Chattanooga one of six cities to bid

The 2010 Southern Conference basketball tournament in Charlotte is history.

The 2011 SoCon event is scheduled for Chattanooga's McKenzie Arena, and sites for the 2012-14 tournaments will be decided later this year. Chattanooga is one of several cities vying for future tournaments, with the Greater Chattanooga Sports & Events Committee having to submit its bid by April 15.

"We would take one, two or three, but we're bidding on all three," Sports Committee president Scott Smith said Monday.

Chattanooga has hosted the men's and women's SoCon tournaments twice before, using McKenzie and Maclellan Gymnasium in 2005 and only McKenzie last year. Geoff Cabe, the league's senior associate commissioner, said prospective locations are being asked to provide two venues in this next bid process.

Those interested include Chattanooga; Greenville, S.C.; Charleston, S.C.; Charlotte; Winston-Salem, N.C. and Asheville, N.C., which had the event from 1984 to '95. Charleston hosted it six times from 2002 to '08.

"Separating the men's and women's tournaments will prevent us from having six games a day at the same arena and will prevent those 9 a.m. starts," Cabe said. "Those days can take a toll, and having less games on less days gives more people the opportunity to enjoy more ancillary events the tournament has to offer."

Chattanooga could be at a disadvantage because the city has no clear-cut second arena. Cabe described Maclellan as "a building that certainly has its questions," but that facility could be presented again.

Another option might be Chattanooga State.

"If they want two McKenzie arenas, then we're at a disadvantage, but I think they're realistic because most cities aren't going to have something like that," Smith said. "With Charleston having a couple of schools and the North Charleston Coliseum, I don't know if I would say they're in the driver's seat, but I think they would definitely bid and have a good shot, especially having hosted it in the past.

"For those early-round women's games, I think Maclellan or Chattanooga State would be more than adequate."

Cabe said he doesn't believe Chattanooga is shortchanged from a facility standpoint but would like to "give a shine" to Maclellan.