March 13, 2007
Southern Conference Awards Basketball Tournaments To Charleston and Chattanooga - SoCon Tournament in Chattanooga in 2009 and 2010
CHATTANOOGA, TN -- The Southern Conference today announced that Chattanooga will host the 2009 and 2010 Southern Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships and that Charleston, South Carolina will be the site of the 2008 Championships.  The vote was finalized today after a conference call of Southern Conference Athletic Directors and Conference staff.

This marks the second time the Southern Conference Basketball Championships will be held in Tennessee (Chattanooga also hosted in 2005).  The Southern Conference Tournament is the nation’s oldest collegiate postseason tournament, having started in 1922.  Over the history of the SoCon Tournament, the event has been held in Atlanta, Raleigh, Durham, Morgantown, Richmond, Charlotte, Greenville, Charleston (WV), Asheville, Greensboro, North Charleston, and Chattanooga as well as various campus sites.

The 2009 and 2010 tournaments will be hosted by The Greater Chattanooga Sports and Events Committee and will be played at UT Chattanooga’s 11,218-seat McKenzie Arena.
Sports Committee Chairman Doug Dyer said, “We are so excited to get this event back to Chattanooga, especially for a two-year period.  It was a success here previously and we have waited to bid for this event since the day the finals were played in 2005. This is great for our community and for The Sports Committee staff.” 

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Contacts:

Mike Ballweg, Southern Conference Assistant Commissioner (864-591-5100)

Scott Smith, Chattanooga Sports Committee Vice President (423-756-8689)