On the heels of the official bracket reveal for the 2023 Asheville Championship, the early-season men’s college basketball event taking place Nov. 10 – 12 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, the Championship has announced the launch of the 2023 Going Pro in Sports program, presented by Champion Credit Union.
The free Going Pro in Sports will provide hands-on experiences and access to lessons and guidance from a variety of professionals within the sports industry, while opening the door to potential new career opportunities.
The program is open to high school upperclassmen at Buncombe County Schools, Asheville City Schools, Cherokee Schools and Haywood County Schools. Each week, the students will hear firsthand from a respected professional in the space on what their career in sports entails, while providing motivational tips to encourage hard work in the classroom.
“The Asheville Championship has been such an incredible way to bring quality college basketball to the fans here in the Blue Ridge Mountains,” said Jake Robinson, CEO of Champion Credit Union. “As a former college basketball player, I’ve seen firsthand the power that sports can have on a person and their trajectory to a successful future – both on the court and in their career. That’s why we are proud to be part of the Going Pro in Sports program and help inspire the next generation on the many potential opportunities that exist in the sports industry.”
Participating senior students will once again have the opportunity to enter a special social media competition where their work will be featured on the official Asheville Championship Instagram platform. Five student finalists selected by a panel of esteemed judges will each receive a one thousand dollar scholarship from Champion Credit Union, in addition to an on-site job shadow experience with the public relations and marketing team at the Asheville Championship.
In the third year of the Asheville Championship, Maryland will take on Davidson at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU, followed by Clemson facingUAB on ESPN+ at 9:30 p.m. ET. Both the third-place game (12:30 p.m. ET) and the championship contest (3 p.m. ET) will be televised on ESPN2 on Nov. 12.
For more information on the Asheville Championship and the Going Pro in Sports program, or to purchase tickets to this year’s Tournament, visit ashevillechampionship.com.
Supporting partners for the tournament include Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, Explore Asheville, Champion Credit Union, Liquidlogic Kayaks, Wicked Weed Brewing, ACE, Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, Cambria Downtown Asheville, Doubletree by Hilton Downtown Asheville, Element Asheville Downtown, and Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Asheville.