By Alyssa Whitney
Hosting a NIRSA Championship Series event requires time and resources, but it also provides your department with a flood of fun and benefits. Plus, fundraising through sponsorships, in-kind donations, and entry-fees is a great way to offset any costs. Host site applications for 2015 NIRSA Championship Series Regional Basketball tournaments will open on Friday, May 1! We encourage NIRSA member institutions that are interested in hosting to submit an online application.
Aaron Hobson, Associate Director of Programs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Chair of the NIRSA Championship Series Basketball Work Team, says that “hosting a regional tournament is an opportunity to showcase your university campus and recreational program and facilities all while providing educational and recreational opportunities to hundreds of participants, students, and staff. Hosting a tournament takes hard work and a dedicated staff, but nothing is as rewarding to your students and staff when the first game tips off at center court on your campus.”
Hosting gives your community an economic boost and is also a chance to proudly show off your school; it brings positive attention to your institution, which attracts potential graduate assistants. In addition to the short-term and long-term advantages of hosting a NIRSA Championship Series Regional Basketball tournament, hosting is worth it for the fun and satisfaction alone. The deadline to submit a host site application is Sunday, May 31—get ready to submit yours on May 1!
For more information—or if you have any questions about hosting—please contact NIRSA Championships Series Basketball Work Team Chair Aaron Hobson or NIRSA Director of National Sport Programs Valerie McCutchan.
