DALLAS, TX, November 6, 1996 -- Dallas has been chosen as host city for the 1997 Southwestern Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament March 5-9, SWAC Commissioner Dr. James Frank has announced. Winners of the annual tournament -- in its 32nd year for men's competition and 15th year for women's -- receive automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament.
"We are very proud to host the Southwestern Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament." said Mayor Ron Kirk. "Dallas loves nothing more than an exciting sports event. The SWAC Tournament offers electrifying college basketball and we are loking forward to hosting this event."
Dave Whitney, president and CEO of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, said, "The positive impact on the city by the tournament and all those who come to visit Dallas is a real benefit. We welcome the teams and their fans."
The SWAC Tournament, held at Dallas' Loos Stadium, will include defending men's champion Mississippi Valley State and women's champion Grambling State University as well as teams from the rest of "The Super Eight"; Alabama State University, Alcorn State University, Jackson State University, Prairie View A&M University, Southern University and Texas Southern University.
"The SWAC Tournament is something this community has wanted for years," said Dwaine Caraway, who is promoting and marketing the SWAC Tournament. "Although Dallas is not home to any of the conference schools, many of the schools' alumni make their home here. Because of this and all the benefits associated with hosting a major basketball tournament, Dallas clearly has the home court advantage."
The Dallas CVB, which assists the city in hosting more than three million convention delegates annually, is a regular recipient of quality service awards. Dallas is the No. 1 leisure destination in Texas and the No. 2 convention city in the country based on number of convention attendees annually. Information on Dallas is available on the World Wide Web at http://cityview.com/dallas.