Officials with the Big East have announced that the women's basketball tournament will be held at the XL Center in downtown Hartford until 2013.
The Big East began to hold the tournament in Hartford in 2004. Since then, there have been more than 900,000 fans in total game attendance. The league expects its millionth fan during the course of this contract extension and said high attendance levels were a factor in continuing its partnership with the stadium.
Mayor Pedro Segarra calls Hartford and the Big East Championship "a winning combination."
"The City of Hartford is proud to host the BIG EAST Women's Basketball Championship through the 2012-13 Season. This secures a decade of excellence in Connecticut's Capital City. Sports events are a great economic driver for the City; it's beneficial for our hotels and restaurants and the economic impact is more than $2 million. Hartford will once again be ready for its close-up in the national spotlight and we look forward to showcasing our great city," the mayor said in a statement.
The continued partnership is also great news for the Huskies. University of Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said he is thrilled that the agreement that will keep the tournament on his team's home turf. He said the XL Center staff has helped the conference run a "first-class" event for the last eight years. It also appears to be a winning combination for Auriemma's team. The Huskies have won the tournament in Hartford the last four years.
The 2012 Big East Women's Basketball Championship will be held from March 2 to 6 and the 2013 Championship will be from March 8 to 12. All 16 Big East teams will compete in the championship in 2012, with the winner earning the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
