Magazine Online    The Authority On African-American Conventions, Incentives, & Leisure Travel
Sports Tourism
Cincinnati USA Awarded 2016 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship Midwest Region


2016 Win Represents Back-to-Back Championship Event for Cincinnati

Cincinnati USA will host the 2016 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship Midwest Regional in partnership with Miami University. The competition will take place at U.S. Bank Arena on March 25-27, 2016.

More than 850 room nights will be contracted for NCAA participants and officials for the two-day event. The event will also attract thousands of spectators to U.S. Bank Arena, home to the EHCLs Cincinnati Cyclones. The arena (then called Riverfront Coliseum) hosted the 1996 NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Frozen Four and has played host to multiple NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament regionals and the 1997 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four.

"We are delighted that the NCAA has chosen U.S. Bank Arena to re-host the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship Midwest Regional" said U.S. Bank Arena Vice President & General Manager Kristin Ropp. "We look forward to partnering with Miami University, the Greater Cincinnati Sports Corp, and the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau in bringing this showcase event to the city this March 28-30, 2014 and again in March, 2016. Being hockey people, we look to promote and extend the sport on every level."

The Greater Cincinnati Sports Corporation, an affiliate of the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau for nearly 10 years, works to bring high-profile amateur sports events to the region. This fall they conducted for the first time a regional NCAA championship audit, which resulted in regional partnerships, a thorough facilities audit and led to the success of being selected as a finalist city for three NCAA championships.

"On behalf of the Greater Cincinnati Sports Corporation and the Cincinnati community, we are honored with a repeat hockey win in 2016," said Jackie Reau, chair of the Greater Cincinnati Sports Corporation Board of Trustees. "We learned a lot in the NCAA 2014 - 2018 Bid Process in which we submitted 12 sport bids to become a finalist city for three of those championships.  This process strengthened our relationships not only with all regional collegiate administrations, venues and hospitality partners but also with the NCAA championships leadership and selection committee for future bid opportunities."

"High-profile events like the NCAA continue to build Cincinnati's reputation as a city that can successfully host and execute national events," said Dan Lincoln, president and CEO of the Cincinnati USA CVB. "This back-to-back win is not only a testament to the overall appeal of Cincinnati, but also the prestigious collegiate athletic programs we are fortunate to have throughout the region like Miami University's hockey program."

Miami's hockey team has qualified for seven straight NCAA Tournaments, the third-longest active streak in the nation, and 10 NCAA Tournaments in program history, while twice making the NCAA's Frozen Four.

About the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau The Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau is an aggressive sales, marketing and service organization whose primary responsibility is to positively impact Hamilton County's and the City of Cincinnati's economy through convention, trade show and visitor expenditures. The travel and tourism industry traditionally has been a $4.1 billion industry in Cincinnati USA, employing 94,000 people in a variety of fields and bringing 22.7 million visitors to the region in 2011.

For more information, visit www.cincyusa.com.
Advertisement