BIG EAST Tournament to call Wintrust Arena home through 2020
By Erica Ayala
Wintrust Arena will host the BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Tournament through 2020, the conference announced today.
“We are very excited to bring the 2018, 2019 and 2020 BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Tournaments to Wintrust Arena, a spectacular addition to the Chicago sports and entertainment landscape,” said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman in today’s release.
The new arena will debut this fall and is the new home of DePaul basketball. The area will also be a location for concerts, conventions and the like throughout the year. The Blue Demons joined the BIG EAST in 2005 after becoming a chartering school of Conference USA two decades earlier.
Athletic Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto is proud to welcome the BIG EAST Women’s Tournament to the school.
“DePaul Athletics has had the good fortune to host several NCAA and BIG EAST women’s basketball events and looks forward to hosting the BIG EAST Women’s Tournament,” commented Ponsetto.
The national stage
The 2018 BIG EAST Tournament will run from March 3-6. DePaul will also be a the 2019 NCAA Tournament Regional host, according to Ponsetto.
“We look forward to working with Jean Lenti Ponsetto and her staff at DePaul to produce a first-class event and a memorable experience for our student-athletes, coaches and fans,,” shared Ackerman.
The Commissioner continued, “for our supporters watching from home, FS1 and FS2 will again carry live what we know will be another fierce competition.”
The conference has maintained their broadcast partner for the fifth consecutive year. In addition to FS1 and FS2, the BIG EAST Digital Network will live stream both first round games beginning March 3.