By: Sean Cartell
SEC Digital Network
NASHVILLE – The Southeastern Conference women’s basketball tournament will return to Nashville for the fifth time in its history March 1-4. And while that’s a few weeks away, fans in the Music City showed Wednesday evening that they are already gearing up for the start of the event.
When the women’s tournament took place in Nashville in 2008, it was the highest attended event in the 33-year history of the tournament with more than 51,000 fans passing through the turnstiles during that event.
Speaking Wednesday night at the Nashville Sports Council’s Comcast Spotlight Sports Speakers Series, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive reflected how integral Nashville has been for both the SEC men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
“Nashville has been a very significant partner for the Southeastern Conference,” Slive said. “In 18 years, from 2001 to 2019, between the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, we will have brought 11 SEC Tournaments to Nashville.”
The women’s tournament is taking place at Bridgestone Arena for the second consecutive season, while the men’s tournament will return to the Music City in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019.
“We’re thrilled to bring our women’s tournament here this year and our men’s tournament here next year,” Slive told the audience at the Loews’ Vanderbilt Hotel on Wednesday night, citing the quality of Bridgestone Arena, the hospitality of the city and the proximity of the event to so many downtown destinations. “Obviously Nashville has become a world-renowned destination city, so on behalf of all of my colleagues in the Southeastern Conference, we appreciate you being such an important part of the SEC.”
The bracket for the 2012 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament will be set the evening of Feb. 26, following the conclusion of the final regular-season games.
SEC Assistant Commissioner Leslie Claybrook, the conference’s administrator for women’s basketball and the director of the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament also addressed the crowd to discuss the season and the upcoming event.
Among the facts that Claybrook shared Wednesday about the SEC’s success this season are the following:
• The top six teams in the SEC are all above .500 in conference play.
• The SEC currently has five ranked teams with one addition team receiving votes in the national polls.
• The SEC has a conference ratings percentage index of 3 with eight teams boasting RPIs higher than 40.
“Our student-athletes are excited to be here, our coaches are excited to be here and, most importantly, our fans are as well,” Claybrook said. “They love this city and they love coming here. What better place to get March Madness started than right here in Nashville?”
To purchase tickets for the 2012 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, follow this link: http://www.southtix.com/sec/secwbb.html