will enjoy the venue and city walkability.”
This change will take effect starting with the 2018-19 season. The contract is for three years.
“We are honored that the Big Sky Conference has chosen our arena as their home for championship basketball, ” said Eric Trapp, General Manager of CenturyLink Arena. The city of Boise is filled with Big Sky sports fans and to bring the best of the best into our building for three years is only going to grow that fan base. We pride ourselves in bringing new and exciting events to Idaho sports fans whenever possible, and the Big Sky Championship is certainly an event that will bring excitement to downtown Boise.”
The event will stay in Reno, Nevada for this season.
CenturyLink Arena is a 5,300-seat facility located in downtown Boise. It has been the home of the Idaho Steelheads hockey team since opening in 1997.
“Boise is ready to welcome players and fans to our city,” said Carrie Westergard, executive director of the Boise CVB. “I’m grateful to the Big Sky Conference for working with the Convention and Visitors Bureau. We know our amenities, top-notch hotels and vibrant community will be a great host for these tournaments.”
Boise was awarded the contract for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 Big Sky Conference basketball championships after a bid process and thorough evaluation by the athletic administrators.
The conference began hosting a pre-determined, neutral site event for the first time in its history just two years ago, with the initial three-year contract awarded to Reno, Nevada and the Reno Events Center. The 2018 Big Sky Conference basketball championships will be held March 5-10 in Reno to complete the three-year agreement.
The 2019 Big Sky Conference basketball championships will take place March 11-16 and will feature men’s and women’s teams from each Big Sky member institution.
