BIG EAST/BIG TEN Challenge Up for SportsTravel Award
August 14, 2009 | Baseball
The 2009 BIG EAST-Big Ten Baseball Challenge, hosted by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission, concluded to rave reviews from fans, participants, coaches and elected officials in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area. Approximately 17,000 spectators turned out over three days to watch as eight teams representing the BIG EAST squared off against all 10 of the Big Ten's baseball-playing institutions in NCAA Division I baseball's first conference challenge event.
"Events such as this one are a prime example of the achievement of excellence in the organization and management of sporting events," said Timothy Schneider, publisher of SportsTravel magazine, which organizes the TEAMS Conference & Expo. "SportsTravel readers are the leaders of the sports-event industry and they know what it takes to execute a high-quality event," said Schneider. "The SportsTravel Awards program is an opportunity for them to honor their peers for a job well done."
Official ballots are available in the August and September issues of SportsTravel magazine. Readers may also find more information and vote online at www.SportsTravelMagazine.com. Final balloting is open through September 14, 2009. Winners will be announced at the TEAMS 2009 Conference & Expo, October 13-17, 2009, in New Orleans.
The 2010 Challenge promises to be even better as All 10 of the Big Ten's baseball-playing institutions will once again compete, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue. The BIG EAST will send 10 teams to the 2010 event, as Louisville, Rutgers and Villanova will make their first appearances and USF will be joined by six other squads making a return trip - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Notre Dame, St. John's, Seton Hall and West Virginia. Games will be played daily in St. Petersburg at the Raymond A. Naimoli Complex, the former spring training practice facility of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Al Lang Stadium, the Rays' former spring training game site. Games in Clearwater will take place at Jack Russell Stadium, once the spring home of the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 2010 Big Ten/BIG EAST Baseball Challenge will be held in St. Petersburg/Clearwater, FL the weekend of February 26-28, 2010. For additional information, sponsorship requests and tickets, please contact event manager, API Sports, at 410-472-3500 or visit us on the web at www.bigeastbigtenchallenge.com.
Last year, in the inaugural Challenge, the Bulls went 1-2 by defeating Purdue in the second game of the series, however the Bulls dropped close decisions to Michigan and Indiana. Sophomores Stephen Hunt and Derrick Stultz were named to the 2009 BIG EAST - Big Ten Challenge All-Tournament Team (Honorable Mention).
TEAMS and SportsTravel are owned by Schneider Publishing, the Los Angeles-based company that also publishes Association News magazine. The group travel markets served by Schneider Publishing generate 106 million room nights annually. For further information, please call toll-free (877) 577-3700.
