DETROIT – In conjunction with the “Farewell Season at The Joe,” the Horizon League and Olympia Entertainment will host the final basketball games at Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday, March 7, as champions will be crowned in the men’s and women’s brackets of the Little Caesars Horizon League Basketball Championships. The men’s and women’s champions will receive automatic berths into the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
Nearly 20,000 fans have attended “Motor City Madness” through the first three days of the tournament, which has welcomed 20 collegiate men’s and women’s basketball teams to Detroit and featured numerous games that have come down to the final possession.
“In our second and final year hosting the basketball tournament at The Joe, we’ve witnessed tremendous growth and the local community has really embraced us,” said Jonathan LeCrone, Horizon League Commissioner. “The action on the court has created buzz throughout Detroit and made for an exciting environment for fans and our student-athletes. We look forward to welcoming more fans to The Joe for the final college basketball games on Tuesday and continuing the momentum of the tournament next season at Little Caesars Arena.”
Although Joe Louis Arena is home to the Detroit Red Wings, the first event at The Joe was a college basketball game between the University of Michigan and the University of Detroit on Dec. 12, 1979.
Semifinal games continue on Monday, March 6 at Joe Louis Arena and can be watched live on the ESPN family of networks.
• Game 13: (5) Milwaukee vs. (1) Green Bay (women) – 1 p.m. (ESPN3)
• Game 14: (3) Detroit Mercy vs. (2) Wright State (women) – 3:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
• Game 15: (9) Youngstown State vs. (4) Northern Kentucky (men) – 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
• Game 16: (10) Milwaukee vs. (6) UIC (men) – 9:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Tickets for Tuesday’s championship games start at $15 and can be purchased at MotorCityMadness.HorizonLeague.com/tickets. A full schedule and bracket can be found by visiting MotorCityMadness.HorizonLeague.com.
CHAMPIONS BRUNCH
Nearly 150 attendees are registered for the Champions Brunch at Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday, March 7, at 10:00 a.m., in the International Bancard Olympia Club within Joe Louis Arena. Industry leaders will gather to discuss experiences in athletics prior to the women’s championship game at 12:00 p.m. and the men’s championship game at 7:00 p.m.
The Champions Brunch will begin with a breakfast at 10:00 a.m. followed by a panel focusing on key topics relating to athletic administrators along with former professional and collegiate standouts at 10:30 a.m. The panelists for the event are Cheryl Ford, three-time WNBA Champion and four-time All-Star, Mary Ellen Gillespie, Green Bay Director of Athletics and NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee member and Rick Mahorn, Detroit Pistons NBA champion and current radio analyst. The Champions Brunch will be moderated by Kelley Deyo, former Los Angeles Sparks forward, NCAA national champion and current ESPN College Basketball analyst.
For $25 attendees receive a ticket to the Champions Brunch and a game ticket to the women’s and men’s championship games. Those who have already purchased a game ticket, can attend the Champions Brunch for $15.
To purchase tickets for the Champions Brunch or for more information, click here.
“MOTOR CITY MADNESS SCHOOL DAY”
More than 500 students have registered for the first “Motor City Madness School Day” set to take place on Tuesday, March 7, in conjunction with the Horizon League women’s basketball championship game at Joe Louis Arena.
All Metro Detroit elementary schools (grades K-5) are eligible to participate in a free, fun and educational field trip at Joe Louis Arena. Participating students will have the opportunity to watch the Horizon League women’s basketball championship game and participate in a pre-game health and fitness presentation.
The festivities for “Motor City Madness School Day” begin at 10:30 a.m. The women’s championship game tips off at 12:00 p.m. and will also air live on ESPNU.
In addition to free tickets to the women’s championship game, all those attending “Motor City Madness School Day” will receive:
• An educational basketball workbook focusing on areas such as math, reading, spelling, health and fitness
• Pre-game health and fitness presentation by the Red Wings School Assembly Program, which visits 115 Michigan schools every year
• First-hand experience watching NCAA Division I women’s student-athletes in action with a trip to the NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Championship on the line for the winner
For more information on the “Motor City Madness School Day,” visit www.olympiaentertainment.com/mcmschoolday.
Tags: Horizon League - Men's Basketball · Horizon League - Women's Basketball
