Apply to host the 2019-2021 National Basketball Championships

The NIRSA Championship Series is seeking institutions to host the 2019-2021 National Basketball Championships. The NIRSA Championship Series tournament has set the standard for intramural and club teams to compete for a national championship title while giving officials, students, and professional volunteers staff development opportunities to build skills and engage in all levels of hands-on learning.

“One of the best things we do—and consider ourselves experts in—is putting on tournaments and, more specifically, the national championships,” says Oscee Wheatfall, Chair of the NIRSA Championship Series and Assistant Director of Intramurals at Texas A & M University-College Station. “This is an opportunity for a university to showcase their facilities as well as staff, and how they can successfully host an event where over 85 teams come to compete annually. This experience affords the host the opportunity to develop a multitude of skills and provides their staff with a great opportunity to serve hundreds who look forward to these tournaments each year.”

Applications opened August 10 and will close October 31. Colleges and universities interested in hosting the NIRSA National Basketball Championships are strongly encouraged to work with their local sport’s commission or convention and visitors bureau so as to be best prepared for the large numbers of participants, staff, and fans these tournaments bring. Institutions are also encouraged to send a staff person to the 2018 National Championships at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, which will allow them to see and feel the ins and outs of a national tournament first-hand.

“The past five years have included world-class events at NC State and Ohio State, setting the bar high and providing a great example for the next host,” says Megan Morris, Chair of the Basketball Work Team and Director of Campus Recreation at Loyola University, Chicago. “The host who is selected will be invited to participate in shadowing Ohio State to learn how to host and prepare for this rewarding event.”

Please check the criteria and guidelines on the application to see if your institution has the necessary resources to continue the successful and proud history of the NIRSA Championship Series. As you fill out the application, be sure to utilize the tournament operations manual as it is filled with helpful hints, best practices, and general guidelines for hosting.