They Keep Coming Back to Long Island
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIO N SPORTSTOWN PROFILE: LONG ISLAND , N Y Russell Kirk Russell NYSPHSAA The Ivy League Ivy The Whether it’s high school wrestling, golf for people of all ages, or swimming on the Ivy League level, Long Island has the facilities, accommodations and location to create sports event success. They keep coming back to Long Island f repeat business is an indicator of success, then Long Island, NY, Zara,Zara, notingnoting thatthat thethe LongLong IslandIsland SportsSports Com-Com- TripleTriple Crown),Crown), areare amongamong thethe mostmost recognizedrecognized mission has a 13-year history of helping bring sporting events held on Long Island. But in the is surely one of the most successful, multi-faceted places in the national and international sports events to the recent past, there have been many, many others, nation to hold a sporting event. Island. “These elements, combined, appeal to including: I event rights holders on every level. We have the NoNo mattermatter whowho youyou talktalk to,to, organizersorganizers andand Regina Zara, director of sales and sports de- facilities to host major sports events as well as • 1998 Goodwill Games events right holders sing the praises of Long velopment for the Long Island Sports Commis- smaller, lesser known events.” • 1999 Empire State Games Island as an ideal location to hold their events, sion (a division of the Long Island Convention “To us, no matter what the event, we’ll do • 2001 NCAA Division I Women’s whether it’s water polo, lacrosse, golf, swim- and Visitors Bureau, www.funonli.com), says whatever is necessary to create success,” she Swimming and Diving Championships ming or any number of sports. Year after year, the Island is home to a unique concentration of adds. “We have a partnership mentality and • 2002 and 2004 FINA World Cup sports organizations like the NCAA, the Inter- athletic facilities that meet the highest competi- focus on forging long-term relationships, and (swimming) national Junior Golf Tour and the Ivy League tion standards for a variety of popular sports. that thought process works for us.” • 1999-2005 Big East Swimming and come back and for all the same reasons: high- “We have public and private sports facili- Of course, the U.S. Open Golf Championship Diving Championships quality facilities, hotels, restaurants and the ties, experienced event professionals, a solid (which returns to Long Island in 2009) and the • 2003 Ivy League Swimming and Long Island Sports Commission. volunteer base, tiered hotel room rates, and Belmont Stakes (the third leg of horse racing’s Diving Championships In short, they believe the Island has some a strong transportation infrastructure,” says of the best sports venues in America. But just as importantly, it has the Sports Commission, Major Long Island Sports Facilities which plays a pivotal role in ensuring that no matter what the event, organizers, athletes • BaseballBaseball HeavenHeaven SportsSports ComplexComplex • NassauNassau CommunityCommunity CollegeCollege most of its existence. It is the only NASCAR The Complex consists of seven baseball stock car track in the New York metropolitan and fans all will be treated as a top priority, as • Nassau County Aquatics Center fields and is equipped with all the amenities of area. It has five to six racing divisions every partners, in fact. The most premier aquatic venue in the “Many of our events aren’t on the scale of a professional ballpark. Saturday night with an average car count of country, it is the largest indoor competitive 150 cars in the pits. Competition is fast and the Final Four or Super Bowl, but all the same • Belmont Park Racetrack pool in the country and second largest in furious. Riverhead also features many special factors apply. The athletes and fans expect a Belmont Park is the site of the annual the world. The facility can host national and shows such as the Demolition Derby, Enduros high-quality experience,” says Wayne Burrow, Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple international events in all aquatic disciplines. and the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour. director of championships for the NCAA, Crown. The park encompasses more than which will hold its NCAA Division I Lacrosse 400 acres and is available year round. The • Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum & • Sports Plus Quarterfi nals at Stony Brook University, May beautifully landscaped park includes large Exhibition Center This facility features a 170,000-square 20-21, 2006. “Apart from the sports venues, open spaces suitable for a variety of sporting The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum foot indoor complex, which includes a 48-lane the folks at the Long Island Sports Commis- events. complex consists of an 18,000 seat arena, a Bowling Center and full service pro-shop, an 60,000 sq. foot exhibition hall, 15,000 sq. feet sion really know how to get the best possible NHL Regulation Size Ice Rink with lockers • Bethpage State Park of additional exhibit space, 3 meeting rooms hotel room rates and manage other critical and a full-service pro shop. Bethpage State Park is best known for its and a 6,000 space parking lot. aspects of hosting an event. five world-class golf courses, but visitors flock • State University of New York at Old “What we’ve always looked for in all of our to the park to use its picnic facilities, bridle • The Red Course at Eisenhower Park, East Westbury hosts is a quality facility and a great relation- Meadow paths, hiking and biking trails, playing fields, • Stony Brook University, Indoor Sports ship between the NCAA and the local sports tennis courts and cross-county skiing trails. Home to the Commerce Bank commission,” he adds. “In Long Island, they Championship-PGA Champions Tour Complex have done a tremendous job in the past. Not • Citibank Park • Suffolk Community College Sports & Citibank Park, a $20 million, 6,002-seat • Riverhead Raceway only do they have the facilities, but we also Riverhead Raceway is one of the oldest Exhibition Complex have access to a great group of volunteers, state-of-the-art minor league ballpark, is stock car race tracks in the country, and was • The Rinx and they are completely enthusiastic about home to the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic built in 1949. It is a one-quarter mile asphalt, Long Island’s family recreation destination hosting.” League of Professional Baseball Clubs. high-banked oval that includes a Figure 8 located on 93 acres in beautiful Hidden Pond John Stanley, tour director for the Inter- • C.W. Post Campus, Long Island University course. Park in the Town of Islip. it is open to the public national Junior Golf Tour (IJGT), says his • Hofstra University The raceway is located one mile east of the and offers two ice rinks with public skating organization is returning to Long Island for its last exit on the Long Island Expressway (LIE) sessions, three outdoor pools, tennis courts, ball sixth straight year. • Mitchel Athletic Complex, Track & Field at exit 73. This is where the north and south fields, picnic area, skating school, hockey school, “The Commission has been great in helping Stadium forks of Long Island begin, making the race- hockey leagues, pro-shop, jazzercise, physical us fi nd accommodations for our players, their A versatile state-of-the-art sports complex way just minutes from the Hampton resort therapy and conditioning center, pre-school, families and fans,” says Stanley. “Long Island that provides a spectacular, professional setting area on the south fork and the wine country summer day camp, birthday and group skating is a great golf environment, with a tremendous for a full range of popular sports including on the north fork. parties and corporate parties. number of outstanding courses, and our mem- baseball, field hockey, football, rifle/pistol, Riverhead Raceway is part of the NASCAR bers really like playing there.” rugby, soccer, softball, track and field. Winston Racing Series circuit and has been for 24 STREET & SMITH’S SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL ❘ WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 4, 2005 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIO N SPORTSTOWN PROFILE: LONG ISLAND, NY • 1990, 1995, 2001 and 2005 Breeders Cup “We have a strong history with the Long Is- reasons why swimmers and divers love coming says those two years represented the fi rst time • 2003 NYSPHSAA Gymnastics land Sports Commission,” Eaton says. “We’ve to Long Island. water polo events of this magnitude were held Championships held our annual meeting on Long Island and According Chuck Yrigoyen, Ivy League in the U.S. • 2004 NCAA Men’s Division I also held our swimming championships there. associate athletic director, the reason the Ivy “We wanted to impress the international Swimming and Diving Championships When we needed a larger facility for wrestling, League initially came to the Aquatics Center committee and show them we knew what • 2003 and 2005 FINA Water Polo they had the right combination of facility and in 2003 was that coaches knew about the we were doing,” says Bozzo. “We contacted World League Super Finals environment.” facility and wanted to add a third venue for Regina, who really helped us on the organiza- Eaton adds that the Long Island Sports their championship event (the meet tradition- tional side. With that impressive track record of hosting Commission actually lent a hand to the ally alternated between Harvard and Princeton, “We not only got that help, but she also pro- major sporting events, it’s no wonder more and NYSPHSAA a decade ago when it helped the having the only two facilities that could hold vided contacts in the local community to make more sports organizations are coming back to state organization formulate its request for pro- the event). things happen, which saved on the cost of run- Long Island.