WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — NJCAA tournament returns to Hutchinson this weekend. It's the 77th year for the city to be hosting the tournament, and preparations are in full swing.
KSN speaks with a representative on the impact of a significant event like this in Hutchison.
Crews have been preparin
g the sports arena for the teams and fans that are expected to pack it starting tomorrow. Twenty-four teams will compete in the tournament, which begins this weekend and runs through next week. There will be four games daily, with a break on Thursday, then the finals on Friday, followed by the championship on Saturday, March 29th.
The tournament chairman says that this is a staple event for Hutchinson and that he is confident it will boost the local economy.
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"Our community loves to have it here. And they have been so great to welcome all the teams," said Ron Chadwick, chairman of the NJCAA Tournament.
He added, "Our hotels, our restaurants, just having all the people in town kind of like I know everybody in Kansas is aware of the Kansas State Fair. Well, this is kind of the second biggest event in Hutchinson when we have this tournament."
Chadwick's biggest hope is that the players coming to Kansas from all across the country have a great experience and that it pushes them to take their basketball skills to the next level.
He also said that this is a family event for him. His father, a World War II veteran, was on the committee for 50 years, and his leadership inspired him to follow in his dad's footsteps. ...read more read less
