Dec. 28, 2009

Big Ten Tournament to stay in Columbus through 2012

The Big Ten Conference, Huntington Park and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission announced that the Big Ten Baseball Tournament will be played in Columbus, Ohio, for the next three seasons.

The 2009 tourney was played at Huntington Park, the first neutral-site tournament for the Big Ten since 1994. The event will also be played there in 2011 and 2012. Due to a facility conflict, the 2010 Big Ten Tournament will be held at Ohio State’s Bill Davis Stadium.

The 2009 Big Ten Tournament drew more than 12,000 fans, the highest total for the event in the past decade. Indiana claimed the program’s second tourney title, earning the Big Ten’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Prior to 2009, the Big Ten Tournament was played at the site of the regular-season champion or the champion from a pre-selected division since its inception in 1981. The exception came in 1993 and 1994, when the tournament was held in Battle Creek, Michigan. From 1981-99, four teams competed for the championship. In 2000, the field expanded to six schools. The current tournament is a double-elimination affair, with the top two seeds earning first-round byes.

Huntington Park is the modern home for the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.

The Greater Columbus Sports Commission was formed in June, 2002, to attract professional, amateur, collegiate and youth sporting events to Columbus. The commission has attracted more than 90 events which have generated more than $95 million in visitor spending.

(photo courtesy of IU Media Relations Office)