Park Ridge, Ill. –- The Big Ten Conference, Huntington Park and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission announced today that Columbus, Ohio, will be home to the Big Ten Baseball Tournament for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons. The Big Ten played its first neutral-site tournament since 1994 at Columbus’ Huntington Park in 2009 and will return to the ballpark in 2011 and 2012. Due to a facility conflict, the 2010 tournament will be held at Ohio State’s Bill Davis Stadium.
“The Big Ten Conference is excited to return to the city of Columbus for its upcoming baseball tournaments,” Big Ten Conference Commissioner James E. Delany said. “Last year’s event provided a fantastic experience for our coaches, student-athletes and fans, and we look forward to growing the event in the next three years.”
“We are thrilled that Columbus, Bill Davis Stadium and Huntington Park will host the Big Ten Baseball Tournament through 2012,” Greater Columbus Sports Commission Executive Director Linda Shetina Logan said. “Our community thanks the Big Ten Conference, its schools and coaches for making this commitment to Columbus, and we will work to build an atmosphere for this tournament similar to the College World Series.”
The 2009 Big Ten Baseball Tournament drew more than 12,000 fans, marking the tournament’s highest total attendance in the past decade. Indiana took home the program’s second tournament title, earning the Big Ten’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
“We were proud to host the Big Ten Baseball Tournament in 2009 and look forward to its return to Huntington Park in 2011 and 2012,” said Columbus Clippers General Manager Ken Schnacke, who also manages Huntington Park. “And we look forward to partnering with the Big Ten and the Columbus Sports Commission to grow the tournament every year.”
Prior to 2009, the Big Ten Baseball Tournament had been played at the site of the regular-season champion or the champion from a pre-selected division since its inception in 1981, with the exception of 1993 and 1994, when the tournament was held in Battle Creek, Mich. From 1981-99, the tournament field consisted of the conference’s top four teams. In 2000, the field expanded to include six squads. The Big Ten Baseball Tournament is a double-elimination event with the top two seeds earning first-round byes.
The Big Ten Conference is an association of 11 world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in student-athletes’ lives and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. Big Ten universities provide in excess of $100 million in athletic scholarship aid to more than 8,500 men and women student-athletes who compete for 25 championships, 12 for men and 13 for women. Conference institutions sponsor broad-based athletic programs with more than 270 teams. For more information, visit www.bigten.org.
The Greater Columbus Sports Commission was founded in June 2002 to attract professional, amateur, collegiate and youth sporting events to Columbus. Since its inception, the Sports Commission has attracted more than 90 events that have generated more than $95 million in visitor spending. For more information, visit www.ColumbusSports.org.
Showing posts with label Huntington Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Huntington Park. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Single-Game Tickets to the Big Ten Baseball Tournament Now on Sale
Big Ten Tournament Central
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Single-game tickets to the 2009 Big Ten Baseball Tournament to be held May 20-23 at Huntington park in Columbus, Ohio, are now on sale, the Big Ten Conference and Greater Columbus Sports Commission announced today.
Tickets to the 11 separate games are $10 each, plus service charges, and available at www.ticketmaster.com. All single-game tickets are general admission.
All-Tournament passes and group tickets to the 2009 Big Ten Baseball Tournament are also available. All-Tournament passes to the event’s 11 games cost $100 each. Group tickets (minimum 20) are available for $7 per ticket. All tickets are available at www.ColumbusSports.org or www.bigten.org.
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State have secured spots in the tournament, which will feature the top six finishers in the conference’s regular-season standings. The regular season is scheduled to end Saturday, May 16, with the tournament schedule announced following the conclusion of the last conference game.
The Big Ten Conference and Greater Columbus Sports Commission announced in December that Huntington Park, the home of the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, will serve as the host site for the 2009 Big Ten Baseball Tournament. The event will mark the Big Ten’s first neutral-site baseball tournament since 1994. The event will be hosted by the Greater Columbus Sports Commission and Columbus Clippers.
Huntington Park opened on April 18 as the home of the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The 2009 Big Ten Baseball Tournament will be the first special event held in the new ballpark, located in the Arena District in downtown Columbus.
The Big Ten Conference is an association of 11 world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in student-athletes’ lives and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. Big Ten universities provide in excess of $100 million in athletic scholarship aid to more than 8,500 men and women student-athletes who compete for 25 championships, 12 for men and 13 for women. Conference institutions sponsor broad-based athletic programs with more than 270 teams. For more information, visit www.bigten.org.
The Greater Columbus Sports Commission was founded in June 2002 to attract professional, amateur, collegiate and youth sporting events to Columbus. Since its inception, the Sports Commission has attracted more than 90 events that have generated more than $95 million in visitor spending. For more information, visit www.ColumbusSports.org.
Images are property and trademarks of the Big Ten Conference, Huntington Bank, and of The Greater Columbs Sports Commission. All rights are reserved.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Big Ten Baseball Tournament in Columbus?
When I checked out Bob Hunter's Rumblings in today's Dispatch it was great to see this as the lead note in his column...
The Greater Columbus Sports Commission plans to meet with Big Ten officials late this summer and pitch the idea of Columbus playing host to the conference baseball tournament in the new Huntington Park.
Commission executive director Linda Logan and Clippers general manager Ken Schnacke were in Oklahoma City for the Big 12 tournament last week to see how that tournament is run, in preparation for what Logan hopes will be an offer that Big Ten officials can't refuse.
"We've been what I call 'flirting' with them for the past year," Logan said. "Big Ten baseball coaches would like to do it at a predetermined site and build it. The administrators probably aren't quite there yet. We have to overcome some obstacles, but if we're able to put together an attractive package…"
As it stands, the conference regular-season champion plays host to the tournament; that means sometimes the host team doesn't find it will have the event until about five days before. Using a predetermined site would allow for sponsorships, better travel arrangements and bigger crowds.
Battle Creek, Mich., was host of the tournament in 1993-94, the only time since the event started in 1981 that it was held at a neutral site.
Logan said tournament play at Huntington Park could begin as soon as next year. "A lot has to happen," she said, "but we're up for the challenge."
I guess if you can't win the league for the right to be the host you might as well endorse a plan that would bring the tournament to your own backyard.
The Greater Columbus Sports Commission plans to meet with Big Ten officials late this summer and pitch the idea of Columbus playing host to the conference baseball tournament in the new Huntington Park.
Commission executive director Linda Logan and Clippers general manager Ken Schnacke were in Oklahoma City for the Big 12 tournament last week to see how that tournament is run, in preparation for what Logan hopes will be an offer that Big Ten officials can't refuse.
"We've been what I call 'flirting' with them for the past year," Logan said. "Big Ten baseball coaches would like to do it at a predetermined site and build it. The administrators probably aren't quite there yet. We have to overcome some obstacles, but if we're able to put together an attractive package…"
As it stands, the conference regular-season champion plays host to the tournament; that means sometimes the host team doesn't find it will have the event until about five days before. Using a predetermined site would allow for sponsorships, better travel arrangements and bigger crowds.
Battle Creek, Mich., was host of the tournament in 1993-94, the only time since the event started in 1981 that it was held at a neutral site.
Logan said tournament play at Huntington Park could begin as soon as next year. "A lot has to happen," she said, "but we're up for the challenge."
I guess if you can't win the league for the right to be the host you might as well endorse a plan that would bring the tournament to your own backyard.
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