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Ivy League Bringing Conference Basketball Tournament to… Allentown?
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College basketball sicko Jon Rothstein had it first:
And the press release:
PRINCETON, N.J. — The Ivy League will bring the excitement of Ivy Madness to the Lehigh Valley beginning in 2028, as the league announced today a three-year agreement for its annual men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to be held at PPL Center in Allentown, Pa.
The partnership establishes PPL Center as the home of Ivy Madness in 2028, 2029 and 2030 — bringing an event that showcases the top four men’s and women’s teams in the league together to compete for the league’s automatic berths into the NCAA Division I Basketball Championships.
“We are incredibly excited to bring Ivy Madness to PPL Center and the surrounding communities beginning in 2028,” Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris said.
“Ivy Madness has grown into an incredible celebration of our student-athletes, institutions and the competitive excellence of Ivy League basketball. The PPL Center provides a neutral site in a first-class venue, a vibrant downtown setting and a location that is accessible to so many of our alumni and fans. We believe this partnership creates an exciting opportunity to continue elevating the championship experience for our student-athletes and Ivy League basketball overall.”
“PPL Center is thrilled to welcome Ivy Madness to the Lehigh Valley. As a hub for our community, we take pride in hosting a diverse range of events that bring people together. Ivy Madness is an exciting new addition to our calendar, offering a great experience for local fans while also welcoming visitors from across the region,” said Rob and Jim Brooks, co-owners of PPL Center.
Located in the heart of the Lehigh Valley, PPL Center provides Ivy Madness with a premier arena setting and a centralized location within the league’s geographic footprint. The state-of-the-art venue is home to the American Hockey League’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms and has hosted a wide range of major sporting and entertainment events, including NCAA championship competition.
The move comes during a period of significant national success and momentum for Ivy League basketball. On the women’s side, the league has established itself as one of the strongest conferences in the country, consistently producing nationally ranked teams, several years with multiple bids into the NCAA Tournaments and multiple WNBA draft selections. Ivy League men’s basketball has similarly maintained a strong national profile, winning eight games in the NCAA Tournament since 2010 — including two Sweet 16 appearances — while producing a variety of NBA talent in the past few seasons.
The 2027 version of Ivy Madness will be held at the historic Palestra as part of the venue’s 100th anniversary celebration before the event begins its run at PPL Center in 2028.
The PPL Center is owned by the Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority (ANIZDA). Maybe they paid to host this. I don’t know. I’ll look around.
It’s one thing that would explain this move, because it makes little sense otherwise. Allentown isn’t exactly rife with Ivy League graduates. It’s not particularly close to any of the schools. Princetown and Penn are more than an hour away. The tournament features four men’s teams and four women’s teams. Do you see Harvard and Yale alumni descending on the PPL Center in March? It is attached to a Tim Horton’s, which might be a nice experience for these folks. But we’re talking snooty Ivies here. Haughty elites. They probably have their vacations already booked, and they’re going to their old-money coastal enclaves.
What’s curious is that you have the Palestra. It’s right there, and will host in 2027 in a one-off year. Is it a home court advantage for Penn? Maybe.
The Ivy tournament typically rotates from campus to campus, so you’re going to have situations where teams are playing in front of home crowds. There are times when this can tilt the playing field, but it just feels like there are better options out there. Maybe let the #1 seed host the tournament on campus every year. I don’t know. But Allentown makes little sense. No disrespect to Allentown, but the fit is weird.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com