Johnson County Community College (JCCC) located in Overland Park, Kansas will soon begin its first of a three-year commitment to hosting the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Women's Division II Basketball Championship. Taking place from March 18-22, the tournament field will consist of 16 teams from across country, including Kansas and Missouri.
"The NJCAA Tournament is a great opportunity for the City of Overland Park to showcase why it's such a fantastic destination for amateur sports," says Justin Stine, director of the Overland Park Sports Alliance. "Hotel room nights will be generated as well as increased traffic to our area restaurants, attractions and shops. Several components of our local tourism industry will benefit by the tournament being here and the economic impact is estimated to reach almost $200,000."
This will be the 10th time JCCC has served as the host site for the NJCAA women's basketball championship. The 2015 championship will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the inaugural NJCAA women's tournament, which had direct ties the college. The first women's tournament was played on the JCCC campus in 1975. Johnson County was the host site from 1975-82, and again in 2004.
"We are excited that the NJCAA decided to return the tournament to Johnson County Community College," said JCCC athletic director Carl Heinrich. "We believe it is an amazing opportunity to show off our program, the campus, the city of Overland Park and the Johnson County community. JCCC has a proven track record of running quality championship events, and the participating teams and fans will have a wonderful experience."
NJCAA Executive Director Mary Ellen Leight says JCCC is an attractive host site for a variety of reasons, including being centrally located and having a women's basketball program with a history of being nationally competitive.
Heinrich said he is confident the entire tournament staff will provide a true championship atmosphere for the fans and participants.
"The success of this tournament will be a direct result of the people putting it on," Heinrich said. "I don't decide to take this on if I don't have quality people to pull it off and make it successful. A first-class competitive experience is paramount. It is also a unique fact that the tournament is coming back to where it all began."
Games are open to the public. For complete tournament information including schedules and ticket prices, click here
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