The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Basketball Championships will be held at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall March 10-14, in the first year of a three-year agreement.
ATLANTIC CITY – The 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will be played at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall today through March 14, but the hoops action is just the tip of the iceberg. The MAAC will provide a wide variety of entertainment options for fans attending the event.
Activities in the arena’s West Hall will feature the MAAC Band Jam, a Spirit Squad Showcase, a Fan Fest with promotions and games for fans of all ages, and live radio broadcasts from 97.3 ESPN – South Jersey’s Sports Radio (Townsquare Media) and WOND. The engaging Tahir Hajat will serve as Master of Ceremonies in-arena. Hajat currently works with the Leicester City Football Club, Matchroom Multisport, Sky Sports and NCAA Hall of Fame Belfast All-Star Classic.
Perhaps the most notable element of the MAAC Fan Fest is annual MAAC-n-Cheese Fest presented by Gourmet Dining Services, which will take place 4-7 p.m. Friday, March 13. Once in the arena, fans can opt to pay $15 to sample macaroni and cheese from five of participating restaurants and vote for a winner. The winning restaurant will be honored at mid-court during the men’s championship game.
The field of 12 local restaurants include The Claridge, Ducktown Tavern, Gordon Ramsey Steakhouse at Harrah’s, Guy Fieri’s Bar-B-Que Joint at Bally’s, Hard Rock Café, Harry’s Oyster Bar and Seafood, Mike B’s Café, Phillips Seafood, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall, Tun Tavern, and Vagabond. Three MAAC schools will also participate in the contest in a separate division – Manhattan College, Monmouth University, and Rider University.
“We are ready for a fun week in Atlantic City,” said MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. “Between the basketball games themselves, the Esports championships, the Fan Fest elements, and all that A.C. has to offer entertainment-wise, our fans will have a great time. We are also thrilled to impact on the region’s economy with more than 2,500 hotel room nights already booked and thousands of fans coming into Atlantic City for the MAAC events.”
The MAAC Esports Championships presented by New Jersey Army National Guard will take place March 13-14 in the Adrian Phillips Theater in Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.
Tickets for the 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Basketball Championships at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall can be purchased by visiting ticketmaster.com or maacsports.com/basketball.
To stay up to date on MAAC basketball and the full schedule of events, visit http://maacsports.com/basketball and follow @MAACHoops on Twitter and #maAChoops20.
