To give a new twist to an old political slogan, Illinois State University interim athletics director Linda Herman knows it takes a community to produce a successful major sporting event, and thats a key part of the formula for success of the 2005 State Farm-Missouri Valley Conference Womens Basketball Tournament.
Keeping the tournament family friendly, Herman, ISU President Dr. Al Bowman, State Farm Insurance executive
Jack North and Redbird womens basketball coach Robin Pingeton all were on hand Monday for the announcement of a tournament ticket price of just $30 for the complete seven-game package March 10, 11 and 12, 2005 at Redbird Arena.
All four pointed to the value of getting people involved to assure a successful tournament.
These events bring people together, said Herman. It is a wonderful opportunity for Redbird athletics as well as the corporate and business community to become part of an event which will showcase the Bloomington-Normal community and the Illinois State campus to a large audience. A family-oriented ticket price, along with the sponsoring partnerships we are making, will make this a huge success.
In more than 25 years associated with Redbird athletics, Herman has been part of the leadership of previous major events in Redbird Arena, including the 1999 NCAA Midwest Regional womens basketball tournament (which sent Purdue toward its 1999 NCAA title), the 1990 Missouri Valley Conference Mens Basketball Tournament (the last mens tournament held on campus) and the 1996 State Farm-NACWAA Volleyball Classic (volleyballs preseason national kickoff event). All of those events featured network television, as will the 2005 State Farm-Missouri Valley Conference Womens Basketball Tournament.
She appreciates the fact that Illinois State takes great pride in hosting big-name events.
To make these kinds of events successful, a lot happens behind the scenes with administrators, staff and volunteers, said Herman. Illinois State has a tradition of making big events successful by paying attention to the little things. It takes a lot of teamwork, but people know they can count on Illinois State to do a first-class job. We are proud of that reputation.
Bowman believes the tournament will generate a lot of excitement.
Todays news not only reflects the universitys continuing commitment to our athletics program, it also signals our unyielding desire to provide the finest and most exciting brand of athletic competition for an outstanding and loyal community audience, said Bowman. Illinois State is a community partner, and we are delivering to our community an event of great stature.
Over the past decade, State Farm not only has been an unquestioned national leader in sponsoring athletics events for women, but also has committed to title sponsorship for 17 Missouri Valley Conference championships. Leadership from
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North, executive vice-president/financial services at State Farm, has been a key element. He sees the value in backing events like the womens basketball tournament and bringing it to Bloomington-Normal.
Were proud of our support for womens athletics, said North. Were proud of our commitment to the Missouri Valley Conference and were extremely proud of our communityits universities, its businesses and its people. Thats a winning combination for an event of this magnitude. We know it will be an enjoyable success for all who participate.
Redbird head coach Robin Pingeton is grateful for the opportunity both to host the tournament and to showcase a high level of competitive womens basketball to the fans and media who will be on hand.
A lot of people are stepping to the plate to help make this tournament a success and we really appreciate that, said Pingeton. To be able to compete for an NCAA Tournament bid in front of your own fans on your own court is huge for our team. For our fans, it will be an opportunity to see some very good basketballthe Valley is a very challenging conference with great coaches and players. It will be an exciting week of basketball.
In 2003-04, Pingetons first year at Illinois State, the Redbirds were the most improved team with a new coach in NCAA Division I womens basketball, going from 7-21 the previous year to 16-13. Redbird home attendance made a similar leap as Illinois State had the third-highest single-season womens basketball average attendance in the programs history.
Fans can make advance ticket reservations for the State Farm-Missouri Valley Conference Womens Basketball Tournament by calling the Redbird Arena Ticket Office at (309) 438-8000.
