4-Day College Basketball Tournament Coming To Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore scores, landing a large college basketball tournament.
As Mike Schuh reports, a heavy local favorite and thousands of fans mean millions for the city.
Out goes the dust from monster trucks, in comes the monster jams. For the first time, the four-day CAA basketball tournament is coming downtown. That's good news for Towson University.
"Well, we're in Baltimore, and that's where the CAA Championship is going to be played this weekend. I think it's exciting," said Towson head coach Pat Skerry.
Exciting because there are so many Towson alumni within driving distance. They're hoping for a home crowd.
Thousands of out-of-towners will be staying overnight. It's a big boost for the city on what's normally a slow weekend.
For the past 30 years, the tournament was played in Richmond. And to put it charitable, there's not much to do once you leave the arena there. Even with those conditions, the tournament brought in millions for that city.
"It met about $6 million for the four days in the Richmond region. So we hope to do that, if not more, here for the Baltimore community," said Robert Goodman, CAA.
Tournament officials say they were impressed with the harbor and the walking distance hotels. Plus, transportation is easy.
"You can park once at your hotel, walk two blocks to the arena, walk two blocks to the Inner Harbor, walk two blocks to the aquarium. Our fans are going to have an amazing weekend of basketball and Baltimore," Goodman said.
All the more so if a certain local team comes out on top.
"We say every day to the guys we got to do what we do. And that's what we'll be solely focused on Saturday night," Skerry said.
Walk-up tickets are available as well. For more information, click here.
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