(KJCCC) Dodge City, KS - For the first time since 2005, the NJCAA Division I Region VI Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament will be hosted in a location other than Wichita. This year the event will move to United Wireless Arena in Dodge City, KS on February 29, March 1, 2, and 3, 2020. This move has been made with the Region VI membership working in conjunction with the Dodge City Sports Commission (DCSC), which is made up of leaders in the sports and entertainment community of Dodge City.
"We are very excited to have the Region VI Tournament coming to Dodge City," said DCSC Chair Paul Lewis. "We have been aggressive in our pursuit of events to enhance the entertainment level in Dodge City and this is a big one for us. This event has been in the central part of the state for as long as I can remember, so getting it to Dodge City will be a good event."
The DCSC has previously hosted KSHSAA 1A State Basketball and Volleyball as well as the 2019 Shrine Bowl. They have also been instrumental in bringing the Wild West Bowl (Kansas High School 6 Man Football Championship) and the opening rounds of the NAIA Softball Tournament to Dodge City.
The NJCAA Region VI is made up of all of the two year schools in the state of Kansas. The winner of the Division I Region VI Championship will advance to the NJCAA National Tournament. For the women's teams that will mean a trip to Lubbock, TX while the men's team that will travel to Hutchinson, KS.
"Schedule conflicts in Wichita this year meant we needed to explore other options for our tournament and the Dodge City Sports Commission jumped at the opportunity to help host. We are excited to have the Region VI Tournament at United Wireless Arena. We think this is an excellent venue and the Dodge City Sports Commission has been a great partner in this process," said Region VI Men's Director Mike Saddler. "We appreciate the relationship that Region VI has had with Wichita Sports Commission. They've been a great partner for many years and we look forward to continuing to work with them for many of our sports."
February 29 will feature the quarterfinal games of the women's portion of the tournament with game times at 1:00pm, 3:00pm, 5:00pm, and 7:00pm. March 1 will be the men's quarterfinals with the same game times as the women's quarterfinals. March 2 will be the semifinals with the women's semifinals at 1:00 and 3:00 and the men's semifinals at 5:00 and 7:00. The finals will be on March 3 with the women's championship game tipping off at 5:00pm and the men's championship to follow.
Ticket prices are $10 per day for adults and $5 for college students with ID. They will be available for purchase at the box office on the tournament days. They will also be available through the United Wireless Ticket Office online at www.unitedwirelessarena.com for pre-tournament purchase.