Dec. 11, 2013
NCAA Tournament Basketball is coming back to Albany for the first time in a decade. Siena College is partnering with the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to host a 2015 NCAA Women's Basketball Regional at Times Union Center.
"The 2015 NCAA Women's Basketball Regional is a landmark sporting event for the Capital Region," Siena College director of athletics John D'Argenio said. "The bid process was more competitive than ever. The NCAA selected Times Union Center because of the great fans in the area, and first class job Siena, the Arena and MAAC have done hosting NCAA Championships in the past. I know Siena basketball fans will enjoy seeing NCAA Tournament basketball played in Albany on our home court."
It's the first time the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament will be played in Albany and the first time NCAA Tournament basketball will be played here since the 2003 Men's East Regional. "The opportunity to host two nationally recognized sports competitions (Albany was awarded the 2016 Hockey Regional as well) at the Times Union Center is great news for the Albany community," New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said. "These championships draw the attention of sports fans from across the country and will attract a significant number of visitors to the region, supporting economic growth throughout the Capital District." The winner of the four-team Regional will advance to the Final Four in Tampa, Fla.
"The City of Albany, the Times Union Center and the MAAC will be great hosts for the 2015 NCAA Women's Basketball Regional," said Siena Women's Basketball Head Coach Ali Jaques. "We have great college basketball fans here in the Capital Region who come out and support women's basketball. It is going to be great for young girls and future women's college basketball players from our area to be able to enjoy this showcase."
The NCAA announced Wednesday that 523 sites have been awarded as hosts for 82 of its 89 championships for the 2014-18 seasons, making it the largest collection of host site announcements in association history. The bidding process began in July and final submissions were due to the NCAA in mid-September. Each sport committee, per division, then selected the host sites it believed would provide the ultimate experience for the competing student athletes.
"We really want to thank everyone who put in a bid," said Mark Lewis, NCAA executive vice president of championships and alliances. "The competitiveness of the bids made it extremely difficult for the sport committees to select sites as there just weren't spots for all of the great bids we received. Ultimately the sites that were selected will provide our student athletes, coaches and fans the best experience possible."
Ticket information will be released at a later date.
