It has become a tradition for me. For the past 10 years I have made the five-and-a-half-hour trek south to St. Louis to attend the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament to cheer on the University of Northern Iowa Panthers. “Arch Madness” is held at the conclusion of the regular season. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Here are three reasons why you should join me and hundreds of Panther fans in St. Louis next year.
VACATION
By March I am sick and tired of snow and ice. Having experienced almost five full months of winter weather I need to head south and ditch the scarf and gloves. St. Louis offers warm(er) weather and a fun destination for people looking for a vacation. The Gateway Arch Riverfront, highlighted by the majestic Gateway Arch, attracts more than four million guests each year. At the very top is a birds-eye view of the city from our nation’s tallest man-made monument.
You also can take advantage of the free admission and get an up-close look at more than 22,000 exotic animals at the St. Louis Zoo, crawl through huge waterfall displays at the World Aquarium, stop by Grant’s Farm, or spend a day at Six Flags amusement park. I also would recommend the free tour of the Anheuser Busch Brew House, packaging plant and Budweiser Clydesdale stable.
It is very easy to get around downtown St. Louis. Most hotels are within walking distance of the arena, Arch, riverfront and many unique restaurants. Or for a cheap fare you can hop on the Civic Center Metrolink whichis conveniently located directly across the street from the Scottrade Center.
EXCITING BASKETBALL
In 2009, the Championship celebrated its 20th consecutive year in St. Louis and the 16th year in a row at the Scottrade Center. The second longest running conference tournament held at a neutral site, “Arch Madness” continues to exceed attendance expectations. The 2007 semifinals and final crowds of 22,612 set an all-time basketball attendance record for the Center. That crowd was the largest of any conference tournament championship game in 2007, surpassing the ACC (22,269), the Big East (19,594) and the Big 12 (18,879).
The festivities kick off Thursday evening with the opening round games matching the number eight- and nine-seeded teams, followed by the seventh- and 10th-seeded teams. Friday is filled with four competitive quarterfinal games. The semifinals are held on Saturday. The Sunday championship game reaches a nationally-televisedaudience carried by CBS.
Fans can enjoy this awesome atmosphere in one of the finest sports and entertainment arenas in the country. This contemporary glass and concrete structure located in the heart of St. Louis holds just over 22,000 spectators for basketball. The MVC Athletics Hall of Fame is prominently displayed just inside the main entrance. There are numerous displays featuring league memorabilia, previous champions and Valley Player of the Year trophies.
PANTHER PRIDE
The MVC Tournament has been extra special the past several years thanks to UNI’s success.
In 2004 the Panthers took fans on a magical ride, defeating Missouri State 79-74 in double overtime to secure the tournament title. Last year, UNI marched to the Arch after claiming a share of the MVC regular-season title with Creighton. In dramatic fashion, Ali Farokhmanesh scored eight of the Panthers’ 12 points in overtime, helping UNI overcome an Illinois State rally fueled by tournament MVP Osiris Eldridge in a 60-57 victory in the championship game.
This success has brought more and more Panther faithful to St. Louis each year to experience Arch Madness. The growing amount of Purpleand Gold at the Tournament motivates the players and coaches to work even harder to bring some hardware back to the Cedar Valley. UNI cheerleaders, pep band, students, dance team members and TC (mascot) help lead hundreds of UNI supporters in celebration after each Panther victory.
Join me and start a new tradition by making the trip to St. Louis to cheer on your Panthers. See for yourself why it’s called “Arch Madness”.
Eric Braley is host and producer of “Panther Sports Talk,” a weekly UNI Sports TV show airing Sunday nights on KWWL after the 10:00 news and throughout the week on CFU Hometown Channel 15.
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