August 4, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Virginia Beach, VA – The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) has announced that it will move its Fall National Championships to Virginia Beach, VA for 2016, 2017, and 2018. The announcement is made as the association publicizes its newly formed “Fall National Championship Week” format.
“The idea of Fall Championship Week is to package together soccer, volleyball and cross country tournaments, create a more dynamic experience for participants and fans, and to generate a larger economic impact in a destination city,” states USCAA Executive Director Matthew Simms. “All of this is done with the intent of mutually beneficial relationships that enhances USCAA Championship revenue and puts more money into the city of Virginia Beach and its hotels, shops, and restaurants.”
The tournaments will be hosted in the Landstown area of Virginia Beach, with the Soccer National Championship pool play taking place at the Princess Anne Sports Complex and semi-finals and finals at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. The Volleyball National Championships will take place in the Virginia Beach Field House and the Cross Country race will be on a course around all complexes. The event kicks off on Thursday, November 10th will pool play in volleyball and soccer and will conclude that evening with a banquet to honor USCAA All-Americans, and scholar athletes. The event is expected to have more than 1300 attendees.
“The Virginia Beach hospitality community is excited about hosting the USCAA Fall Championship Week. When the athletes, coaches and fans leave our world class venues like the Virginia Beach Sportsplex, Princess Anne Athletic Complex and Virginia Beach Fieldhouse, we hope they take time to enjoy the best of what Virginia Beach has to offer including beautiful beaches, fun attractions and delicious coastal cuisine,” states Nancy Helman CVB Sports Marketing Director.
The USCAA Soccer National Championships will take place from November 10-14. This marks the first year that the association will host World Cup style pool play, adding two teams to each of the men’s and women’s fields and playing four pools of three teams over the first three days of the event. USCAA Chief Operating Officer Michael Goodman comments, “This is an exciting change for our championship event. It gives each of our teams a minimum of two meaningful games, rather than being eliminated after day one and playing a consolation game on day two.”
The Volleyball National Championships will host pool play under the existing ten team format on Thursday and Friday. Elimination bracket style play will ensue on Friday afternoon, with the National Championships taking place on Saturday.
The USCAA Cross Country National Championship participants will have a walkthrough of the course and team meetings on Thursday, November 10th. The championship race times are tentatively set for 9:30am and 10:30am on Friday, November 11th.
The announcement comes in coordination with the USCAA’s recent move to Norfolk, Virginia which is a sister city to Virginia Beach. “The addition of Fall Championship Week in Virginia Beach creates many competencies for us,” states Simms. “Not only are we hosting the event in our own backyard, allowing operational and cost efficiencies, but we have a strong network of partners with Old Dominion University’s sports management program, the Virginia Beach CVB, and the Hampton Roads Sports Commission.
Virginia Beach, Virginia is located on the Atlantic Ocean of Virginia near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. It is Virginia’s highest populated city and the 41st most populated city in the nation. The resort city is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the longest pleasure beach in the world. The strip along Atlantic Avenue, where participants and fans will be accommodated, features dining, restaurants, shops and several other exciting activities including indoor skydiving, haunted houses, and adventure parks.
The United States Collegiate Athletic Association is a national organization dedicated to providing opportunities for small colleges to compete against like institutions for National Championships and student athlete recognition. The 86 member organization is headquartered in Norfolk, VA and has been in existence since 2001.