NEW ORLEANS - The Sun Belt Conference announced today a two-year extension at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex as the host of the Sun Belt Women's Soccer Championship for its 2018 and 2019 championships.
"The Sun Belt Conference and member institutions are excited to return to Foley and this state-of-the-art complex," said Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Foley Sports Tourism Complex as well as the city of Foley as we continue to provide our coaches and most importantly our student-athletes the best opportunity to showcase their talents," added Benson.
The 2017 season marks the 18th year the Women's Soccer Championship has been held. This will now be the second of four years the women's soccer championship will be held at a neutral site. South Alabama won the 2016 tournament title. The 2017 Women's Soccer Championship will be held from November 1 through November 5.
"We couldn't be more thrilled to continue our relationship with the Sun Belt Conference," Staley said. "This contract extension lets us know how the coaches, players, and conference felt about our venue and our city. We will continue to extend our unique brand of Foley hospitality for years to come."
The Foley Sports Tourism Complex, opened in 2016, is a state-of-the-art complex that features 16 multi-purpose fields designed for soccer, lacrosse, and other competitive field sports. The Foley Event Center, which will hold its inaugural event in September, features ample indoor space to host volleyball, basketball, gymnastics tournaments and more. More information on the facility can be found by visiting http://foleysportstourism.com/.
ABOUT THE SUN BELT CONFERENCE
The Sun Belt Conference’s “Together We Rise” motto isn’t just hyperbole. It’s proven fact on many different levels, not the least being its place in the hierarchy of collegiate athletics. As the league prepares to celebrate four decades since its founding in 1976, the Sun Belt occupies a “seat at the table” as a permanent part of the NCAA’s 24-member Board of Directors. That alone insures that the conference has a voice in determining the future as college sports continues to change and evolve.
Opportunities for Sun Belt student-athletes to succeed both on and off the field have never been greater, and the Sun Belt is well positioned in the areas of scholarship, student welfare and academic success. During the 2015-16 academic year, Sun Belt member institutions awarded over $50 million in scholarships to more than 3,100 student-athletes, while also providing life experiences such as team building, domestic and foreign travel, community service, mentoring, and recognition through honors and awards.
The Sun Belt Conference’s membership consists of 12 football members – Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Idaho, Louisiana, ULM, New Mexico State, South Alabama, Texas State and Troy. Little Rock and UTA compete in all-sports as non-football members while Idaho and New Mexico State are football only members.
For more information on the Sun Belt Conference, visit www.sunbeltsports.org.
ABOUT FOLEY SPORTS TOURISM COMPLEX
Foley Sports Tourism Complex is a sports destination, unlike any other, designed with the athlete and their fans in mind. Our mild climate makes the outdoor complex ideal for year-round play. Not to mention, the facilities are located only 9 short miles from Alabama’s beautiful Gulf Coast! The outdoor complex will feature 16, state-of-the-art, multi-purpose fields designed for soccer, lacrosse, and other competitive field sports opened in May of 2016. While the Foley Event Center, with its inaugural event scheduled for September, features ample indoor space to host volleyball, basketball, gymnastics tournaments and more.
To top off our exciting sports complex, an adjacent family-friendly entertainment destination OWA is slated to open this summer. The destination will feature something for every age whether it’s thrills and chills in the theme park to name brand hotels with conference facilities to a variety of dining and shopping opportunities.
Stay tuned to our exciting project updates by visiting http://foleysportstourism.com/ or like us on Facebook.