The American Athletic Conference yesterday announced that "it will play its men's basketball championship tournament at the XL Center" next year, according to a front-page piece by Dom Amore of the HARTFORD COURANT. The AAC played its inaugural men's tourney at FedExForum this year, and "ticket sales and all else were deemed satisfactory by league officials." But conference Commissioner Mike Aresco said, "Our decision is a function of our stated desire to [rotate] the tournament within our conference footprint. Hartford submitted an outstanding bid, and they have an excellent overall plan.” He added that offers "from six venues were considered, some from conference cities such as Memphis, Hartford and Orlando." The AAC women's tourney was played at Mohegan Sun Arena this year, and the league is "expected to pick up its option to play there again" in '15, meaning both AAC tournaments would be in Connecticut next year. Aresco said, "I was never opposed to having both in the same market. I was opposed to having both in the same venue." Amore writes the men's tourney "will be a marquee event" for the city of Hartford following the completion of $35M in XL Center renovations, which "will be completed in October." It will be "an opportunity for the building to re-establish itself as a venue for major college basketball events." Capital Region Development Authority member Andy Bessette said that the local business community "offered strong backing to the XL Center bid" (HARTFORD COURANT, 4/15).
DEEP RIVER BLUES: In Memphis, Jason Smith noted attendance at this year's tournament in Memphis "took a hit" when the Univ. of Memphis men's team lost in the quarterfinals. The UConn-Louisville championship game drew an announced crowd of 13,554, and FedExForum "seats roughly 18,100 for basketball." UM basketball coach Josh Pastner said, "I think us losing in the (quarterfinal) round probably didn't help and I think Connecticut winning it all -- winning the national championship -- probably helped (Hartford) as well, too." UM AD Tom Bowen in a statement said the school hopes to host the event again in "the near future" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 4/14).
