Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Multi-Weekend Basketball Event to be Hosted at AmericanAirlines Arena

MIAMI, FL – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the matchups for the second annual Hoophall Miami Invitational, a premier college basketball showcase held in conjunction with AmericanAirlines Arena in early December. The two-day event will bookend a week of community events in the Miami area.

On December 3rd, Virginia Commonwealth University will take on University of Illinois, followed byUniversity of Miami vs. Wofford College. On December 10th, the event will showcase Georgetown University vs. La Salle University and Temple University vs. DePaul University.

“The Basketball Hall of Fame is thrilled to be returning to Miami to host premier college basketball programs in a world-class facility,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “We look forward to engaging with the Miami community and would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Miami HEAT and AmericanAirlines Arena for their support.”

The head coaches of the eight programs set to compete echoed this enthusiasm:

"We're excited to play in the Hoophall Miami Invitational. This event is a tremendous opportunity for us to challenge our team against a quality Big Ten opponent in Illinois, while doing so at a first-class NBA arena." - Will Wade, Virginia Commonwealth University 

“Facing an outstanding opponent like VCU in a terrific setting at AmericanAirlines Arena is an exciting challenge for our team and strong addition to our non-conference schedule. We are honored to partner with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and participate in the Hoophall Miami Invitational.” - John Groce, University of Illinois

"Our program is eager to play in a prestigious event like the Hoophall Miami Invitational. The event has great teams and coaches and we are looking forward to the atmosphere at AmericanAirlines Arena and playing an elite program like Miami." - Mike Young, Wofford College 

“Our team is very excited to be playing in the Hoophall Miami Invitational, right here in our own back yard, at AmericanAirlines Arena. We will have a lot of new faces in our Hurricanes program this year, so playing downtown early in the season should provide a lot of excitement for our fans.” - Jim Larrañaga, University of Miami

“Traveling to play in an event that benefits the Mourning Family Foundation makes this a very meaningful opportunity for Georgetown. The work that Alonzo and Tracy have done through their organization has directly benefited children and families in the Miami community and I hope that this event will further their cause.  From a basketball standpoint, this is a terrific opportunity for our team to challenge itself against a very quality opponent.” – John Thompson III, Georgetown University

“Georgetown, Miami and AmericanAirlines Arena are an incredible combination. We look forward to this game because of the great opponent, arena and location. We are excited about our team next year and this game definitely provides a wonderful opportunity.” - Dr. John Giannini, La Salle University

"We are looking forward to taking part in the Hoophall Miami Invitational. It provides our program an opportunity to compete in another first-class event against a high caliber opponent." - Fran Dunphy, Temple University

“We look forward to playing in the Hoophall Miami Invitational this season. It’s an honor and privilege to be selected by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to participate in this event and our game against Temple will be a great experience for our team." - Dave Leitao, DePaul University

As an extension of the college events, the Hoophall Miami Invitational will also feature local high school teams in a one-day showcase at AmericanAirlines Arena. The event will provide a unique experience for elite teams from South Florida and their fans, with a ticket to the high school games also granting access to the college games. High school game times and matchups will be released at a later date.

On Friday, December 9th, AmericanAirlines Arena will host the Hall of Fame Legends Luncheon, bringing together business professionals from the Miami-area and benefitting the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Alonzo Mourning’s Mourning Family Foundation. The luncheon will be a star-studded meet and greet event with the legends of the game including Hall of Famers like Mourning and Pat Riley.

Also taking place on the 9th is the Hall of Fame Youth Clinic at Alonzo Mourning’s Overtown Youth Center. This 90-minute event will be hosted by Alonzo Mourning and college players participating in the Hoophall Miami Invitational. Attendees of the clinic will also be treated to the big games. Local businesses may show their support for the youth of Miami by donating game tickets to the main event. For more information call 786-777-4FUN.

Tickets are available for the 2016 Hoophall Miami Invitational via Ticketmaster.com. Groups of 10 or more may purchase discounted tickets at http://www.aaarena.com/hoophallgroups.

 

About American Airlines Arena

Since its opening on December 31, 1999, the 19,600-seat AmericanAirlines Arena has proudly hosted megastars such as Marc Anthony, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, One Direction, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, U2, Justin Timberlake, Phish, Madonna, Maná, Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars to name a few. In addition, AmericanAirlines Arena is home to family shows such as the Harlem Globetrotters, Disney on Ice, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which maintains a long term, exclusive South Florida run. AmericanAirlines Arena has also played host to several live televised events including the 2004 and 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, the prestigious Latin Grammy Awards and four NBA Finals, each placing Miami in the international spotlight. Private events have included product launches, corporate basketball tournaments, gala dinners and a host of meetings, large and small. For more information, please visit AAArena.com.

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:

Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was invented, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate and high school, for both men and women on the global stage.

Visit us on the web: www.hoophall.com

… on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BBHOF

… on Twitter: @hoophall #HOFMiami

… or call 1-877-4-HOOPLA