ROCK HILL, SC (July 29, 2019) – Today, during a press conference hosted by Visit York County and the City of Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism (PRT) department, representatives from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) announced their selection to award Rock Hill as the official site of the 2019-2022 SIAC Women’s Volleyball and Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments. The official announcement by the league office, made in conjunction with SIAC’s Council of Presidents, came after an extensive bidding process including Rock Hill and Birmingham as finalists.
These anticipated championship events will take place at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center, owned, operated and programmed by the City of Rock Hill PRT department. The Center features a championship court with 1,200 stadium seats; a main court with 8 basketball courts (16 volleyball courts) and 700 seats; and an 8,000 sq. ft. multi-purpose space.
Located in the growing University Center area of Rock Hill, the Sports and Event Center adds to the student-athlete and fan experience by offering healthy living activities as well as cultural and tourism opportunities.
“We are thrilled to have the city of Rock Hill host our volleyball and basketball championships,” said SIAC Commissioner Gregory Moore. “This will give our tournament a chance to tap into a new market and expose our student-athletes and fans to a community that will embrace and enhance our experience.”
“Hosting a collegiate conference such as basketball and volleyball tournaments within the first few months of the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center opening is a huge accomplishment for Rock Hill and York County,” said Andy Clinton, VP of Sales for Visit York County. “We’re excited to show the SIAC everything our community has to offer.”
Both tournaments have been held in Birmingham for the past five years.
“The City of Rock Hill is thrilled to host these upcoming events,” said John Taylor, Director of City of Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism. “The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference will have our full support in making these the most spectacular and memorable conference championships ever. We look forward to welcoming them to Rock Hill.”
About the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically black colleges and universities with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 13 member institutions (Albany State University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyneOwen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Paine College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous six-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors seven men's and six women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit www.thesiac.com.
Contact:
Sonja Burris SVP Marketing & Communications, TMP Visit York County, SC 803.329.5200 (office) | sburris@visityorkcounty.com
Laurie Helms Marketing Coordinator Parks, Recreation & Tourism | City of Rock Hill 803.329.5655 | Laurie.helms@cityofrockhill.com
Spokesperson:
Andy Clinton VP of Sales, Visit York County, SC 803.329.5200 (office) | aclinton@visityorkcounty.com
David Linder, CPRP, CYSA Tourism Division Supervisor Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism | City of Rock Hill 803.329.5620 David.linder@cityofrockhill.com
Tyler Williams Director of Communications Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 404.221.1041 (office) | williams@thesiac.com