The bracket is set for the 2022 Asheville Championship men’s college basketball tournament. East Tennessee State, Elon University, Harvard University, and University of Louisiana at Lafayette will go head-to-head in the second-annual championship, scheduled to take place at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville on Nov. 11 and 13, 2022.
Tickets are expected to go on sale in early September via each school’s ticketing department, the venue, and AshevilleChampionship.com.
“Through the Asheville Championship, we are able to bring early season basketball to the Blue Ridge Mountains where fans are hungry for quality match-ups to kick-off the season,” said Tournament Chairman Dave Odom. “This region has long been synonymous with remarkable college basketball, and we are proud to be building a Tournament that capitalizes on that existing passion against such a unique backdrop.”
As part of this year’s championship events, Tournament organizer KemperLesnik, in partnership with Buncombe County Schools, Asheville City Schools and Haywood County Schools have announced the inaugural “Going Pro in Sports” program presented by Champion Credit Union. The initiative is a joint effort between the Asheville Championship and the three local school districts that will help enhance current curriculum, deliver practical training in the sports profession, and open new potential career opportunities for the students of the Asheville community.
“The ‘Going Pro in Sports’ program is truly a unique opportunity for our students that have a passion for sports marketing and the career opportunities that go along with it,” said Taylor Baldwin, Career and Technical Education Director for Buncombe County Schools. “Students will get valuable, hands-on experience as they learn about what it takes to execute a collegiate basketball tournament like the Asheville Championship. Working directly with the Tournament organizers and local business partners will provide a comprehensive job shadowing experience, and we are thrilled to be able to give our Buncombe County students this exciting opportunity.”
The “Going Pro in Sports” Program will enhance curriculum through a speaker series with a variety of professionals within the sports industry. Within the class curriculum, senior students who are interested in pursuing a career in sports will have the opportunity to enter a social media competition where their work will be featured on the official Asheville Championship Instagram platform. Five student finalists selected by a panel of judges for the most impactful and creative submissions will each receive a one thousand dollar scholarship from Champion Credit Union, in addition to an on-site job shadow experience at the Tournament.
The inaugural 2021 Asheville Championship showcased some thrilling early-season basketball games with Minnesota outlasting Princeton in double overtime with an 87-80 championship win. The Gophers opened the tournament with a close 73-69 victory over Western Kentucky, while Princeton defeated South Carolina, 66-62, to advance to the Championship game.
This year’s 2022 Asheville Championship will air on the ESPN family of networks on Friday, Nov. 11 (ESPN+) and Sunday, Nov. 13 (ESPNU). Friday’s matchups include Harvard vs. Louisiana at 6:00 pm ET and East Tennessee State vs. Elon at 8:30 pm ET. Sunday’s third place game tips at 2:00 pm ET, followed by the Championship game at 4:30 pm ET.
In addition to the Asheville Championship, KemperLesnik owns and operates the Maui Jim Maui Invitational and manages the event portion of theMcDonald’s All American Basketball Games. Coach David Odom serves as the official Chair of the Asheville Championship, in addition to his leadership role with the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. The former National Coach of the Year and three-time Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year at Wake Forest has overseen tournament relations for the Maui Jim Maui Invitational since 2009. North Carolina legend and Asheville native Coach Roy Williams is the official ambassador of the Tournament. Williams is dedicated to helping grow and expand the event to become a premier early-season championship featuring top basketball programs from across the country.
Supporting partners for the tournament include Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, Explore Asheville, Champion Credit Union, Leaders Helping Leaders Network, Liquidlogic Kayaks, Signal Security of Asheville, Wicked Weed Brewing, Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, Cambria Downtown Asheville, Doubletree by Hilton Downtown Asheville, Element Asheville Downtown, and Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Asheville.
For more information, or to follow along as it all starts in Asheville, visit ashevillechampionship.com or follow the Championship on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).