Before the brackets are finalized; before the first whistle blows; before this year’s champions are crowned, there are campuses across the country preparing to welcome the NIRSA community with open doors and open hearts.
NIRSA Championship Series Basketball Regional Championships tournament host sites do far more than schedule games and provide court space. They create environments where student leaders step up, volunteers grow, teams compete, and institutions showcase who they are and what they value.
Simply put—they bring The Series to life.
Pride, purpose, and possibility
This year, we see that passion reflected in institutions ready to host with pride, purpose, and possibility.
At Marquette University, hosting represents both a milestone and an opportunity. Hosting for their first time in their new Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility, the team is embracing both the excitement and responsibility that comes with the role.
“Hosting this event in our new Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility is incredibly meaningful for our team. As first-time hosts, we recognize there will be lessons along the way, but we are energized by the challenge and fully committed to delivering a championship-level experience. This event allows us to showcase our new space, our student leaders, our ability to bring the spotlight to Milwaukee, and the great things happening here at Marquette. We’re ready to learn, adapt, and put our best foot forward for the NIRSA community.” – Kris Pullman, Associate Director at Marquette University
At Grand Canyon University, the focus is clear: the students.
“Hosting a NIRSA Championship Series event is about far more than running high quality tournament games—it’s about creating an unforgettable student experience. We host because of the opportunities it provides our students: to lead, to serve, to compete, and to represent something bigger than themselves. Watching our staff and participants grow and compete through the energy, responsibility, and community that the tournament creates is what makes the experience truly meaningful.” – Mike Fox, Intramural Sports Manager at Grand Canyon University
For SUNY Cortland, hosting marks a historic first—and a chance to spark renewed energy in the region.
“The regional tournament we are hosting is the first ever at SUNY Cortland. We are excited to bring teams onto our campus and show what we can do with regards to providing a memorable and exciting experience. We feel that we can deliver a premier experience for teams, with the hopes of them continuing to participate in the NIRSA Championship Series. What we are most excited about is the introduction and resurgence of basketball programs in the region…We take pride in participating and hopefully show how well institutions of our size that they can host!” – Scott Flickinger, Director of campus recreation at SUNY Cortland
And at Georgia Southern University, hosting is deeply personal—a full-circle moment, rooted in the memories that make The Series special.
“Our team’s passion and excitement over the past months in planning and executing a quality tournament experience has shown me what the vision behind the NIRSA Championship Series Promise in providing a premier championship experience truly means for everyone involved… To give back to our participants, volunteer staff, and student officials where they have an opportunity to create a positive, meaningful experience is reason enough to work our tails off and create that same environment that has defined many of our experiences in the Series, and our lives moving forward.” – Britton Lyon, Assistant Director of Sprot Programs at Georgia Southern University
This work matters
Across regions, across divisions, and across campuses of every size, host sites carry a shared belief: this work matters.
They invest months into preparation. They recruit and train student staff. They coordinate volunteers. They solve problems before anyone else even knows they’ve happened.
And they do it because they believe in the NIRSA Championship Series. They believe in the promise of providing premier championship experiences. They believe in giving teams a reason to return. They believe in building community across institutions. Most of all, they believe in students.
The truth is simple: without host sites, there are no regional tournaments. Without their willingness to open their facilities, their schedules, and their campuses, the NIRSA Championship Series could not provide these spaces for teams to compete.
These regional tournament host sites are more than locations on a bracket. They are more than names on a schedule. They are the welcoming handshake at check-in. They are the calming presence when challenges arise and the pressure is high.
The regional host sites are the foundation of the Championship Series. And as always—they are the Heart of the Series.
- For more information, contact NIRSA Director of National Sport Programs, Nicole Jackson.
