Charlotte Set to Host Postseason WNIT Regional

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Feb. 25, 2021) – Tournament officials with the Postseason WNIT have announced that the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC, will be one of four regional host sites for the 2021 event, featuring eight teams and both championship and consolation bracket action.

Other sites for the 32-team event are Rockford, IL, Fort Worth, TX, and Memphis, TN.

The field of teams for the 2021 Postseason WNIT will be announced the evening of March 15, after the brackets for the NCAA Tournament are released. Round 1 play begins in the WNIT on March 19; Round 2 on March 20 and Round 3 on March 22.

Teams that lose in Round 1 will move to the consolation bracket, with games also being played on March 20 and 22. Each team in the tournament gets a minimum of two games. The four regional champions will advance to one site for the semifinals and championship game.

“We appreciate the time and hard work that the Visit Charlotte staff put in to bring the WNIT to the city and business to their hotels,” said Renee Carlson, executive director of the WNIT. “Charlotte is a great location for our teams on the East Coast.”

Bojangles Coliseum celebrated its 65th anniversary in 2020 and has had multiple renovations over the years, including the completion of a $20 million construction project at the BOplex, which added 35,000 square feet to the complex and included a new pedestrian connection between Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium, officially uniting the two historic venues as one. It has hosted dozens of basketball tournaments and has a seating capacity of 8,600. The WNIT will facilitate COVID testing for teams and staff throughout the event and follow local health and safety protocols; rules regarding fan attendance are still to be determined.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to host the WNIT at Bojangles Coliseum and celebrate the return of live sports events to the BOplex,” said Mike Butts, Vice President of Sales at Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority and Executive Director of Visit Charlotte. “With our enhanced cleaning protocols and recent GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation, the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation, our team is working closely with the WNIT team to ensure we offer the safest experience possible for everyone involved. We’re confident they’re going to love Charlotte!”

All games will be streamed through FloHoops, with details to be announced soon. Check back at www.womensnit.comand on Twitter @WomensNIT.

About Triple Crown Sports
Based in Fort Collins, CO., Triple Crown Sports has been producing events in youth athletics and the college ranks for more than 35 years. TCS runs both the preseason and postseason WNIT basketball events, powers the “WNIT” model of the NIVC (volleyball) postseason event and produces the men’s and women’s Cancun Challenge tournaments in November, which have been recognized by Sports Illustrated as a top-5 destination tournament for D-I basketball programs.

About Bojangles Entertainment Complex
The Bojangles’ Entertainment Complex (BOplex) is an entertainment and sports complex located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The historic complex holds two separate venues, Ovens Auditorium and Bojangles Coliseum, which both opened in 1955 providing the city with its first major civic auditorium and dedicated sports and concert spaces. Since opening, the venues have hosted nearly 19,000 events collectively including Broadway shows, symphony concerts, operas, sporting events and more. For more information, visit boplex.com.

About the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) works to deliver experiences that uniquely enrich the lives of our visitors and residents. Through leadership in destination development, marketing and venue management expertise, the CRVA leads efforts to maximize the region’s economic potential through visitor spending, creating jobs and opportunities for the community. Brands supported by the CRVA include the Charlotte Convention Center, Spectrum Center, Bojangles’ Coliseum, Ovens Auditorium, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte Regional Film Commission and Visit Charlotte in conjunction with the region’s destination marketing brand. For more information, visit charlottesgotalot.com.