XL Center GM Chris Lawrence said that ticket sales for the March 12-15 American Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament "got an early boost from local businesses," according to Dom Amore of the HARTFORD COURANT. Lawrence did not offer specifics on the number of tickets sold, but said, "We got a lot of support from metro alliance companies, a handful who jumped right away. Right now, it's only all-session passes on sale, so it's hard to gauge." He added single-session tickets will go on sale "about a week before the tournament." The AAC tourney last year "played to lukewarm crowds" at FedExForum in Memphis. Last year's format "was staged so Memphis would play the late game no matter what." This year, it "will be a true bracket," and host UConn "will play in the time slot their seed dictates." AAC Associate Commissioner for Men's Basketball Dan Leibovitz said, "My first day on the job was our annual meeting, and I walked right into that. We posed the question to coaches and ADs, and they were unanimously in favor of having a true bracket, keeping it for competitive reasons." Meanwhile, Amore notes XL Center "will make use of its Exhibition Hall for a fanfest," where there will be a "Kid's Zone and a Taste of the American Conference, with signature foods from places such as New Orleans, Memphis and Philadelphia." Lawrence: "We have a massive (St. Patrick's) parade on Saturday afternoon. We're excited about all of that. We want to put the region, the building, Hartford back on the map as a destination for events like these" (HARTFORD COURANT, 2/19).
MAC AND ME: In Cleveland, Elton Alexander reports Quicken Loans Arena will "continue holding" the Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournament through '23. The tourney is "already one of the longest-running annual events in downtown Cleveland," having been held at the arena since '00. MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said of the six-year extension, which begins after the current deal expires in '17, "I was pleased to get it done, and pleased with the terms we're getting.'' Alexander writes it "appears that the joint men's and women's tournaments are here to stay" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 2/19).
