GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG athletic department has signed a one-year extension to keep the Greensboro Coliseum the home of the men's basketball season for the eighth straight year in 2016-17, Chancellor Franklin Gilliam and Director of Athletics Kim Record announced Tuesday. The partnership with the Greensboro Coliseum will have an immediate boost in the scheduling process, as the Spartans will open the 2016-17 season hosting No. 4 Virginia.
"We are pleased to extend our relationship with the Greensboro Coliseum into the 2016-17 season,” said UNCG Chancellor Franklin Gilliam, Jr. “This reflects our commitment to providing our athletes and fans a great sporting experience."
The Greensboro Coliseum has been full-time home to the Spartans since the 2009-10 season and is one of the premier basketball venues in the Southeast. The Greensboro Coliseum went through an extensive renovation the last few years and includes all of the high-level amenities of the top programs in the country. The Spartans have just concluded one of their most successful seasons at the Greensboro Coliseum, posting a 10-3 record in the building this year, including a 7-1 mark in Southern Conference play.
“We have been honored to serve as the home for the UNCG men's basketball since the 2009-10 season,” said Greensboro Coliseum Complex managing director Matt Brown. “Having UNCG play its home games at the Coliseum is a win-win-win partnership for the University, the Coliseum Complex and the Greensboro community. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the University in its efforts to take the men's basketball program to an even higher level next season.”
Over the past seven seasons, the Spartans have seen over 300,000 fans walk through the doors of the Greensboro Coliseum, an average of almost 3,000 fans per game. The Spartans have been able to attract some of the best competition in the country to the famed venue, welcoming the likes of North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, NC State, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Clemson and Maryland.
“The partnership between UNCG athletics and the Greensboro Coliseum has been great for our men's basketball program and the Greensboro community, " Record said. “We are excited to continue the relationship for 2016-17.”
In conjunction with the extension, UNCG men's basketball has announced a home-and-home series with Atlantic Coast Conference and current fourth-ranked Virginia. The series will begin at the Greensboro Coliseum for the 2016-17 season opener as the Spartans host the Cavaliers November 11, 2016 with a return trip to Charlottesville scheduled for 2017. This series will mark the first-ever meetings between the Spartan and Cavaliers on the hardwood.
“Having the Greensboro Coliseum as our home allows us to attract top-quality opponents,” head coach Wes Miller said. “There are not many mid-major programs in the country that can say they will host an opponent the caliber and prestige of Virginia to open a season but our partnership with the Greensboro Coliseum affords us those opportunities. Our student-athletes enjoy playing in one of the finest basketball facilities in the entire Southeast.
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About The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a high-research activity university as classified by the Carnegie Foundation. Founded in 1891 and one of the original three UNC system institutions, UNCG is the most diverse university in the state with 19,400 students and 3,000 faculty and staff members representing more than 90 nationalities. With 82 undergraduate, 63 master's and 28 doctoral programs, UNCG is consistently recognized nationally among the top universities for academic excellence and value, with noted strengths in education, health and wellness, the performing arts, business and the arts and sciences, among others. For additional information, please visit uncg.edu.
