NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The nation's top-ranked High School basketball teams will return to New York City and iconic Madison Square Garden for a dynamic, season-ending tournament April 2nd – 4th, 2015. For the second-straight year, DICK'S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS), the largest U.S. based full-line sporting goods retailer, will serve as the event's title sponsor and the entire event will be televised across ESPN networks.
"We are excited to continue our support of high school basketball across the country by sponsoring the DICK'S Sporting Goods High School Nationals Tournament again in 2015," said Lauren Hobart, SVP & Chief Marketing Officer, DICK'S Sporting Goods. "Last year's event was a tremendous success, and we look forward to seeing the best high school basketball teams in the country compete again next spring."
Madison Square Garden will host the boys' (ESPN) and girls' (ESPN2) championship games on April 4th. The tournament begins on April 2nd with the boys quarterfinal games (ESPNU) and continues April 3rd with the boys' (ESPN2) and girls' (ESPNU) semifinals from Christ the King High School in New York City.
"Madison Square Garden is excited to showcase the best high school teams in the country at the finals of the DICK'S Sporting Goods High School Nationals Basketball Tournament," said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, MSG Sports. "Having the opportunity to perform on the most famous court in the world is a moment these young athletes will never forget."
As in previous years, the boys' tournament will feature eight of the top-ranked teams in the nation, while the girls' field will feature four teams. Last year's boys' field included seven teams that finished in the top ten of the final USA Today Super 25 Rankings, including: No.1 Montverde (FL), No.3 Huntington Prep (WV), No.4 Oak Hill (VA.), No.5 La Lumiere (IN.), No. 6 Findlay Prep (NV), No. 7 Northside Christian (NC) and No. 8 Rainier Beach (WA).
Both the boys' and girls' fields will be announced in March, following the completion of this year's high school basketball season. Tickets for the DICK'S Sporting Goods Nationals will go on sale on Friday, November 21st at www.dicksnationals.com
Event History
The National High School Invitational (NHSI) launched in 2009 at Georgetown Prep in Bethesda, Md. The event was created by Paragon Marketing Group to provide a season-ending platform for top, nationally-ranked high school basketball teams to compete against one another in a season-ending tournament.
Past Champions (boys team followed by girls team):
- 2009 - Findlay Prep, NV & Seton Keough, MD
- 2010 - Findlay Prep, NV & Peddie School, NJ
- 2011 - Montrose Christian, MD & Dr. Phillips, FL
- 2012 - Findlay Prep, NV & Riverdale Baptist, MD
- 2013 - Montverde, FL & Dr. Phillips, FL
- 2014 - Montverde, FL & Riverdale Baptist, MD
About DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc.
Founded in 1948, DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc. is a leading omni-channel sporting goods retailer offering an extensive assortment of authentic, high-quality sports equipment, apparel, footwear and accessories. As of November 1, 2014, the Company operated more than 595 DICK'S Sporting Goods locations across the United States, serving and inspiring athletes and outdoor enthusiasts to achieve their personal best through a blend of dedicated associates, in-store services and unique specialty shop-in-shops dedicated to Team Sports, Athletic Apparel, Golf, Lodge/Outdoor, Fitness and Footwear. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, DICK'S also owns and operates Golf Galaxy, Field & Stream and True Runner specialty stores. DICK'S offers its products through a content-rich eCommerce platform that is integrated with its store network and provides customers with the convenience and expertise of a 24-hour storefront. For more information, visit the Press Room or Investor Relations pages at www.DICKS.com.
About The Madison Square Garden Company
The Madison Square Garden Company is comprised of three business segments: MSG Sports, MSG Media and MSG Entertainment and is built on a foundation of iconic venues and compelling content that the company creates, produces, presents and/or distributes through its programming networks and other media assets. MSG Sports owns and operates the following sports franchises: the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL), the New York Liberty (WNBA), the Westchester Knicks (NBADL) and the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). MSG Sports also features the presentation of a wide variety of live sporting events including professional boxing, college basketball, bull riding and tennis. MSG Media is a leader in production and content development for multiple distribution platforms, including content originating from the Company's venues. MSG Media's television networks consist of regional sports networks, MSG Network and MSG+, collectively referred to as MSG Networks. MSG Entertainment is one of the country's leaders in live entertainment. MSG Entertainment creates, produces and/or presents a variety of live productions, including the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the New York Spring Spectacular, both featuring the Rockettes. MSG Entertainment also presents or hosts other live entertainment events such as concerts, family shows and special events in the Company's diverse collection of venues. These venues consist of Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, the Forum in Inglewood, CA, The Chicago Theatre, and the Wang Theatre in Boston, MA. More information is available at www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com.
About Paragon Marketing Group
Paragon Marketing Group is a corporate consulting agency specializing in sports, entertainment and cause related sponsorships. Paragon, owns and operates the DICK'S High School Nationals Basketball Tournament and has partnered with ESPN over the past 11 years to deliver over 350 live high school football and basketball telecasts featuring many of the top teams and players in the nation. Paragon's consulting clients include Gatorade, PNC Bank, Johnson & Johnson, EA Sports, Skullcandy and Bayer.
For further information on DICK'S High School Nationals and for media enquiries please contact: rkelner@paragonmarketing.biz
For further information about DICK'S Sporting Goods please contact: press@dcsg.com, or by phone: 724.273.5552
SOURCE DICK'S Sporting Goods
