Volume 1, Issue 2 - November 2004

Southeastern Conference Coming to Tampa

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) has awarded Tampa and the St. Pete Times Forum the 2009 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament. The announcement was made on October 27th by SEC Commissioner Mike Slive at the SEC's Basketball Media Days in Birmingham, Alabama during a news conference. The 2009 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament marks the first time the event will be held in the state of Florida since Orlando hosted in 1990.

"We are extremely excited that a powerhouse such as the Southeastern Conference has chosen the St. Pete Times Forum for its championship," said Ron Campbell, President of the St. Pete Times Forum and the Chairman of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. "This is another feather in the cap of the Tampa Bay region, and offers yet more proof of the hard work being done by area leadership to create economic impact for the local community through sports."

The announcement further adds to Tampa's roster of big-time college basketball events over the next several years. Including the SEC Championship, the Atlantic Coast Conference will host its Men's Basketball Championship at the Forum in 2007, and the NCAA will host a Men's First & Second Round tournament and the Women's Final Four in Tampa in 2008.

On the Road Again

The Tampa Bay Sports Commission recently attended the Travel, Events, and Management Conference in Houston, Texas, October 20th through October 23rd. Rob Higgins, Executive Director, and Joe Willis, Sports Coordinator, were joined at TEAMS by Terri Parnell from the Tampa Bay CVB as well as Deborah Desmond from the Quorum Hotel, Sharon Haley from the Embassy Suites Westshore Hotel, and Elizabeth Settle from the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel. The Tampa contingent hosted two booths on the tradeshow floor and had appointments with over seventy events right holders interested in our destination. The Tampa Bay Sports Commission was also the proud sponsor of the "Hospitality on Wheels", which was the transportation that took TEAMS attendees to Reliant Stadium for the conference's closing party.

Florida High School Cross Country State Championship

The running resume is beginning to reach marathon-length for the Tampa Bay area. On Saturday November 6th, the Cross Country State Championship meet will take place at the Ed Radice Complex. This event features the top 6 teams and the top 15 runners from each region. The meet will begin at 5:30 pm on Saturday and conclude with an awards ceremony immediately following the competition. The championships have received rave reviews for being one of the only competitions in the country ran under the lights at night.

National Youth Super Bowl

Over this Thanksgiving weekend, the National Youth Super Bowl football and cheerleading championships are coming to the Tampa area. The event, held from November 25-28, will be played at Skyway Park and area high schools. Teams that participate in this youth football championship will play in two games and cheerleaders will participate in highly competitive competitions throughout the weekend.

Game Day of Champions / Hillsborough County High School vs. Orange County High School All-Star Game

On December 11th, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission will host the Game Day of Champions at Raymond James Stadium. The annual Game Day of Champions Football program gives Bay area youth football teams a special opportunity to play on the same field as their favorite Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This event will feature eight teams from local youth football leagues, each of which won their respective league championship. Game times are 8:00 am, 9:30 am, 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm. Admission and parking are free for this event.

Immediately following the Game Day of Champions will be two high school all-star games. Each of the games will feature standout players from Hillsborough County High Schools taking on the best players from neighboring Orange County High Schools. Scheduled game times are 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm.  

   

Game Day of Champions - December 11

We are in the process of organizing our volunteer efforts for the annual Game Day of Champions that will be held on December 11th. We are looking for people to assist in the areas of team check-in, escorting teams and cheerleaders, clock operation, and welcoming fans to the stadium. This event will be held at Raymond James Stadium, home of the 2003 Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  For more volunteer information or to sign-up, please contact Joe Willis at jwillis@visittampabay.com or (813) 342-4075.   

Outback Steakhouse

The Tampa Bay Sports Commission would like to recognize Outback Steakhouse for their outstanding commitment as a Founding Partner. Outback Steakhouse is no stranger to the Tampa Bay sports community given their strong presence with the Outback Bowl and the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am.

"We are extremely pleased to be partners with an incredible and dynamic corporation like Outback Steakhouse," said Rob Higgins, Tampa Bay Sports Commission Executive Director. "When a customer walks into any Outback concept in the country, they know the high level and consistent product they are going to get. We are confident that our mutually beneficial partnership will produce the same consistency and successful results as Outback Steakhouse customers receive on a daily basis."

Outback Steakhouse (OSI) was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Tampa. OSI also owns and operates Bonefish Grill, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Lee Roy Selmon's, and Paul Lee's Chinese Kitchen. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and Roy's are additional concepts that Outback Steakhouse has joint venture relationships with. The Tampa Bay Sports Commission proudly thanks Outback Steakhouse for their continuing support and dedication to the Tampa Bay sports community.

Jeff Adams

The Howard Frankland Bridge…The Courtney Campbell Causeway…The Gandy Bridge…Each of these three roadways is designed to connect Hillsborough County and Pinellas County to help form Tampa Bay. When it comes to the Tampa Bay Sports Community, long-time TBSC Executive Committee Member Jeff Adams re-defines the term "Bridging the Bay." Adams, who started his tour of duty in 1993 with the St. Petersburg/ Clearwater Area Sports Commission, has long been a civic leader on the sports scene in the Tampa Bay Area. Leading up to and during Adam's tenure as President in 1998 and 1999, Jeff played a major role in the area's successful bid and hosting of the 1999 Men's Final Four. In October of 1999, he was instrumental in the merger between the Pinellas organization and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission of Hillsborough County. Less than a year later in 2000, Adams helped orchestrate a winning bid to host the 2007 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament marking the event's first trip to Florida. Jeff currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission Board of Directors and resides in St. Petersburg with his wife Angela, and two children: Mac (13) and Lacy (11).