Press Releases

NORTHLAND AEG STRIKES DEAL WITH BIG EAST CONFERENCE TO HOST WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP AT XL CENTER THROUGH 2011
“Team Approach” Secures Prestigious Tournament for City of Hartford

10.23.2008, Newton, MA - Charles H. "Chuck" Steedman, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Northland AEG LLC announced today that an agreement was reached with the BIG EAST Conference to extend the contract to host the Women’s Basketball Championship at the XL Center through 2011.

"We are thrilled to once again be selected as the BIG EAST Women’s Championship host location," said Chuck Steedman. "Our long history of hosting the championship gives us a great foundation to build upon to exceed expectations for BIG EAST participants and fans." Steedman added, "Not only are our facilities perfect for a championship of this caliber, we sit in a region of the country that is known for having a loyal women's basketball fan base."

Steedman credits a team approach from the City of Hartford, Greater Hartford Convention and Visitors Bureau and the MetroHartford Alliance as a key factor in securing the contract extension that will keep the nation’s largest Division I conference in the city of Hartford.

"We are extremely pleased to have the BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Championship remain in Hartford for another two years," said Big East Commissioner, Michael Tranghese. "We believe we have one of the premier women’s basketball championships in the nation in terms of competitiveness and attendance. Further, we are excited to continue to showcase our nationally recognized programs in a public arena that resides in the heart of a city that supports collegiate women’s basketball with such enthusiasm."

The XL Center, formerly the Hartford Civic Center, first signed a contract with the BIG EAST Conference in 2002. The current contract runs through 2009. The 2004 tournament in the building marked the first time in league history that the women's tournament was not held on the campus of a member institution.

The 2009 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Championship, for the first time, will have all 16 BIG EAST schools participate. It will be held March 6-10 with five full days of action and 15 games. The BIG EAST's teams will battle for the conference tournament title, and the winner will earn the league's automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship.

Full session packages for the 2009 BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Championship will go on sale Monday, Dec. 1 at 10:00 a.m. via Ticketmaster and at the XL Center box office, which opens at noon.

Steedman stated, "The XL Center is working hand-in-hand with the city, GHCVB, MetroHartford Alliance and local businesses to make 2008-09 and beyond a bigger, better first-class fan experience. This includes expanded entertainment programming and amenities throughout the region that show our commitment to being the women's basketball fan headquarters. Fans will experience a jam packed championship with more games, fan appreciation parties and activities. We will continue to build on the momentum in 2010 to broaden the fanfest offering."

The BIG EAST is the largest and most diverse Division I conference in the country. It was formed in 1979 and represents the athletic interests of 16 member institutions including the University of Cincinnati, University of Connecticut, DePaul University, Georgetown University, University of Louisville, Marquette University, University of Notre Dame, University of Pittsburgh, Providence College, Rutgers University, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, University of South Florida, Syracuse University, Villanova University and West Virginia University. The BIG EAST Conference has captured 25 national championships in six different sports and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series. For more information on the Conference and its membership, please visit www.bigeast.org.

About Northland AEG LLC
Northland AEG is a joint partnership between Northland Investment Corporation and AEG Facilities. Northland AEG LLC began managing the XL Center, formerly known as the Hartford Civic Center, on July 1, 2007 on behalf of the Connecticut Development Authority. Northland AEG LLC is also responsible for the day-to-day business operations of the Hartford Wolf Pack AHL Hockey Team and was chosen by the State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM) to manage Rentschler Field Stadium in East Hartford, Connecticut. Rentschler Field is owned by the State of Connecticut.

About Northland Investment Corporation
Founded in 1970, Northland Investment Corporation is a privately held, vertically integrated real estate company focused on the acquisition, development and operation of commercial real estate throughout the United States. Northland owns a $2.1 billion diversified portfolio of 19 million square feet in ten states. For more information on Northland Investment Corporation, visit www.northland.com.

For more information, contact:
Sara Scarborough Graham
617.630.7259
sgraham@northland.com

<<Back