PORTLAND, Maine — For the first time in nearly 20 years, the America East women’s basketball tournament will be played in Maine. The early rounds of the 2017 and 2018 tournaments will be held at the Cross Insurance Arena in downtown Portland, marking the first time in conference history that the event will be played at a neutral site.
America East, in conjunction with Shamrock Sports & Entertainment and the Maine Sports Commission, will make the official announcement during a news conference at the Cross Insurance Arena on Thursday. The decision was supported unanimously by the conference’s athletic directors.
“Maine has some of the most passionate women’s basketball fans in the country and we are looking forward to taking our championship to Portland in both 2017 and 2018,” America East Commissioner Amy Huchthausen said in a news release. “Shamrock, the Maine Sports Commission and the Cross Insurance Arena will no doubt help us put on a first-class event and showcase our top-flight women’s basketball teams and student-athletes in a destination city with an incredibly supportive community.”
Shamrock, the conference’s corporate partnership marketing and sales agency, spearheaded efforts to bring the tournament to Portland and will partner with America East and the Maine Sports Commission on the venture. The Cross Insurance Arena will be the site for the preliminary, quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the 2017 and 2018 tournaments.
The championship game is played the next weekend on the home court of the highest remaining seed.
“We are optimistic that we can make Maine a preferred destination for the America East Conference Women’s Basketball Championship to benefit the people and businesses of our great state,” said Shamrock President and founder Brian Corcoran. “In addition to exciting basketball, this event will leverage our commitment to youth and community through great partnerships with local companies and charities.”
The 2017 tournament will be the first played in the state of Maine since 1998, when it was held at Alfond Arena in Orono. That championship set the conference single-site attendance mark for a women’s championship, drawing 13,624 fans.
The 1997 championship was played in a high-seed format with Maine drawing 12,218 fans for the three games it hosted that year.
The first championship in conference history was held at Portland in 1980 when America East, then known as the ECAC North, played its men’s basketball semifinals and finals at the Cumberland County Civic Center in 1980.
The arena also will host complementary events to the championships, including a symposium conducted by the Maine Sports Commission and a Fan Fest.
“The Maine Sports Commission is excited to participate in welcoming America East Women’s Basketball Championship to the region,” Maine Sports Commission strategic director Sheila Nee said in the release. “Plans are underway to create a memorable championship experience that will energize the players, families, and community.”