SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Great Lakes Valley Conference announced today that SCHEELS, an all-sports superstore, will serve as the title sponsor of the 2012 SCHEELS GLVC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament. The announcement was made Thursday in Springfield, Ill., at the Prairie Capital Convention Center – site of the 2012 tournaments, March 1-4.
“We are proud to have established this wonderful partnership with SCHEELS and we are thankful they have decided to team with us for our postseason basketball tournament,” said GLVC Commissioner Jim Naumovich. “The GLVC focuses on engaging its communities and often times that means tying our brand to a company that shares a similar vision and set of values. We have found a perfect match with Scheels.”
Although its rich family history dates back to 1902, SCHEELS' first All Sports Superstore opened in Grand Forks, N.D. in 1989. Today, SCHEELS is a 24-store operation with stores in nine states including North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Nevada, and Illinois; as well as a new store in Sandy, Utah set to open Fall 2012 and a new store in Cedar Falls, Iowa in the Spring of 2013. The store that opened in 2008 in the Reno/Sparks, Nevada market is the World's Largest All Sports Store at 295,000 square feet. Providing SCHEELS' customers with first-class customer service and the world's largest selection of sports, sportswear and footwear are the priorities throughout the organization.
In addition to SCHEELS, the GLVC also announced several presenting sponsors and business partners that are focused on making the 2012 SCHEELS GLVC Basketball Tournament a success. This year’s presenting sponsors include the Capital Area Sports Commission, President Abraham Lincoln Hotel, Primo Designs, and Qik-N-Ez. U.S. Foods and Charlie Parker’s Diner will serve as business partners for the event, while Wilson continues to serve as the official ball of the GLVC.
The 2012 SCHEELS GLVC Basketball Tournament will feature 16 seeded teams, including eight men’s and eight women’s squads that will have earned an invitation following first-round matchups on their respective campuses. On Thursday, March 1, the women’s quarterfinals will take place with four games at noon, 2:30 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8:30 p.m. Friday’s action will feature the four men’s quarterfinal contests at the same times. Both the men’s and the women’s semifinals will commence on Saturday, as the women take to the court at noon and 2:30 p.m., followed by the men at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Tickets will soon be available through ticketmaster.com or by calling the Prairie Capital Convention Center box office at (217) 788-8814. All-Tournament passes are $85, while single-session tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens, $8 for students and $5 for children. Kids ages 5 and under will be admitted free of charge.