Rider, MAAC, Phila. LOC Hosting 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships
Tickets go on sale in March
PHILADELPHIA, PA-Rider University, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and the city of Philadelphia will literally roll-out the welcome "mat" and shine in the national spotlight when the NCAA brings the 2011 Division I Wrestling Championships to Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA, from March 17 through March 19, 2011.
The MAAC and Rider previously co-hosted the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, New York in 2002. The two parties have also worked together to host the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey. The MAAC and Rider hosted one of the first- and second-round sites in 2006 and the 2009 Trenton Regional.
All-session passes for the 2011 Wrestling Championships will go on sale Thursday, March 18, 2010. Lower bowl all-session tickets, which cover all six sessions, will be priced at $165. Tickets in the center sections of the upper bowl will be available for $150, while upper bowl end zone seats will sell for $135. Tickets can be purchased at the Wells Fargo Center box office, online at www.comcasttix.com, or by phone at 866/298-4200.
The Wells Fargo Center, formerly the Wachovia Center, has a capacity for wrestling of 17,366. The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships' three-day, six-session attendance record is 97,336, set in St. Louis in 2009.
"The MAAC is excited to again be hosting the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships with Rider University," said MAAC Commissioner Richard J. Ensor. "It is an honor to be able to bring college wrestling to Philadelphia and have all its fans in the east be able to easily access tickets. Philadelphia is a special host city with all its historical sites and other attractions, but especially so because of its great sports fans, who we hope will come out and attend the championship."
"Rider University has a strong tradition in wrestling, and we are extremely proud and excited to be the host institution for the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia," Don Harnum, Director of Athletics at Rider, said. "We anticipate this prestigious championship to be a tough ticket, and I would strongly encourage all local wresting fans to purchase tickets as early as possible."
"Wrestling is so rich in tradition in both high school and colleges in the east and this will allow one of the largest fan bases in the entire country to come together to enjoy the sport that they genuinely love," said Rider Wrestling Coach Gary Taylor. "Wrestling fans will be able to enjoy the best collegiate wrestlers in the nation compete in an absolutely state-of-the-art facility, the Wells Fargo Center."
The formation of a Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and its honorary chairmen and committee members was announced Thursday. The LOC's Committee Members are Rich Bender, Executive Director of USA Wrestling; Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association; and Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.
The chairman of the Philadelphia LOC is Roger Reina, an Account Manager at Ticket Leap, Inc. and former head coach of the University of Pennsylvania wrestling team. Reina is considered the most successful coach in program history. In 19 seasons, he posted a career record of 205-106-6 and won eight Ivy League Championships. He is a member of the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame and the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Hall of Fame, and has received the National Wrestling Coaches Association Meritorious Service Award, the organization's highest honor. Reina, who has coached NCAA and Olympic Champions, also served as President of the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
"Like any great team, the formation of the LOC represents talented and motivated individuals who have come together with a common purpose - to host a record setting NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia," said Reina. "The LOC draws representatives from a broad constituency, including co-hosts Rider University and the MAAC, the Wells Fargo Center, and the Philadelphia Sports Congress, along with wrestling coaches and alumni leadership from area colleges."
Serving as honorary co-chairmen for the LOC are Bill Graham, Chairman of the Board/CEO of The Graham Company; Ira Lubert, Chairman and co-founder of Independence Capital Partners; John Middleton, CEO of Dock Street Capital and a partner of the Philadelphia Phillies; David Pottruck, Co-Chairman of High Tower; Dr. Mordechai Rozanski, President of Rider University; and Fred Shabel, Vice-Chairman of Comcast-Spectacor.
"The formation of a quality LOC, under the leadership of Roger Reina, is a huge step forward in our efforts to run a quality championship and promote the sport of wrestling in the region," Harnum said.
"The NCAA Wrestling Championships are a prestigious event that puts the national spotlight on the Wells Fargo Center and the entire Greater Philadelphia Region," said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko. "It is events like the NCAA Wrestling Championships that allow us to showcase the Wells Fargo Center as a premiere facility in the United States. We have a terrific history with the NCAA and we look forward to working with the MAAC and the NCAA in making the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships the best ever in the history of the sport."
"The quality of the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships' LOC is indicative of the high level of support the sport has in the greater Philadelphia region," Ensor said. "The MAAC is very proud to co-host the championship for the second time and look forward to providing a great hosting experience to the student-athletes, coaches, and fans at the Wells Fargo Center."
One of the LOC's primary initiatives will be the development of a fan festival that runs throughout the championships. Tentative events will include a USA Wrestling team practice open to the public, autograph sessions with members of USA Wrestling and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and local Philadelphia entertainment.
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