MOUNT VERNON — Paul McNeal took over as Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s coordinator of athletic development nearly six years ago.
The goal from day one, he said, has been to increase MVNU’s footprint, both inside and outside of Knox County.
No event better symbolizes this than MVNU’s Holiday Hoopla basketball tournament.
What began in 2018 as an event featuring six local teams has blossomed into a multi-day spectacle, drawing teams and families from across the Midwest to Mount Vernon.
The fifth annual tournament will take place this week at MVNU’s Ariel Arena. It will include 22 boys and girls teams from Ohio and West Virginia, playing a total of 13 games over a two-day span.
More than 400 student-athletes – and their coaches, family members and fans – will descend upon Knox County for the event.
“It’s exciting for our department (because of) all the community has done for us, through partnerships and assistance and just being a part of our programs,” McNeal said. “It’s great that we can try to give back and let the community see what we can bring to Mount Vernon through athletics.”
This year’s tournament is sponsored by Wendy’s of Mount Vernon. There will be six games on Wednesday, with the first tipping off at 12:30 p.m. and the last tipping off at 8 p.m. There will be seven games on Thursday, with the first tipping off at 11 a.m. and the last tipping off at 8 p.m.
The boys teams participating in this year’s tournament include: Grand River Academy (Austinburg, Ohio); The Linsly School (Wheeling, West Virginia); Worthington Christian; Utica; Fairland (Proctorville, Ohio); Sheridan (Thornville, Ohio); Fredericktown; Lucas; Columbus East; Thurgood Marshall (Dayton, Ohio); Shelby; Aiken (Cincinnati, Ohio); Olentangy Berlin; Highland; and Danville.
The girls teams participating include: Bloom Carroll; Greenville (Greenville, Ohio); Worthington Christian; Canal Winchester; Parkersburg (Parkersburg, West Virginia); Cardington; and Centerburg.
Admission for a full day’s worth of action will be $10 for adults and $7 for seniors/students. Attendees will receive wristbands, allowing them to come and go throughout the day.
QUICK GROWTH:Â MVNU’s holiday hoops tournament has nearly tripled in size over the last five years.
McNeal said two things have made this growth possible: hard work and communication.
Planning for the tournament has become a year-round effort for McNeal and his staff.
“We are currently, right now, looking at teams and solidifying dates and stuff for next year,” McNeal said Friday.
The athletic department has spent time reaching out to schools across the nation in an effort to grow the tournament over the last half-decade. McNeal has been able to leverage personal connections made at past professional stops to get out-of-state teams on-board.
But in recent years, McNeal said word-of-mouth communication has driven most of the growth. Teams that have played in the tournament in the past have told others about it, generating interest at an exponential rate.
“A lot of this now is getting to be word-of-mouth,” McNeal said. “The Linsly School, they heard about it from us having it last year. And they were like, ‘Hey, if you could send us information for next year, we’d love to come down and be a part of it.'”
High school programs interested in competing in the tournament are now asked to complete a questionnaire, which is reviewed by a team of four MVNU athletic department staff members. McNeal said the department received 45 questionnaires this year – and from that list, 22 teams were selected.
“We had 26 (game) slots to fill in,” McNeal explained. “And there were some teams, like Linsly from West Virginia, another high-end school, they wanted to play two because they’re coming down. Greenville is a women’s team from up north, they needed two. So it’s not 26 teams, it’s 26 (game) slots.
“It’s a year-round (process). … As soon as we’re done (this year), we’re working on it and trying to get it ready for the next year.”
McNeal said he expects the tournament to become increasingly competitive in the years to come. There are teams from Indiana and Alabama already lined up for next year’s tournament – with the potential of a big name from Florida on the way.
“If we stick with it and try to make it grow, in another three years, it’s gonna be a huge event,” McNeal said. “Not that it’s not with what we have now, because it is a huge event, but the names will just get better.”
McNeal said the ultimate goal is to make MVNU’s tournament a premier holiday hoops event in Ohio, while also keeping local talent in the mix.
“We’re trying to make it an upper-echelon tournament,” he said, “but also have some local flavor, like you’ve seen the end games that we have this year.”
COMMUNITY IMPACT:Â MVNU’s holiday tournament doesn’t just serve as high-quality entertainment for local residents.
It also benefits the university and the local economy.
The student-athletes and their families that attend will not only be exposed to MVNU’s campus and facilities, McNeal said, but they will also be exposed to the community at-large.
“There are over 400 student-athletes who will be eating at our restaurants, staying at our hotels, and doing activities all in Mount Vernon, along with their parents and grandparents and fans. …” McNeal said.
“And the truth is, you have to come to Mount Vernon. It’s not like you’re driving through all the time. So we want to try to get people here, and once they get here, (they realize) it’s a beautiful town; it’s a great community; it’s a beautiful campus; and it’s a university that’s continuing to increase its footprint every year.”
Visitors this week will be encouraged to stay at local hotels, eat at local restaurants and participate in local activities during their time off.
“Our National Championship Drive partners, we’ll funnel them to as many of those as we possibly can. So we have teams staying at the Mount Vernon Grand Hotel and the Comfort Inn, our two sponsored hotels. Wendy’s is sponsoring the event; everybody in attendance is getting a $2 discount card for Wendy’s. … We have a group that’s scheduling to go to Summit Axe Throwing,” McNeal said.
“(We) just want to make it where they’re supporting the people that support us.”
Olivia Toth, marketing manager for the Knox County Convention and Visitors Bureau, called events like this “crucial” to the community from a tourism perspective.
“There is nothing we love more than introducing people to Mount Vernon and Knox County. Whether they are here visiting family over the holidays, in town for a tournament or looking for an unexpected adventure, we’re happy to know they chose our town(s) and shops to do business. The economic impact these guests have are crucial to the growth and investment to not only our city/towns/county but to Ohio’s tourism industry as a whole,” Toth said.
“Group travel (like sports travel) is regaining its pre-COVID numbers and we are ready to see more of those groups do business with us here in Knox County. We hope these teams and tournament planners see the opportunities (unique lodging, entertainment, etc.) we have to offer their teams, guests and community a chance to enjoy themselves in between their obligations.”
MVNU’s athletic department hosts other community events throughout the year, including its Champions of Character Day, which draws local youth to the campus. The university hosts OHSAA volleyball, girls basketball and baseball tournament games, and will also host the Crossroads League softball tournament this year.
McNeal said the holiday hoops tournament is simply another way to get student-athletes on-campus – and serve the community at the same time.
“This is another great way for us to increase our footprint in the community,” he said.
