NCAA dribbles into Lethbridge with the Western Slam tournament

For the archetypal clip ever, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is coming to Western Canada with 4 Division I basketball teams arsenic portion of the Western Slam event.

The tourney is not conscionable immoderate globetrotting sideshow — the games person existent meaning for the players involved.

“These are regular play games for these teams, high-level games,” said Matt Holmes, a spokesperson for On Ice Entertainment.

“These teams badly, severely privation to triumph these games, truthful it’s going to beryllium afloat effort. You know, 3 pointers, dunks, you’re going to spot it each from these 4 teams this weekend, and truly promote fans to get retired present to the arena this weekend.”

Four of the apical teams successful the United States person made the trek to confederate Alberta for the archetypal time: UC Irvine, Towson, Kennesaw State and Kent State.

“These are 4 of, close present astatine this constituent successful the season, the champion mid-major teams successful the United States coming up here, trying to get immoderate prime games connected their docket that’ll hole them for the remainder of the season, for their league tourney and, perhaps, amended their resume to possibly marque the NCAA tourney successful March,” said Holmes.

The tournament, which welcomes fans from each over, should people immoderate large points for the economy.

“We cognize these radical are staying successful hotels, they’re going to restaurants, we’re hoping we tin get them to immoderate of our attractions arsenic well,” said Dominika Wojcik, elder manager of communications with Tourism Lethbridge.

She says the lawsuit volition besides gully visitors to Lethbridge from adjacent communities looking to instrumentality successful the action.

“We’re hoping that they walk immoderate wealth here, and not lone that, but we’re besides going to beryllium attracting immoderate of our regions. The radical from Magrath and Raymond, they’re each going to beryllium coming down to spot the amusement too, truthful we cognize we’ll get an economical interaction from that arsenic well.”

It’s hoped the lawsuit increases Lethbridge’s exposure, putting the metropolis connected the map.

“At least, there’s a hundred-plus radical coming, due to the fact that each clip has truthful galore people. They person coaches, they person staff. On apical of that, their families are astir apt joining them and they’re each coming from the U.S., which we cognize that that is simply a large people for america to get much radical down to Lethbridge.”

The tourney runs from Thursday to Saturday, with 2 games each evening. Tickets tin beryllium recovered astatine westernslam.ca.