Visit Rochester and the Monroe County Sports Commission today announced that Rochester has been awarded by the 2020 NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Track and Field Championships and the 2021 NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championships.
The announcement came yesterday as the NCAA shared selected sites and cities for multiple sports and divisions through the 2021-2022 school year.
The Division III Men's and Women's Track and Field Championships will be held at St. John Fisher College on May 21-23, 2020. This event will welcome 1,000 athletes from around the country, along with hundreds of additional officials, coaches and spectators.
The Division III Men's Volleyball Championships will take place at Nazareth College on April 23-25, 2021. The championship tournament in Rochester will feature the top eight teams in the country competing for the division championship title.
The NCAA received more than 3,000 bid submissions from NCAA member schools, conferences, sports commissions and cities vying to host predetermined rounds for 84 of the NCAA’s 90 championships. A total of 613 sites were awarded for this cycle. Rochester will be home to two of these events. The NCAA championship events taking place in Rochester will both attract thousands of athletes, coaches, officials and spectators.
“Sporting events in Monroe County play a major role in bringing new visitors to our community, and in turn contributing to the overall economic impact that tourism has here in Monroe County,” said Don Jeffries, president & CEO, Visit Rochester. “Visit Rochester and the Monroe County Sports Commission are excited to host these NCAA championships and look forward to introducing student athletes and their families from all over the country to everything Rochester has to offer. We will continue to pursue these types of sporting events and programs as a way to showcase Rochester to an entire new audience, while driving economic impact.”
“The entire St. John Fisher College community is very excited that the NCAA has selected the College to host the 2020 Division III National Track and Field Championship," said Michael Henchen, Track and Field/Cross Country Head Coach at St. John Fisher College. "Our selection is testament to the impressive progress our track and field teams have made in six short years and our outstanding campus facilities and personnel. Our Polisseni Track and Field Complex is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive track and field venues in the Northeast. We look forward to providing a true championship experience for over 1,400 athletes, coaching staffs and the thousands of spectators expected to attend this terrific event.”
"Having hosted the Division III volleyball championships three other times in conjunction with the Monroe County Sports Commission, the NCAA is confident in Nazareth's ability to do a first-class job," said Pete Bothner, athletic director, Nazareth College. "This is a great event that has been well received by the Rochester community and Nazareth is pleased to be a part of it."
Tourism and sporting events are big business in Monroe County. The economic impact of the tourism and hospitality industry in Monroe County in 2015 was over $1 Billion.
ABOUT VISIT ROCHESTER
Visit Rochester is the official tourism promotion agency for Greater Rochester and Monroe County. Visit Rochester is a membership organization with over 400 members representing, lodging, retail, restaurants, services, and community organizations. Working together with our members and partners, we strive to provide the best experience to all visitors to our community, including both business and leisure travelers.
ABOUT MONROE COUNTY SPORTS COMMISSION
The Monroe County Sports Commission (MCSC) is a non-profit entity whose goal is to bring organized sporting events of all kinds for all ages to Rochester, New York. MCSC actively solicits amateur championships, sports related clinics and conventions.
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