The University of Victoria plays host to the “Victoria Invitational,” an eight-team NCAA Division Women’s basketball tournament, organizers announced Friday.
The tournament that launched under another name in Vancouver last year, features prominent NCAA Final Four teams including Mississippi State, Stanford and Syracuse. CARSA Performance Gym at UVic will be the site of the three-day 2019 event from Nov. 28 to 30, according to a Victoria International statement.
“We are thrilled to have the option to move our premium women’s event to such an outstanding facility at UVic,” said Brooks Downing, CEO of bdG Sports, the Kentucky-based event organizer. “It’s a state-of-the-art, new facility that has played host to the Toronto Raptors training camp and will serve our teams and fans in a first-class fashion.”
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In Victoria, the tournament is a collaboration between bdG Sports, the event owner and operator, along with local co-founders Howard Kelsey and David Munro, UVic, and the Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission, which is providing funding.
“The Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission is proud to support the Victoria Invitational this fall,” said Robert Bettauer, Chair of the Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission and CEO of PISE. “The sport of basketball has a long history in Greater Victoria. The Victoria Invitational is a natural fit with our goals of attracting high-profile sporting events that align with strong community support and the development of sport in our region.”
The eight-team tournament field also includes Bowling Green, Cal Baptist, Green Bay, Houston and San Francisco. The event will feature four games per day. Tournament pairings and ticket sales are yet to be announced. Learn more at VictoriaInvitational.com.
c.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca
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